there’s more than meets the eye with
these songs welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’ll be counting down our picks
for the top 10 song meanings everyone
gets wrong for this list we’ll be
looking at popular songs out of an
intended meaning by the respective
artists that the majority of listeners
may not have picked up on assisted harm
and debris we will however be leaving
off songs where the true meaning is
clear but the instrumentals deceive in
picking up what the track is really all
about such as semi charmed life and
Pumped Up Kicks number 10 possession
Sarah McLaughlin this is
if you’re under the assumption that
possession is a love song
we’re sorry in advance lines like I’ll
take your breath away
make it easy to see why people might
take it that way but look closer and
you’ll notice some pretty creepy
sentiments
McLaughlin was inspired to make this
song by two fans that created a fantasy
relationship with her sending love
letters on a regular basis one even went
on to sue McLaughlin for songwriting
credit but committed suicide before the
case went to trial
possession is still one of Sarah’s
finest songs but you may want to think
twice before playing it on a first date
closing time turn all of the
number nine closing time Semisonic
closing time one last call for help
finish your whiskey Obi
this one seems pretty straightforward
finish your whiskey or beer clearly
Semisonic is relaying the sense of
loneliness experienced when the warmth
of booze and Friends fades away at the
end of a night out
however lead singer Dan Wilson explained
that the song is actually a metaphor for
childbirth
I hope
with his first child on the way Wilson
used the song as a way to express his
emotions during a transformative time in
his life upon learning this the song sad
existential message transforms into one
of hope for new beginnings in a person’s
life after entering into the joys and
challenges of parenthood
number eight fire and rain James Taylor
just yesterday morning they let me know
you were gone Taylor’s career defining
masterpiece hits all the right notes
needed to reach the upper echelons of
folk rock masterpieces it may come as a
surprise however that it’s not actually
about his girlfriend dying in a plane
crash
I seen fire I’ve seen me seen sunny days
that I thought would never end
each verse tells the story of a low
point and Taylor’s life spanning from
the death of a friend to heroin
addiction and finally the failing of his
much-loved band flying machines sweet
dreams and flying machines in pieces on
the ground
unlike some on our list this revelation
doesn’t change the essence of the song
and it’s still the perfect track to put
on next time you’re feeling down and out
not cc5
number seven blackbird the Beatles epic
singing in the dead of written by Paul
McCartney and featuring background
vocals from an actual Blackbird it’s
easy to think this is just a song about
blackbirds all your life you were only
waiting for this moment to be free
Paul has since made it clear that
Blackbird is actually a metaphor written
in response to high racial tensions
during the 1960’s civil rights movement
the blackbirds attempt to take his
broken wings and learn to fly is meant
to symbolize the struggle of African
Americans to come together and heal
amidst severe racial discrimination take
these broken wings mud flood this isn’t
the first time that the Beatles have
laced their songs with multiple meanings
nor the first time they’ve touched
heavily on social issues you are waiting
for this moment to arrive
number six wake me up when September
ends Green Day summer has come and
passed the innocent can never last one
of Green Day’s most vulnerable pieces of
work there’s no question that this hit
Rockettes listeners to the core upon
release
the music videos depiction of war along
with American Idiot central theme of
george w bush era american life may lead
listeners to believe that this song
references the 9/11 terror attacks in
new york
however singer Billie Joe Armstrong has
gone on to state that the song’s intent
was actually to express a much more
personal loss that of his father who
died when Billy was only 10 years old
sells
number five more than words extreme is
not
you ever say something with good
intentions that gets taken completely
out of context
well this band has plenty in common with
you then this 1991 hit is widely
interpreted as a beckoning for sex
because saying I love you to your
significant other just isn’t enough that
two extremes guitarist Nuno Bettencourt
has gone on record saying that the song
was intended to explore how the phrase I
love you was becoming meaningless in
relationships and perhaps it would be
more evocative to express love in more
creative ways because clearly our minds
were in the gutter for this one just by
number four harder to breathe maroon 5
there you see that mommy hit is
unacceptable condescending the room
fives debut album songs about Jane
focused much of its efforts on
expressing the inner turmoil of Adam
Levine after a tough breakup with well
Jane
it stands to reason that the album’s
first track would make this message
crystal clear at first glance the lyrics
appeared to describe the feelings of
loneliness and suffocation of a breakup
when Adam has since declare that harder
