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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
TheaBrandt1 · 29/10/2025 05:54

I have been laughed at recently by teens for missing drug references in my car sing alongs.

Was singing along to Chappell roan “I don’t care that you’re a soldier” before being corrected by teen that the word is stoner.

Also Taylor’s lyric “ I love you but you like trucks more” I was also getting wrong it’s not trucks it’s drugs apparently. Prefer my mishearing versions tbh

GripGetter · 29/10/2025 05:54

I didn't know for decades that Black Velvet is a tribute to Elvis Presley. Such a great song.

Marylou62 · 29/10/2025 05:56

Anyone else up at silly O'clock (if you are in the UK ) googling the lyrics of all these songs and educating yourself? Who knew.

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 29/10/2025 05:58

GripGetter · 29/10/2025 05:54

I didn't know for decades that Black Velvet is a tribute to Elvis Presley. Such a great song.

I didnt know that! But it makes perfect sense now. Il be listening to that today :)

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:00

What it says to me is that posters like you paid zero attention at school during drug education lessons and didn’t bother educating yourself about it all either, letting yourself and your future children down by being unable to keep them safe.

They really do walk among us, but come out and post in the early hours of the morning on MNs

Cheese55 · 29/10/2025 06:00

You're Beautiful by James Blunt is also a stalker song but a bit more blatant. You're Gorgeous by babybird is about exploitation of girls in the model industry, not really meant as a first dance wedding song

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:07

pumped up kicks is not about a school shooting, just mass shooters/violence in general

WinterFrogs · 29/10/2025 06:08

Marylou62 · 29/10/2025 05:56

Anyone else up at silly O'clock (if you are in the UK ) googling the lyrics of all these songs and educating yourself? Who knew.

Yes!

NestEmptying · 29/10/2025 06:10

Kingsleadhat · 29/10/2025 00:48

So apparently is Lou Reed's Perfect Day

Almost all Lou Reed and Velvet Underground songs are about drugs, or the after effect of drugs, or waiting for the guy to bring you drugs. Perfect Day is one of the only ones that isn't!

Mafsing · 29/10/2025 06:12

'there she goes' isn't about heroin use. The na Nd have repeatedly denied it and apparently didn't try heroin until after it's was released in the 90s. I think I it's just a great little tune about being in the 'chemical' style love where you're addicted to a person.

sashh · 29/10/2025 06:13

Marylou62 · 29/10/2025 05:56

Anyone else up at silly O'clock (if you are in the UK ) googling the lyrics of all these songs and educating yourself? Who knew.

Try 'turning Japanese' , you will not be disappointed.

Roselily123 · 29/10/2025 06:14

LaserPumpkin · 29/10/2025 00:11

I Will Always Love You - played so often at weddings, but it’s a breakup song.

If you ever seen dolly singing it , in the best whore house in Texas, afterwards Burt Reynolds, says ‘I don’t give a dam’ and , I think picks her up. .. it’s lovely.

Rosscameasdoody · 29/10/2025 06:15

SriouslyWhutNow · 29/10/2025 01:36

What it says to me is that posters like you paid zero attention at school during drug education lessons and didn’t bother educating yourself about it all either, letting yourself and your future children down by being unable to keep them safe.

So not the “I’m so amazing and well-brought-up” look that these faux naive posters were going for. I feel the same way about adult women who pretend they don’t understand contraception. Anyone of childbearing age absolutely got told all this stuff at school multiple times and none of it should be surprising to anyone who was paying attention so they only have themselves to blame.

Utter drivel. If you paid attention to drug education lessons, you wouldn’t use drugs, so you’d have no frame of reference for songs that are about drug use.

