Jump to content

the Song Meaning thread


wasted

Recommended Posts

Are there any songs that weren't what you thought they were about?

or songs you finally worked out what they are about after not knowing for a while?

Some people put a big emphasis on the meaning of a song, some just want it to sound good. Some songs, maybe grunge have "open" meanings, some designed to have specific meaning? Which do you prefer?

I only just found out what Rooster by Alice in Chains is about. Well, not exactly, there seem to be more than one interpretation. None like mine, I just thought it was a drugs, maybe something about the morning. Being like still awesome in the morning instead of dead.

But actually it has something to do with Snipers in Vietnam, or Rooster is a chewing tobacco chewed in vietnam cos smoking would alert the enemy. Then there's part of it about Cantrell's dad or something.

I don't know if it ruined the song finding out.

Another one I looked into was If You Tolerate this, Your Children Will Be Next by the Manic Street Preachers. I remember it always said it was about the Spanish Civil War and I never understood it. So I never knew what it meant really. Turns out it's not really, it's more about how people who joined to fight in the Civil War gave up a good life to do so in some cases, and people these days wouldn't. So it's a song about not being apathetic. Which for me improved the song and it has more impact. It's actually a good song, I thought it was just a pop song really about wearing "V necks" jumpers or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Len B'stard

I never knew Perfect Day was about skag for many years. Not that it made a difference once I did. Golden Brown i still don't know what it's about, The Stranglers refuse to divulge. I never knew This Charming Man was about a noofter either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

opinion seems to be divided

http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/47141/

there's not much about that in the lyrics directly. To me it always like the most banal day being special if you in love pop pickers.

I remember someone rambling about Walk on the Wild Side and explaining it to me. And Animal Nitrate, which I've forgotten.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Len B'stard

Whipsnade drug addiction retreat, it seems the most appropriate sanctuary for a junky, don't you think? Only people there on a weekday would be the occasional school troupe of 6 year olds on their first excursion out of the house without their parents, huddled together with their heads lost in parka hoods, they'd be the last people on earth to accost a junkie. I must remember that in case i ever decide upon an early retirement into heroin.

Edited by sugaraylen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't seen the "Rooster" video in years, but I thought it had something about the Vietnam War in it.

As far as I know, Lou never said "Perfect Day" was about heroin, but when he deadpans "it's such fun" or ends it off with that "you're going to reap just what you sow" twist to it, it's kind of like something nagging at him about it... like maybe he knew she (or he) cheated and wanted out of that relationship, but let's have this one peaceful picture postcard day together.

Put it this way, if you ever had that date and you didn't want to be with this person but you didn't want to ruin the day for them? That to me is "Perfect Day". To me this was the calm before the "Berlin" storm, but probably about the same person, real or imaginary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rooster is about Cantrell's dad.

Was he a sniper in Vietnam? That's what a rooster is, but then also the name of the chewing tobacco they used or something. There's a definite line about his dad.

It's just one song I never really thought about but it gets name checked all over the place in movies on the radio etc. I always thought it was like you can't kill the big cock, I wonder if that how it worked live.

Is Transformer all about one girl, like there relationship? I always seem to have that album, even when I lost it I found another copy. It's pretty listenable little album.

Teen Spirit is another rabbit hole to go down. Sometimes it makes perfect sense as the slacker anthem, then Kurt would say it's against all the apathy he sees, but then he was no go getter?

Whipsnade drug addiction retreat, it seems the most appropriate sanctuary for a junky, don't you think? Only people there on a weekday would be the occasional school troupe of 6 year olds on their first excursion out of the house without their parents, huddled together with their heads lost in parka hoods, they'd be the last people on earth to accost a junkie. I must remember that in case i ever decide upon an early retirement into heroin.

I've always thought it was, I remember it was weird when they used it for the Olympics to show the highlights of every race or event. Movies too in the day time kind of where you go to hide from the day.

The Spice Girls 2 Become 1 is about safe sex, or so I was told when that song came out.

I think East 17 were at first called E 17 which the label thought too risqué.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Spice Girls 2 Become 1 is about safe sex, or so I was told when that song came out.

I think East 17 were at first called E 17 which the label thought too risqué.

I just assumed it was a postcode, confession, if you played me an East 17 song and asked me who's song it was, I wouldn't know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...