to breathe is actually about the band’s
label demanding more music late into
production it may have been intended
initially as a screw you to the band’s
label
is there anyone out there cuz it’s
getting harder real hard to be but we
can guess the animosity faded when the
royalties came in number three in the
air tonight Phil Collins allegedly Phil
Collins wrote the song after witnessing
someone drown while another man refused
to help while this would certainly add
layers to Collins character it begs
several questions
namely if Colin saw all of this happens
why couldn’t he just jump in and save
his friend it turns out that he was
actually expressing his emotions during
a devastating divorce the Intendant
Aventa sporadic anger toward the
situation without really giving the song
an exact direction it’s now considered
one of the greatest songs of all time
and likely one of the few examples of
divorce leading to a financial gain
number two every breath you take the
police
with seemingly loving lyrics and a
catchy guitar hook this song sounds like
it belongs at wedding receptions or a
school dance shoes
however the song is actually about a
crazy stalker and the lyrics make this
pretty obvious they actually say the
words every bone you break I’ll be
watching you and that’s not even the
creepy bit it’s best not to analyze this
one too much the focal image of the
music video is a window washer while the
girl in question never once makes an
appearance what may have started as a
pleasant toe-tapper kinda makes you want
to take a shower when you realize what
it’s all about
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
by the sea
number one born in the USA Bruce
Springsteen
this essential fourth of july’ power
ballad likely conjures up images of
fireworks American flags and freedom it
sounds like a ballad of unflinching
patriotism
until you realize that the boss is
actually being extremely critical about
the current state of the country and the
realities of American life
starting out the song regales a story of
a man born dirt-poor and constantly in
trouble he then goes off to war killing
the yellow man and things just get worse
from there
all the while the ever-popular chorus is
repeated again and again it’s hard to
believe that this song is played right
next to the likes of God bless the USA
when its message couldn’t be any
different
so do you agree with our list which song
meanings blew your mind here comes the
rain
again for more interesting top tens
published daily be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com time every new beginning
comes from some other beginnings
these songs welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’ll be counting down our picks
for the top 10 song meanings everyone
gets wrong for this list we’ll be
looking at popular songs out of an
intended meaning by the respective
artists that the majority of listeners
may not have picked up on assisted harm
and debris we will however be leaving
off songs where the true meaning is
clear but the instrumentals deceive in
picking up what the track is really all
about such as semi charmed life and
Pumped Up Kicks number 10 possession
Sarah McLaughlin this is
if you’re under the assumption that
possession is a love song
we’re sorry in advance lines like I’ll
take your breath away
make it easy to see why people might
take it that way but look closer and
you’ll notice some pretty creepy
sentiments
McLaughlin was inspired to make this
song by two fans that created a fantasy
relationship with her sending love
letters on a regular basis one even went
on to sue McLaughlin for songwriting
credit but committed suicide before the
case went to trial
possession is still one of Sarah’s
finest songs but you may want to think
twice before playing it on a first date
closing time turn all of the
number nine closing time Semisonic
closing time one last call for help
finish your whiskey Obi
this one seems pretty straightforward
finish your whiskey or beer clearly
Semisonic is relaying the sense of
loneliness experienced when the warmth
of booze and Friends fades away at the
end of a night out
however lead singer Dan Wilson explained
that the song is actually a metaphor for
childbirth
I hope
with his first child on the way Wilson
used the song as a way to express his
emotions during a transformative time in
his life upon learning this the song sad
existential message transforms into one
of hope for new beginnings in a person’s
life after entering into the joys and
challenges of parenthood
number eight fire and rain James Taylor
just yesterday morning they let me know
you were gone Taylor’s career defining
masterpiece hits all the right notes
needed to reach the upper echelons of
folk rock masterpieces it may come as a
surprise however that it’s not actually
about his girlfriend dying in a plane
crash
I seen fire I’ve seen me seen sunny days
that I thought would never end
each verse tells the story of a low
point and Taylor’s life spanning from
the death of a friend to heroin
addiction and finally the failing of his
much-loved band flying machines sweet
dreams and flying machines in pieces on
the ground
unlike some on our list this revelation
doesn’t change the essence of the song
and it’s still the perfect track to put
