I've always loved "The Last Train to Clarksville," by the Monkees. It's got a fun, upbeat feel. But I never much considered the lyrics...

I looked up some info on the song, and it was written about a U.S. military draftee who wants to meet with a loved one one last time before he is shipped off to the Vietnam War. "And I don’t know if I’m ever coming home," he says. Bummer.

Are there any songs you've loved and completely missed the mark on until you actually took time to consider its message?
[Edited 1/2/10 20:37pm]

A good example of this is "Looks Like We Made It" from Barry Manilow. At first glance, a lot of people thought (and still think) it's about a couple who went through bad times, but made it out together, and are stronger together for it. Actually it's about a couple that's broken up, and despite all their history and drama, they made it out okay - just not as a couple. It's a total break up song.

Also his "Copacabana" is another example. It's not about a hopping night spot. It's about an show girl who is stuck in the past, and tragically so, and about jealously and a murder mystery. Not a happy song, lyrically.

"Heroes" by David Bowie... gets used as a big feel-good anthem. He even shows up on TV to perform it as such occasionally. But it's despressing as hell.

The first example that springs to mind is Bruce Springsteen´s "Born in the USA".
I think a lot of ultrapatriotic rednecks didn´t really get the message of the song back in the day, including,most famously, Ronald Reagan.

Here are the lyrics and a bit of info from Wikipedia:

Born in the U.S.A.

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man

[chorus]

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"

[chorus]

I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go

I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.



From Wikipedia:

Political reactions

In late August 1984, the Born in the U.S.A. album was selling very well, its songs were all over the radio, and the associated tour was drawing considerable press. Springsteen shows at the Capital Centre outside of Washington, D.C. thus attracted even more media attention, in particular from CBS Evening News correspondent Bernard Goldberg, who saw Springsteen as a modern-day Horatio Alger story. Yet more notably, the widely-read conservative columnist George Will, after attending a show, published on September 13, 1984 a piece entitled "A Yankee Doodle Springsteen" in which he praised Springsteen as an exemplar of classic American values. He wrote: "I have not got a clue about Springsteen's politics, if any, but flags get waved at his concerts while he sings songs about hard times. He is no whiner, and the recitation of closed factories and other problems always seems punctuated by a grand, cheerful affirmation: 'Born in the U.S.A.!'"[2] The 1984 presidential campaign was in full stride at the time, and Will had connections to President Ronald Reagan's re-election organization. Will thought that Springsteen might endorse Reagan, and got the notion pushed up to high-level Reagan advisor Michael Deaver's office. Those staffers made inquiries to Springsteen's management which were politely rebuffed.

Nevertheless, on September 19, 1984, at a campaign stop in Hammonton, New Jersey, Reagan added the following to his usual stump speech:

"America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts; it rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about."

The campaign press immediately expressed skepticism that Reagan knew anything about Springsteen, and asked what his favorite Springsteen song was; "Born to Run" was the tardy response from staffers. Johnny Carson then joked on The Tonight Show, "If you believe that, I've got a couple of tickets to the Mondale-Ferraro inaugural ball I'd like to sell you."

During a September 21 concert in Pittsburgh, Springsteen responded negatively by introducing his song "Johnny 99", a song about an unemployed auto worker who turns to murder, "The President was mentioning my name the other day, and I kinda got to wondering what his favorite album musta been. I don't think it was the Nebraska album. I don't think he's been listening to this one."

A few days after that, presidential challenger Walter Mondale said, "Bruce Springsteen may have been born to run but he wasn't born yesterday," and then claimed to have been endorsed by Springsteen. Springsteen manager Jon Landau denied any such endorsement, and the Mondale campaign issued a correction.




Talk about misinterpretation.
[Edited 1/2/10 10:38am]

The Police "Every Breath You Take" isn't exactly romantic.

Although we have had the creeper stalker love song thread before.

R.E.M. "The One I Love"

billie jean-michael jackson

When I was a kid I just thought it was a good song and a hooky chorus. Then I got older and realized he was talking about baby mama drama

Phil Collin's In the Air Tonight sounds more romantic than it actually is to me

I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston

Every Breath You Take - The Police

Take It to the Limit - Eagles


I'll think of more . . . .

Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
[Edited 1/2/10 16:31pm]

George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today".

He loves his estranged lover until the day he dies (i.e. he never stopped loving her).

Missing You - John Waite

Of course it's a song about a guy who misses his ex-girlfriend after she dumps him, but he goes around trying to put on a brave face saying "I'm not missing you at all" even though the rest of the lyrics clearly indicate otherwise.

I Want You- Marvin Gaye.

"it's too bad, it's just so sad you don't want me no more
But I'm gonna change your mind, some way, somehow, oh baby..."

This song is sooo unique.

I like Madonna/Massive Attack's version too, especially the video, which makes me feel desperate for that phone call.

ernestsewell said:

I really listened to the lyrics of this song for the first time about 2 or 3 months ago. I was surprised by just how sad it is.

Cinnie said:

wat about 'you are not alone by mj'

alexothetimes said:

'You Are Not Alone' doesn't have that stalker quality though.

alexothetimes said:

It's not implied meaning, it's straight up meaning. "You Are Not Alone" is quite diff from "Every Breath You Take". Even Sting explained that the song really was about sticking a bit TOO close to an ex lover.