For @jouest - music lyrics and verses
2was reading about the lyrics of some of the songs from the Olympics and the commentator mentioned how people don’t listen/pay attention to the words in the verses of most songs and what they are really about.
It got me thinking of some of your random topics and I wondered if you had ever heard a song many times before you really realized what it was about. I know I did, I can think of twice. And after that I pay more attention.
Feel free to commandeer this topic or not as you see fit
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My 2 examples:
Heartlight by Neil Diamond (I know, dating myself again). I didn’t realize it was about ET the movie until I heard about the lawsuit, then I listened carefully and went, like woooh,
Second time was Cherish, the second version, not the one from MY youth. (By Kool and the Gang) “If you receive your calling before I awake” I remember going OMG. And it had been on the radio quite awhile before that hit me.
@Cerridwyn (Heartlight was not part of the Neil Diamond collection I grew up with, so I’d never heard it until now. I think it would be easy to not see it as ET, but it’s also hard to not see that after it’s been pointed out.)
I had to look up Cherish to make sure I knew what you were talking about. I found Madonna (1989), Kool and the Gang (1985), The Association (1966), and other stuff I ignored.
It turns out the only one of those I ever remember hearing is The Association’s song, so that’s my excuse for not having noticed Kool and the Gang’s version was an end-of-life song.
But in fairness, that’s a single line right at the beginning of the song; the rest of it makes no such indications (that I can see).Reading through the lyrics again, I see that particular line showing up twice, and a few other spots that could also be used as clues.Wikipedia says:
Yes, romantic, but it’s a sad romantic… I don’t think I’d pick it for my wedding, even if I’d known about it. /shrug But I say that now, having actually listened to the words.
At least it’s [probably] more appropriate as a wedding song than Every Breath You Take mentioned elsewhere here.
@Cerridwyn This is like learning that “Yesterday” was based on a cereal commercial or something.
@xobzoo well, it kind of is romantic, but…
I heard a rumor it was based on the children’s prayer ‘now i lay me down to sleep’. but that’s not what i hear in it. love yes, but to me there is an inherent sadness in it
@xobzoo
@Cerridwyn @xobzoo that line always has me think about the Sandman.
Not the Chordettes version, the Metallica one.
https://meh.com/forum/topics/mad-ape-den---you-can-jot-in-it-yay#667a32f16bd7b598d34e69af
I was probably in my thirties before I started paying much attention to the lyrics of songs. But honestly, I can seldom understand the lyrics even now, except for Weird Al and a couple of others who sing them distinctly.
@werehatrack I’ve always listened to the lyrics more than the music. I’m a bit bemused by people who love a song without ever noticing what it is about. Many moons ago a coworker had Sunny Came Home on his repeat playlist because he found it “soothing” to listen to.
“You’ve never listened to the lyrics, have you?”
My reaction was:
I’ve heard of (but don’t know any) couples who wanted Sting’s Every Breath You Take played at their wedding because they thought it was a love song. Ummmm …
@rockblossom @werehatrack “Sunny Came Home” - I’ve only ever heard this in the background here and there and never really listened closely before; it IS deceptively dreamy and sweet sounding and also an earworm with incredible sticking power!
@Kyeh @rockblossom @werehatrack Wow, I’ve heard Sunny Came Home plenty of times and never really listened to it. Yikes. Not what I thought it was (though I hadn’t really thought about what it was). It’s one of those I’ve never played, just heard it coming from elsewhere. That’s my excuse. And like most pop music, I didn’t even know who the artist was [until today].
As for Weird Al, I almost always prefer his version over the originals. Even when I can understand the lyrics of the originals. Often even more because of that.
In any case, I always knew that Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit was utterly incomprehensible in the original, though I’d heard a few of the words. Until a month ago (according to my browser history), when I stumbled upon https://imgur.com/cx9iBcd.mp4 . (I’m too lazy right now to track it down on YouTube so that it can play inline. Sorry.)
