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Meanings behind songs that people don't seem to know...

605 replies

Arlanymor · 28/10/2025 21:38

Do you remember the Real Fires advert with the dog kissing the cat and the cat kissing a mouse? My mum brought it up the other day as one of their neighbours has just got a dog that looks identical to the one in the advertisement. Awww!

I couldn't quite remember the song that was the soundtrack so I looked it up later... it's Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles and I brought it up on YouTube to listen to it. It's about a one night stand isn't it? I had no idea until now... there I was thinking it was a lovely warm anthem for chaste kisses between pets!

By the way, not remotely making a judgement about the topic, I've a had a few 'Shirelles' nights of my own in the past... I just never knew what it was about before. Have you had any similar revelations?!

OP posts:
Denim4ever · 29/10/2025 15:28

Not the same thing, but The Dooby Bros song with the chorus 'If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me.' seemed like the funniest thing I'd ever heard back in the day.

Denim4ever · 29/10/2025 15:25

mrsmumbles · 29/10/2025 00:20

As is The Police's Every Breath You Take, and I think that one is about stalking isn't it!

Sting was really nasty to his first wife and is - I think - on record as saying it's about her. A much better stalker song is One Way or Another by Blondie.

We 'Will You Still Love Me' is a Carole King for me, I don't know the other version

lettingthedaysgoby · 29/10/2025 15:23

Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" is about the 1981 Brixton riots.

Steely Dan are named after a steam-powered dildo in Burrough's "Naked Lunch"

Thin Lizzy's Dancing in the moonlight is about Phil Lynott's heroin addiction and the Red Hot Chilli Pepper's 'Under the Bridge" is about wasting time doing drugs in LA...

letitgo23 · 29/10/2025 15:22

Golden Brown by the Stranglers. My mum loved that song and I thought it was about tea rather than heroin- although in my defence tea was big part of life in our house growing up whereas class A drugs were, thankfully, not

CrowsInMyGarden · 29/10/2025 15:22

@AsTreesWalkingAhhh I thought it was Knights too. I just googled it to “prove” you were wrong but you wasn’t. I’m shocked.

randomchap · 29/10/2025 15:18

The Wiggles Rocket Ship is about the existential dread regarding the eventual heat death of the universe

SapphireSeptember · 29/10/2025 15:15

BoomBoom70 · 29/10/2025 11:25

Oh no! I’ve believed this for ages and ages. Never thought to question it. 😊

I just replied to you as well, it's okay. 😊 I thought it for ages too! Until someone told me otherwise.

PixieandMe · 29/10/2025 15:13

Brotherhood of Man won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976 with 'Save All Your Kisses for Me'.

You assume the song is for a lover until the very last line...

'Won't you save them for me even though you're only 3?'

It's a father singing to his daughter.

SapphireSeptember · 29/10/2025 15:11

BoomBoom70 · 29/10/2025 11:09

I’m trying to think of something cool but failing, so here’s one about The Black Death

“Ring a ring of roses
A pocket full of posies
Atishoo, Atishoo
we all fall down”

Sad to relate that the earliest version of that song is from the late 18th century, it's nothing to do with the plague.

LaserPumpkin · 29/10/2025 15:06

Bigearringsbigsmile · 29/10/2025 14:42

Tell me a single lyric in thst song that says otherwise

Me and my baby in a 69?

ruethewhirl · 29/10/2025 14:58

SprayWhiteDung · 29/10/2025 13:53

Not even when they changed their band name.

They were originally an octet based in Bury St Edmunds called The Suffolk Eight.

I'm really missing the laugh reaction on this thread! 😄

ruethewhirl · 29/10/2025 14:55

SprayWhiteDung · 29/10/2025 14:49

Possibly not explicit from the lyrics, but Bryan Adams was only about 10 in 1969 - and he and his friends were driving and getting married in the song!

Plus BA has come right out and admitted it!

I have vivid recollections of sitting in the school sixth-form common room with my friends after listening to this song on the radio, and coming to this exact same conclusion... nice to know I was right after all these years! 😄

TeaAndBrie · 29/10/2025 14:53

Daytripper by the Beatles - it’s not about a day at the seaside

SprayWhiteDung · 29/10/2025 14:49

Bigearringsbigsmile · 29/10/2025 14:42

Tell me a single lyric in thst song that says otherwise

Possibly not explicit from the lyrics, but Bryan Adams was only about 10 in 1969 - and he and his friends were driving and getting married in the song!

Plus BA has come right out and admitted it!

lettingthedaysgoby · 29/10/2025 14:48

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:16

Try 'turning Japanese' , you will not be disappointed

it's not about wanking

But "Pictures of Lily" by the Who definitely is...

Bigearringsbigsmile · 29/10/2025 14:42

Lincslady53 · 29/10/2025 13:48

Summer of 69 is not about the year.

Tell me a single lyric in thst song that says otherwise

TheBewleySisters · 29/10/2025 14:38

LaserPumpkin · 29/10/2025 14:34

Also in Jailhouse Rock: if you can’t find a partner use a wooden chair 😂

In the 50s people would practice the jive at home using a chair as their 'partner'.

MaidOfSteel · 29/10/2025 14:38

Easy by the Sugababes has very overt lyrics.

Engine's running high baby, can you come and check it?
Got such a pretty kitty, boy I know you want to pet it
The weather's nice and wet just south of the border

Bigearringsbigsmile · 29/10/2025 14:38

You're gorgeous by baby bird got played on Sunday lovesongs last week and I was absolutely incredulous! Listen to the lyrics radio 2! Not a lovesong!

JudgeJ · 29/10/2025 14:34

WearyAuldWumman · 29/10/2025 12:53

Apparently, at our school you got some proper sex ed if you did Biology as a course choice in Third Year. I didn't, so our sex ed in First Year consisted of our Science teacher explaining how flowers are pollinated and showing a film of locusts mating.

We were each told to bring in a daffodil from home, I kid you not.

I recall teaching in a Catholic High School overseas, there were a number of nuns teaching and one was Head of the Sixth form. She did the sex ed talk with these 17/18 year olds, sex was allowed as long as you were married, one wit asked her if the sex had to be with the person you're married to and she almost exploded. The girls obviously thought the whole thing was hilarious, nothing about what 'sex' involved and certainly no mention of the evil contraception.

LaserPumpkin · 29/10/2025 14:34

Also in Jailhouse Rock: if you can’t find a partner use a wooden chair 😂

RaraRachael · 29/10/2025 14:33

I always thought that Pinball Wizard lyrics were "That deaf double blanket sure plays a mean pinball" instead of "deaf dumb and blind kid"
😅😅😅

LaserPumpkin · 29/10/2025 14:33

CharlotteCChapel · 29/10/2025 14:29

There's even some dodgy lyrics in jailhouse rock. It would be fine today but there's a line which definitely has homosexual overtones. Can't remember it exactly but it say number something to number different you're the cutest jailbird I ever did see.

Number 47 said to number three
"You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see
I sure would be delighted with your company
Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me"

AgentPidge · 29/10/2025 14:30

NamelessNancy · 29/10/2025 07:44

My favourite misheard lyric (not by me) is "Ireland's Industry" for "Islands in the Stream" 😂

Mine is "there's a bathroom on the right" from Bad Moon Rising.
(There's a bad moon on the rise)

CharlotteCChapel · 29/10/2025 14:29

There's even some dodgy lyrics in jailhouse rock. It would be fine today but there's a line which definitely has homosexual overtones. Can't remember it exactly but it say number something to number different you're the cutest jailbird I ever did see.

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