Music is a form of expression that has evolved and demonstrated human emotion for thousands of years. It is human nature for us to interpret the music in our own special and intimate way, however, certain songs have meanings behind them so off the wall it is extremely difficult to decipher the message unless you hear it from those who wrote and produced the song.
The story and emotion behind a song is sometimes more notable than the chords and progressions in the song itself but the melodic tones serve to enhance the feelings and are an outlet of the overflowing sentiment
1. "Blackbird" Beatles (1968)
This ballad accompanied by an acoustic guitar was a popular hit by The Beatles in the 60's with some taking the title and lyrics of the tune literally assuming it was about a simple blackbird in the sky. However, this piece is rather reformative and heavily involves complications society was going through at the time.
The song Blackbird is actually about civil rights issues and racial discrimination using the "Blackbird" as a symbol for a minority, or, in the time period of The Beatles, a person of color. McCartney uses imagery in the lyrics describing the struggle and eventual rebirth or awakening of spirit to mimic the struggle of African Americans after the end of legal segregation but the continuation of social inequality.
2. "Closing Time" Semisonic (1998)
"Closing Time" Semisonic (1998)
You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here Sounds like something someone says when they're kicking you out of an establishment because they are closing for the night. Well in Semisonic's hit "Closing Time", it was moreso a metaphor for a mothers womb. Now it may seem far fetched, but it's actually more accurate than one might think
Songwriter, Dan Wilson, was going through his wife's pregnancy and felt inspired to write a song. Not wanting to make to make the lyrics obvious about childbirth, he hid the message behind nighttime lyrics to spare his colleagues and listeners from his personal confession while still allowing himself to express the life experiences going on around him.
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. Wilson is saying the birth of his child is the end of his childhood and the beginning of adulthood using stages of life as beginnings and endings.
3. "Time of Your Life" Green Day (1997)
"Time of Your Life" Green Day (1997)
Taking a hike back to middle/high school when one would find comfort in bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and other bands of the punk indie genre. Who could forget one of the staple pop punk bands Green Day. With a MTV award for best alternative video for its music video, "TIme of Your Life" is a great acoustical piece for anyone going through a rough patch who needs a pick me up (or a cry when something you really loved is over…).
Either way, while this tune may seem like it's a farewell song and hopeful that one's time was spent well. In actuality, the songwriter, Billy Joe Armstrong, had just been through a breakup and was using this outlet in an idiomatic or sarcastic way.
One can assume Armstrong really cared about his ex, but in his moment of angst a powerful and moving anthem came from his pain. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life. The central and most memorable point of the song holds the "good riddance" aspect of this song by having a hint of bitterness, the uncertainty of breakups and whether it is better or worse for the two then followed by the satirical :I hope you enjoyed what we had". Now this could be interpreted a number of ways, however the circumstances surrounding Armstrong when the song was written and produced were very emotionally pressuring.
4. "Bad Reputation" Joan Jett (1981)
"Bad Reputation" Joan Jett (1981)
Joan Jett's punk rock anthem "Bad Reputation" debuted in 1981 and was met with some objectful reviews like Tom Carson of The Rolling Stonessaying the tune is, "flawed by its literal-mindedness — the arrangements pump along gamely yet rarely swing or soar — and by some unresourceful material." But criticism like this is what fuels the songs true meaning.
Joan Jett formed a band when she was 15 called the Runaways but was met with controversy over the band's young age, stage performance, and subject matter. Their albums held great success in Japan but were disappointing in the United States. Jett tried to become a solo artist but was rejected by 23 companies. Throughout all of Jett's hardship, she stayed determined and out of her strong will came a song that is timeless and would be covered by more punk icons years later such as Avril Lavigne.
I've never been afraid of any deviation, An' I don't really care, If ya think I'm strange. Here, Jett is playing homage to her roots where she would go on stage in skimpy outfits and lingerie with no care and as time went on her self confidence continued to grow and she gained more followers. With this hit she thanks those who have stayed with her while rebelling against those who said she would never make it.
5. "Slide" The Goo Goo Dolls (1998)
"Slide" The Goo Goo Dolls (1998)
Holding the number one spot on Billboard "Adult Top 40" in 1999, "Slide" by The Goo Goo Dolls follows the bands classic alternative and story niche. Most might find this song to be a comforting love melody in times of disagreement with the one they love.
But in the eyes of Johnny Rzeznik, the song's writer, the lyrics depicted a more sorrowful story of a couple in despair where the female is in emotional turmoil and having to deal with the struggles of religious pressures, giving in to temptation, her boyfriends marriage proposal, and her possible abortion. The fate of her story is never blatantly spelled out but that makes the song that much more personable to the person listening to it.
Don't you love the life you killed? Rzeznik is referring the unknown female character's abortion and how he knows that in actuality she would have loved being a mother to their child but because of her parents strict beliefs she wouldn't be able to love their child in the flesh.
6. "Poker Face" Lady Gaga (2008)
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta or more popularly known as Lady Gaga, is ever successful in the 2000's and 2010's. One of her many successes was "Poker Face", climbing to the top of The Billboard Hot 100 on April 11th, 2009. The suggestive piece makes any parent want to cover their nine-year-old's ears but the meaning behind Gaga's crude lyrics are actual more personal than indecent.
Gaga admits the songs background is from a night when she was with a man but in her mind was fantasising about being with a woman, in turn, the man was reading her poker face.
Can't read my, can't read my, No he can't read my poker face, (She's got me like nobody). Gaga is putting the listener inside her head by saying the man was oblivious to her bisexuality and her inner thoughts were more satisfying than he was at the time.
7. "Hey Ya!" Outkast (2003)
This ultimate, high pace dance track is so upbeat one doesn't even have time to think about what this song is about because they're too busy dancing to it. The catchy tune is way too bouncy for their to be anything negative in it...right? Well there might be some unhappy love birds out there after explaining this piece.
André 3000 is said to have written this song about more or less not wanting to get married because life is too short to be unhappy for the rest of your life staying together.
Oh, we get together, But separate's always better when there's feelings involved, Know what they say -its, Nothing lasts forever! André is saying "I've had fun being together but life is better when we aren't seriously in a relationship and we wouldn't have lasted forever anyway"