(from Imgur, where some of the comments on it are interesting)
So then I went and looked up the original lyrics, listened to the Nirvana version, and decided it only existed so that Weird Al could make a better version.
@Kyeh @rockblossom @werehatrack @xobzoo I generally listen to the lyrics because I like to sing along, so I usually get the meanings (occasionally I’m not looking that deep…like the song I listed below
). But I agree that a lot of folks are just drawn to the music, not necessarily the lyrics.
I love Sunny Came Home…so sweet as she strikes that match!
And Weird Al never fails to make me sing his version FAR more often than the actual one.
Who doesn’t love Another One Rides the Bus? Or Eat It? Or one of my favs…Amish Paradise. 
I’d really love to see him in concert
@rockblossom @werehatrack @xobzoo
@k4evryng Oh, that would be fun!
@k4evryng
Remember: Dry is good and wind is better.
@rockblossom yes!! Chilling!
She’s pissed…and crazy. Bad combo.
@k4evryng @Kyeh @rockblossom @xobzoo The original song can be playing, but if Weird Al has parodied it, then Weird Al is what I’m going to hear. (This reportedly happened to Don McLean at a concert once.)
Sting even acknowledged the creepiness of “Every Breath you take” It was supposed to be a Creepy Stalker song.
when my HS Friends moved away to College, one of the Songs that got me through some low times was REM’s Everybody Hurts they looked at me like I was crazy, “Because it’s such a depressing song” if you just listen to the Music… the lyrics on the other hand…
Not my own misinterpretation, but it’s always bothered me how people don’t listen to the lyrics of Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” It’s constantly being used as “a rallying anthem for causes he doesn’t support,” as this article puts it.
https://new.vice.com/2020/10/05/misunderstood-bruce-springsteens-born-in-the-usa-trump/
@Kyeh reminds me of political types embracing Rage Against the Machine when they are, in fact, the machine.
@Kyeh Vietnam and the aftermath was the start of the downfall I think
remember this one
@Cerridwyn Oh, I hated that song.
@Kyeh I am curious why? And have you ever heard Ruby’s reply?
@Cerridwyn I thought it was maudlin and exploitative, and too simplistic about a complex terrible situation. I haven’t heard Ruby’s reply, though.
@Kyeh
@Kyeh I think for me. Especially later than when it was originally done, I have actually seen women do what I heard in the song. And have had to call APS on them and ended up with one of them being arrested and in jail for leaving somebody alone who couldn’t take care of themselves to go out and have a good time. So I think that was a different takeaway than what I hear when I hear who this person many years later decided that there’s more than story
@Cerridwyn I’m sure there are women who’ve done that and it’s horrible, but I do love “Ruby’s Reply,” thanks, I’d never heard it. I guess I hate how often country songs paint women as harlots if they’re seen wanting pleasure or fun, but men are usually seen as just roguish characters who you’ve gotta forgive for “just being men” … I’m not much of a country music fan so that’s my somewhat cursory perspective. I hadn’t thought much about the original song but I looked it up and found this really interesting thing! The original writer said this:
https://americansongwriter.com/kenny-rogers-ruby-dont-take-love-town-behind-the-song/
Sorry, this got really long.
@Kyeh No worries. Sometimes, ‘country’ and ‘folk’ and even other songs have a real life story behind it. I wasn’t aware of that history either. I was of the age when I first heard it to think about how bad the soldiers coming back from 'Nam were being treated. They didn’t ask to go, most of them, and well…
Actually, showing my oddness, Leonard Nimoy was the first person I ever heard perform this.
OOH. Nice work.
I always incorrectly sang Creedence Clearwater Revival when telling people where the restroom is, because *theeeeeere’s a bathroom on your right!”
Honorable mention to the Dunder Chief, who AC/DC sang about in Dirty Deeds.
Oh! And in high school I was in a band that we named “Seventh Sun” because we misheard a lyric in “Paint it Black”
@jouest That’s a great band name, though!
@Kyeh concur! it was the best thing we had going for us.