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:16

Try 'turning Japanese' , you will not be disappointed

it's not about wanking

WinterFrogs · 29/10/2025 06:17

The Winds Of Change by Scorpions. Beautiful melodies and didn't really take notice of the lyrics, to my shame ( at the time)

Also in defence of some of us older posters, some of us spent ages trying to work out lyrics of a song, by taping it from the radio, them repeatedly pressing pause/play and writing the lyrics as we heard them. If you were lucky, the lyrics would be written on the record sleeve or you'd find them in Smash Hits. It made for a few misheard lyrics and earnest discussions at school!

I was 18 when Relax came out, and my mum kept on at me wanting to know why the song was banned. I'll never know if she genuinely didn't understand, or if she was testing me. I said I had no idea.

WinterFrogs · 29/10/2025 06:19

PS I was school in 70s/80s and there were no drug lessons at my school. Very little in the way of sex education too.

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:19

I think people overlook that a lot of songs are about random words or phrases that a song writer fits the song around & comes up with other words to rhyme so the song sounds catchy. Many pop songs in particular don't make that much sense.

Buggabootwo · 29/10/2025 06:21

Pump it up by Elvis Costello. That one is about wanking! Something I only twigged when I was singing along to one of my favourite tunes in the car with teenage DS. His side eye was one for the ages!

Letthemeatgateau · 29/10/2025 06:21

SriouslyWhutNow · 29/10/2025 01:36

What it says to me is that posters like you paid zero attention at school during drug education lessons and didn’t bother educating yourself about it all either, letting yourself and your future children down by being unable to keep them safe.

So not the “I’m so amazing and well-brought-up” look that these faux naive posters were going for. I feel the same way about adult women who pretend they don’t understand contraception. Anyone of childbearing age absolutely got told all this stuff at school multiple times and none of it should be surprising to anyone who was paying attention so they only have themselves to blame.

Grin That's quite the stretch.

NewAgeNewMe · 29/10/2025 06:25

Rosscameasdoody · 29/10/2025 06:15

Utter drivel. If you paid attention to drug education lessons, you wouldn’t use drugs, so you’d have no frame of reference for songs that are about drug use.

Edited

Went to school in the 70’s. Left in 83. I don’t remember sex education or drug lessons. I do remember one mad as a hatter teacher, telling us how to stand at a bus stop and get out of a car.

And that we didn’t need to worry about school, as we would mostly be leaving at 16, to become a secretary and then get married. I was one of 3 in my year that went to university. Different times.

WinterFrogs · 29/10/2025 06:30

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:19

I think people overlook that a lot of songs are about random words or phrases that a song writer fits the song around & comes up with other words to rhyme so the song sounds catchy. Many pop songs in particular don't make that much sense.

I have always thought that BA Robertson's song Bang Bang - Life was in a ruin, she loved Jonny Fruin, was a made up rhyming lyric until I googled it just now.
I would agree with you but actually I think song writers have always been politically more savvy than me 😳

Shakeyourwammyfannyfunkysong · 29/10/2025 06:34

It does make me laugh that at my old strictly Catholic highschool our choir were allowed to sing The Rhythm Of Life from Sweet Charity and Hallelujah (originally sung by Leonard Cohen) Both absolutely amazing songs. Both on the surface religious but in reality the complete opposite!

SevenYellowHammers · 29/10/2025 06:35

Green Days Good Riddance, usually misnamed as Time of Your Life and played at leavers assemblies and graduations, but it’s a break up song - and bitter. I also think Jerusalem is misread as patriotic. I once saw some MAGA types thoroughly misinterpret Born In The USA. Years ago - when Manic Street Preachers supported Oasis at Knebworth (96?) wallies in bucket hats and Engerland shirts singing along joyfully to Design for Life: “we only want to get drunk” when it’s a sharply observed view of British class system. What a bore I am at gigs! And proud.

ResusciAnnie · 29/10/2025 06:37

LaserPumpkin · 29/10/2025 00:11

I Will Always Love You - played so often at weddings, but it’s a breakup song.

I sang Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ at a wedding once…. I was like, ‘are you sure?!’ Odd choice 😅

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:41

@WinterFrogs I never said all songs/songwriters....