Seemingly fun jovial songs with serious lyrics/subject matter

[Floogal]

Over the years there's cheery sounding songs which either have heavy lyrics or later you find out what the song is about.

1. Embarrassment by Madness is apparently about teenage pregnancy and racism. Apparently a lot of their songs have serious undertones
2. Beds are burning by Midnight oil sounds funny but it's about Aboriginal Australian rights
3. Oliver's army by Elvis Costello.
4. I might be wrong but that song moving too fast by Artful Dodger. I think it's about sexual harassment.
5. Bump and grind by R Kelly, now knowing what we know, I think is about rape from the perpetrators point of view

Is it?

Banks of the Ohio by Olivia Newton John.

Really jaunty tune, starts off nice when she takes him for a walk then she hits him over the head with a rock and kills him for cheating.

Omg by coincidence pumped up kicks just came on, I am so shocked 😔

Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry. A seemingly chirpy sounding song about suicide.

I really don't think New Sensation is about anyone dying. Ultravox Dancing with Tears in My Eyes is about nuclear Armageddon. Come on Eileen is a bit rapey. Bananarama Robert de Niro's waiting is about rape. It was in their autobiography.

i saw an interview with MH and AF back in the day where they explained what it was about. They had a friend who’d died.
It stuck with me because it didn’t seem like a sad song but the lyrics are not cheery. I read them as a progression from optimism to acceptance of the inevitable.
But I could’ve misunderstood. It was a long time ago.

Live, baby, live
Now that the day is over
I got a new sensation
Mm, perfect moments
That's so impossible to refuse
Sleep, baby, sleep
Now that the night is over
And the sun comes like a God
Into our room
All perfect light and promises
Got a hold on you
(A new sensation, a new sensation)
Right now
It's gonna take you over
(A new sensation, a new sensation)
Dream, baby, dream
Of all that's come and going
And you will find out, in the end
There really is
There really is no difference
Cry, baby, cry
When you got to get it out
I'll be your shoulder, you can tell me all
Don't keep it in ya
Well, that's the reason why I'm here
Hey hey, are you ready for a?
(A new sensation, new sensation)
Right now
Gonna take you over
(A new sensation, a new sensation)
Hey hey hey hey hey-ee-ey-ee-ey-ee-ey-ee
Hate, baby, hate
When there's nothing left for you
You're only human, what can you do?
It'll soon be over
Don't let your pain take over you
Love, baby, love
It's written all over your face
There's nothing better we could do
Than live forever
Well, that's all we've got to do
Hey now, I'm gonna take you over
(A new sensation, a new sensation)
Right now
I've got a hold on you
(A new sensation, a new sensation)
(A new sensation, a new sensation)
A new sensation

Was listening to Just a girl by no doubt, about fear of rape and crime

I just remembered another one that they play from time to time on Radio 2, which is just downright filthy: 'Afternoon Delight' by the Starland Vocal Group.

The tune and the close harmonies are really beautiful, but although the song title is a bit suggestive, granted, I think an awful lot of children (and some adults) would happily sing along without quite getting it fully.

There's an official version of it on YouTube with the band in the studio and lots of moving white splodges superimposed over them ('fireworks' obviously....); and the official lyrics go "Rubbing sticks and stones together makes the sparks ignite and the thought of loving you is just so exciting" and the women so very clearly sing 'rubbing' again instead of 'loving'.

Apparently, they got the idea for the song when they all went to a diner and giggled about seeing a big, elaborate ice-cream-based dessert called 'Afternoon Delight' on the menu!

Oh, and 'Goodnight Irene' by thousands of different artists. I first heard it (sung by Sydney Devine) when I was a child and thought it was just a sweet song about a happy, loving couple enjoying spending time together. I didn't really appreciate the dark turning that the verses take.

To further complicate things, it was on the same tape as '18 Yellow Roses' - which, conversely, sounds like a break-up song but is actually a happy romantic one if you listen until the end.

Keep on Running by The Spencer Davis group. Basically about how a man will stalk a woman. The lyrics are here:

genius.com/The-spencer-davis-group-keep-on-running-lyrics

Probably at the time people would have thought how sweet he loves her so much he's going to keep chasing her until she relents. Now it reads like he's a stalker, who's intimidating and won't take no for an answer.

I thought it was about sex

I don't like Mondays

Annie, I'm not your daddy by kid creole and the coconuts

I heard Spice Girls Wannabe and was singing along with the kids in the car and found myself shocked that I didn't get the obvious subtext to the song before.

A cover of Gimme Hope Jo’anna was just on the radio - I’d forgotten about that one. The Eddy Grant version was played at all our primary school discos and I’m sure none of the kids realised what it was actually about but it’s a really catchy tune

Working My Way Back To You

"When you were so in love with me
I played around like I was free
Thought I could have my cake and eat it, too
But how I cried over losing you...

Oh, I used to love to make you cry
It made me feel like a man inside"

Yeah you can fuck off.

You’re Beautiful, by James Blunt. Creepy stalker song to someone who doesn’t even know he exists.

The One I Love, by REM. Firing bombs from planes.

There's a whole sub-genre of folk music called "Murder Ballads" which are normally set to incredibly upbeat, catchy, tunes. Steeleye Span recorded lots of them!

Summer of '69 = Woodstock.

You’re Beautiful, by James Blunt. Creepy stalker song to someone who doesn’t even know he exists.

Plus, he first claims that he has a plan and then soon after bewails the fact that he doesn't know what to do. Walter Mitty character and/or possible gaslighter!

See also: Chain Reaction

Which all the adults in the room suddenly realised as someone’s 10 year old was singing it at a karaoke party - almost a stampede to pull the plug from the machine 😂

Summer of '69 = Woodstock.

Yes, it was obviously a culturally-significant summer that has gone down in history, which is probably why Bryan Adams came up with the idea for the song - with the added assumptions that the listener would make and/or deniability.

However, he himself was only 9 at that time and he has since admitted that he was actually singing about.... very adult behaviour in which he partook considerably after 1969, after he did become an adult.

Gloomy Sunday by Artie Shaw. I always thought the singer sounded quite upbeat considering the dark lyrics.

The original 1930s version was known as the Hungarian suicide song and was blamed for a number of suicides there. It was been debunked as it's likely the rise in suicides were caused by famine and poverty.

From the lyrics it seems like it's about a woman who's partner has died and she's so grief stricken she's thinking of joining him.

Came to say this - Not Fair is one, Knock ‘Em Out, and Alfie