@jouest @Kyeh I would have assumed you’d punned on the “seventh son of a seventh son” idea. Or possibly the Iron Maiden album if your band was after 1988, and if I’d known anything about Iron Maiden (such as their album names).
@Kyeh @xobzoo your first explanation is now band canon.
Dang just remembered another one. When I was like 15 and the internet was new, my dad asked me to download “Escape” for him (The Pina Colada Song), because he really liked it. I got it from Kazza (as was the style at the time) and started listening. Made it about a minute in and thought “holy shit he’s cheating on Mom” then turned it off, never to speak of it again.
I didn’t know about the cute ending for years.
@jouest It’s still about cheating.
@Kyeh adorable cheating though.
@jouest I wonder if it would really end that way in real life …
@Kyeh “lol, adultery. Now who wants a pina colada??”
@jouest I shouldn’t harsh on a song you like, but it’s SUCH an earworm, and people being who they are, they’re likely to get all mad. I’ve seen that happen with someone who wanted their side of the relationship to be “open,” but not their partner’s.
@jouest I actually had to google the lyrics to this one
@jouest @Kyeh
Is cheating on your spouse with your spouse still cheating?
@jouest @Kyeh @macromeh it’s about intent.
@Cerridwyn @jouest @macromeh Right.
@Cerridwyn @jouest @Kyeh But what if the intent was to find someone who shared your interests and it turned out that your spouse was the best fit but neither had previously realized that because of a mutual failure to communicate?
)
(Just playing devil’s advocate here…
@Cerridwyn @jouest @macromeh It does sound like they’re perfect for each other. (“If you have half a brain”)
@Cerridwyn @jouest @Kyeh @macromeh this song always made me uncomfortable. Everybody thought it was cute, and I was like umm…it’s actually pretty sad! Just because it turns out to be his wife doesn’t make the situation any better. I get that that the broader message is they didn’t realize that they already had what they thought they were seeking, but it doesn’t erase the fact that BOTH of them were willing to step out on the other, even going as far as to meet up with them! Yuck!
I imagine in real life they’re wouldn’t be a whole lot of cute understanding in that moment, lol! More than likely both of them would scream at each other that it was over.
Kyeh…I’m laughing out loud at your “half a brain” comment! Yup!
Took me years before I realized WAP wasn’t about a cat that fell in a swimming pool. It’s far too subtle.
@OnionSoup I thought it was an allegory for economic populism
On the other hand, I knew in the beginning what this one was about, did you?
@Cerridwyn Yes. Same as when I first heard De La Soul’s Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa ( and Atmosphere’s follow up Millie Fell Off The Fire Escape)
Both songs are here and start at 3:30. The first track is pretty good too but unrelated.
Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa lyrics
https://genius.com/De-la-soul-millie-pulled-a-pistol-on-santa-lyrics
Millie Fell Off The Fire Escape lyrics
https://genius.com/Atmosphere-millie-fell-off-the-fire-escape-lyrics
@Cerridwyn Janie’s Got A Gun by Aerosmith is along the same lines as Luka. I knew the words, and understood it was about abuse…but for whatever reason, I didn’t think about what kind of abuse until I was much older. Sad songs…
Back in the late '60s I had a class where we were in teams and had to design “modules” for a housing project. The idea was that the modules could be built in a factory and more-or-less popped together on-site in different configurations. (Yeah - “pre-fabs”!) Late one night a team member started humming the tune from the song “Little Boxes” and we all picked up on it. Only one of the instructors realized what our catchy little tune really was, and knew the words.
@rockblossom I knew because my parents and their friends were folkies.
When my daughter was in 3rd grade, she and her friends were constantly singing this song…and I happily (and obliviously) sang along with them because it was catchy.
Imagine my shock one day as I was driving by myself and actually paid attention to the meaning in the lyrics.
And it’s not like they’re subtle…I just didn’t pay attention.
My daughter was like “mom…why can’t I sing this song out loud anymore?”
@k4evryng
That would be a shock! It’s a fun song, though!