on next time you’re feeling down and out
not cc5
number seven blackbird the Beatles epic
singing in the dead of written by Paul
McCartney and featuring background
vocals from an actual Blackbird it’s
easy to think this is just a song about
blackbirds all your life you were only
waiting for this moment to be free
Paul has since made it clear that
Blackbird is actually a metaphor written
in response to high racial tensions
during the 1960’s civil rights movement
the blackbirds attempt to take his
broken wings and learn to fly is meant
to symbolize the struggle of African
Americans to come together and heal
amidst severe racial discrimination take
these broken wings mud flood this isn’t
the first time that the Beatles have
laced their songs with multiple meanings
nor the first time they’ve touched
heavily on social issues you are waiting
for this moment to arrive
number six wake me up when September
ends Green Day summer has come and
passed the innocent can never last one
of Green Day’s most vulnerable pieces of
work there’s no question that this hit
Rockettes listeners to the core upon
release
the music videos depiction of war along
with American Idiot central theme of
george w bush era american life may lead
listeners to believe that this song
references the 9/11 terror attacks in
new york
however singer Billie Joe Armstrong has
gone on to state that the song’s intent
was actually to express a much more
personal loss that of his father who
died when Billy was only 10 years old
sells
number five more than words extreme is
not
you ever say something with good
intentions that gets taken completely
out of context
well this band has plenty in common with
you then this 1991 hit is widely
interpreted as a beckoning for sex
because saying I love you to your
significant other just isn’t enough that
two extremes guitarist Nuno Bettencourt
has gone on record saying that the song
was intended to explore how the phrase I
love you was becoming meaningless in
relationships and perhaps it would be
more evocative to express love in more
creative ways because clearly our minds
were in the gutter for this one just by
number four harder to breathe maroon 5
there you see that mommy hit is
unacceptable condescending the room
fives debut album songs about Jane
focused much of its efforts on
expressing the inner turmoil of Adam
Levine after a tough breakup with well
Jane
it stands to reason that the album’s
first track would make this message
crystal clear at first glance the lyrics
appeared to describe the feelings of
loneliness and suffocation of a breakup
when Adam has since declare that harder
to breathe is actually about the band’s
label demanding more music late into
production it may have been intended
initially as a screw you to the band’s
label
is there anyone out there cuz it’s
getting harder real hard to be but we
can guess the animosity faded when the
royalties came in number three in the
air tonight Phil Collins allegedly Phil
Collins wrote the song after witnessing
someone drown while another man refused
to help while this would certainly add
layers to Collins character it begs
several questions
namely if Colin saw all of this happens
why couldn’t he just jump in and save
his friend it turns out that he was
actually expressing his emotions during
a devastating divorce the Intendant
Aventa sporadic anger toward the
situation without really giving the song
an exact direction it’s now considered
one of the greatest songs of all time
and likely one of the few examples of
divorce leading to a financial gain
number two every breath you take the
police
with seemingly loving lyrics and a
catchy guitar hook this song sounds like
it belongs at wedding receptions or a
school dance shoes
however the song is actually about a
crazy stalker and the lyrics make this
pretty obvious they actually say the
words every bone you break I’ll be
watching you and that’s not even the
creepy bit it’s best not to analyze this
one too much the focal image of the
music video is a window washer while the
girl in question never once makes an
appearance what may have started as a
pleasant toe-tapper kinda makes you want
to take a shower when you realize what
it’s all about
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
by the sea
number one born in the USA Bruce
Springsteen
this essential fourth of july’ power
ballad likely conjures up images of
fireworks American flags and freedom it
sounds like a ballad of unflinching
patriotism
until you realize that the boss is
actually being extremely critical about
the current state of the country and the
realities of American life
starting out the song regales a story of
a man born dirt-poor and constantly in
trouble he then goes off to war killing
the yellow man and things just get worse
from there
all the while the ever-popular chorus is
repeated again and again it’s hard to
believe that this song is played right
next to the likes of God bless the USA
when its message couldn’t be any
different
so do you agree with our list which song
meanings blew your mind here comes the
rain
again for more interesting top tens
published daily be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com time every new beginning
comes from some other beginnings
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