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

[Arlanymor]

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?!

We are young is about domestic violence.

My lover, she's waiting for me just across the bar
My seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking 'bout her scar and
I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you're trying to forget

A friend of mine chose it for her cremation music. She was genius

The song by heart
When she tells a story about her husband who couldn't have kids so she had a one night stand
All I wanna do us make love to you. Omg tells it with such emotion
Then she met him and he saw his own eyes!
Please please understand. I was in love with another man, and what he couldn't give me ohohoh was the one little thing that you can. Makes me cry 😢

Really rubbish film that ruined a fantastic song IMHO @Arlanymor

Your post tells me you assume your education was identical to every one else's. That's not true.

At school I got no education about drugs and the only contraceptive methods talked about were rhythm and Billings. Billings came in useful when a friend was trying to conceive.

There are people who don't know song lyrics, I had a colonoscopy recently and the radio was on, I made a comment about, "Oh you're playing the stalker's song" and one of the nurses asked what I meant.

I had a conversation a couple of years ago with a long time friend who did not know, I Don't Like Mondays had anything to do with a shooting. I thought it was fairly obvious.

I didn’t know that . Ha ha

I did - and I'm usually pretty slow when it comes to working out what songs are about

I actually agree with this, and I also think some people invent "meanings" behind songs that are not there. I could write a song about my cat, it could become a hit, and there would be numerous people swearing it was about drugs. They are just pretending to be clever and , as you said, superior.

Well as it's clearly what the song is about, I've always assumed everyone "got it"

That is what caused the massive fuss when it was released (along with the 'black Jesus')

I don't know what the hell you're talking about. How does not knowing a song is about drugs mean you are uneducated about them or putting your children in danger?
You can know all about drugs but still not get the reference in the song.
FYI you are not as educated about drugs as you think you are.
No recovering addict will ever tell you they took drugs because their parents didn't get the reference to drugs in a song.

Watching old music videos on YouTube today.....

DS asked me today if Belinda Carlisles "Heaven is place on Earth" is about sex.

Of course, I explained how it's about being a good Christian and trying to build the kingdom of God here on earth through kindness and good works, rather than waiting to experience heaven in the afterlife.....

(This is what I'd assumed it was about, when i heard it as a child!)

Then I thought "hang on, there's quite a lot of snagging in the video though"

And of course it's about sex.

DS laughed at me 😂

Sorry, I’m another one that has very clearly missed a lot of hidden references! I’m autistic and possibly a bit too literal to have realised there could be a hidden meaning 🫣

I’m loving this thread though! So interesting! Like a Prayer is SO obvious now you say it but it never occurred to me when it was released! I just thought they were annoyed at her depicting a black Jesus and using a crucifix in her (raunchy) act. Duh!

Can someone please enlighten me about the Bob the Builder song though - surely that’s not about drugs as a PP said??? And also Purple Rain?

I’ve googled both and there are no subversive meanings coming up - help a confused woman out someone, please? 😂

With respect op you sound a bit mental.

I think lots of songs have double meaning, you can read it one way or another. It’s the listeners job to enjoy it and apply it to their own world/experience.

Bob the builder can we fix it - the poster was being funny cos you can fix as in build something or get a drugs fix. 😀

Purple rain I had no idea. The tinterweb says:

Meaning of "Purple Rain"
According to Prince, the phrase refers to an apocalyptic event where red and blue mix in the sky, creating purple.

It's about finding peace with a loved one and letting faith guide you through the end of the world.

Some fans interpret it as a metaphor for a transformative and cleansing emotional experience.

Or it might be about getting off your tits in LSD 😂

Ah 😂😂😂😂 thank you!! I thought they were being serious 🫣🫣 I am so shit at this 😂

I thought maybe a PP was suggesting Purple Rain was either sex or drugs - but I could only see the apocalyptic meaning on Google too. I bloody loved that song.

Mind you, Prince’s albums from that era were so batshit, LSD would have been a perfectly rational explanation. “Starfish and Coffee” anyone? 😂

What is born in the USA about, if not exactly that?! And is it true that ' nothing compares to you' is about giving up smoking?

Songs with metaphors for sex are interesting - in madame bovary, the description of two people in a bedroom. suddenly veers into a detailed study of soft furnishings. Or hard soft furnishings:)

Agree with pp not knowing a song is about drugs isn't dim. When younger, we thought we were wild with our faĝs, glass or two of wine and cream bun.

For Avoidance of doubt a cream bun is exactly that - a baked bun from a a bakers with real cream.

Kelis' Milkshake is the obvious one to misunderstand if you were about five years old at the time it came out.

The video should have cleared things up for you even so. Although if you were particularly innocent you could have just thought that everybody was working in a really fun diner were every order seemed to involve sets of two round foods. Two fried eggs on the griddle, two burger buns together and so on. Generous portions.

And it was very hot and steamy in such a fast food joint in the summer so everybody was wearing low cut tops to keep cool and comfortable.

A heartwarming tale of fine hospitality that would indeed bring all the boys to the yard.

Seasons in the Sun … I love that song and sang along quite merrily without actually listening to the lyrics

Dock of the Bay is the one that gets me. So often I hear it described as chilled or relaxing but if you listen to the words I hear it as really desperately sad. It contains the line, "I've had nothing to live for, look like nothin's gonna come my way." I seem to be the only one who hears it that way!

Born in the USA is about poor treatment of veterans returning from the Vietnam war.

Another drugs one…. maybe not that well known of a song but I loved Hotel Room by Richard Hawley, thinking it was a sweet love song until my ex pointed out it’s about injecting heroin so now I can’t unhear it:

Ten thirty in this hotel room,
You and I locked in the gloom,
Lost out of love once again
But I've got you here with me friend
'cause you're here in my arms
Here in my arms
Here in my arms
Here in my arms

I was around when it was played ad nauseum on the radio. Everyone knew the inference.

What did you think it was about?

I wonder how many people thought Perfect Day was about drugs before the film Trainspotting?

I mean, it’s literally in the lyrics. I will never forget the time Radio One had a news item about a mass school shooting in America then immediately played this song after the news segment finished.