Top 20 Rock Song Meanings That Everyone Gets WRONG

Top 20 Rock Song Meanings That Everyone Gets WRONG

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the rock songs that are deeper than people realize.

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#20: “Wake Me Up When September Ends” (2005)

Green Day

One of Green Day’s most vulnerable pieces of work, there’s no question that this hit rocked its listeners to the core upon release. The music video’s depiction of war along with American Idiot’s 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 Billie was only ten years old.

#19: “Slide” (1998)

Goo Goo Dolls

The common interpretation of “Slide” by the Goo Goo Dolls is that the track is a love song. And in a way it is… but not in the way most of us assume. With lines like “I wanna wake up where you are” and “what you are is beautiful” the couple in the song are definitely in love. However, the crux of the song, the big plot line that gets overlooked by most of us, is the fact that the girl in the song comes from a very strict religious family and….. she’s pregnant! When John Rzeznik sings “Do you wanna get married/Or run away?”, he’s referring to the limited options they think they have.

#18: “Alive” (1991)

Pearl Jam

While it would make sense for a song called “Alive” to be a celebration of life - that isn’t what Eddie Vedder had in mind when he wrote the lyrics. Rather than a celebration, “Alive” is a tale about a boy who finds out his dad isn’t his biological father. And then it gets much, much darker from there. Vedder used to think the misperception of the song’s meaning, and the refrain “I’m still alive” was - in his own words, “a curse.” But he has since talked about how the audience's reaction to the song over the years “...lifted the curse. The audience changed the meaning for me.”

#17: “Hey Man, Nice Shot” (1995)

Filter

“Hey Man, Nice Shot” debuted just one year after the world was shocked by the sudden death of Kurt Cobain. Given its timing, many assumed “Hey Man, Nice Shot” was about this event. In reality, it was inspired by R. Budd Dwyer, a former Pennsylvania State Treasurer, who took his own life on the air in 1987. This was in response to an indictment on Dwyer for bribery despite his claims of being framed. Lines referencing those who were right there after the smoke has gone highlights the public nature of Dwyer’s death, which differs from Cobain, who died all alone. This misinterpretation is due largely to poor timing, and misdirected controversy upon its release.

#16: “Bullet” (2011)

Hollywood Undead

Hollywood Undead’s track “Bullet” is a classic example of why it’s always important to read a little deeper into the lyrics. To a casual listener, the song seems to be quite cheerful and upbeat, the perfect soundtrack for a summer evening. However, once you actually begin to take note of what the lyrics are referring to, it does a total u-turn. Not only does this track deal with incredibly heavy subject matter in a very honest manner, but it also intentionally throws its audience for a loop from its opening bars onwards. That said, the protagonist’s struggle with depression and self-harm comes through quite vividly in the lyrics.

#15: “White Lightning” (1992)

Def Leppard

Def Leppard are one of those bands that have more than a few songs about the party-heavy lifestyle of rock and roll. However, for as much as “White Lightning” has been misinterpreted as just another generic rock song, the track is actually dedicated to their guitarist Steve Clark. Just one year prior to its release, Clark passed away from a lethal mix of alcohol and prescription drugs, leaving a huge void in the band. The song’s title is a reference to Clark’s nickname and according to the band, is littered with a range of in-jokes at his expense, something they are certain he would have enjoyed.

#14: “Hook” (1995)

Blues Traveler

There are probably many listeners who know the song “Hook” by Blues Traveler quite well without actually understanding its lyrics or overall intention. The song isn’t the straightforward, formulaic pop song it claims to be. Instead, it’s a cutting satire of the entire idea of pop music and how shallow it can be. Even the title alludes to the fact that the track is about to dive into the idea of ‘hooks’ in music. Blues Traveler succeeded in crafting a memorable pop song nonetheless, but the fact that they did it by taking aim at memorable pop song structure is pretty hilarious.

#13: “Crash into Me” (1996)

Dave Matthews Band

The song “Crash into Me” by the Dave Matthews Band doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to its subject matter. It’s openly romantic and even a little risque from time to time, detailing some pretty intense passion and longing. On first listen, it might seem like the track is about a normal relationship, but as you continue to listen, things become a little clearer. The song actually details a stalker who is infatuated with a woman, watching her from afar without her knowledge. This knowledge recontextualises the song pretty heavily, making it a much less charming release from Dave Matthews and co.

#12: “Hotel California” (1977)

The Eagles

Don’t feel bad if you don’t fully understand the true meaning of the Eagles’ “Hotel California” because - well, we’re not sure the Eagles know it either. Lead singer Don Henley has even been quoted as saying that the song “can have a million interpretations.” What we do know is that it isn't really about a hotel. Duh. Instead, the hotel in question and the experiences therein are metaphors. But metaphors for what, exactly, range from - to quote Henley - “high life in Los Angeles” to “the music business” to “the dark underbelly of the American dream.” Yeah, that’s a lot of ground.

#11: “American Girl” (1977)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Proximity to tragedy has a strange way of skewing a song’s meaning, as exemplified once again in Tom Petty’s “American Girl.” A young woman from the University of Florida took her own life shortly before the song’s release, which incidentally took place close to Gainesville, where Tom Petty was born. The line about a girl standing alone on her balcony is merely a coincidence, with Petty’s inspiration coming from the sounds of the freeway near his apartment. Unfortunately for urban legend devotees, Tom made it clear that “American Girl” is a love song with no intentional references to the tragic event.

#10: “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” (1997)

Green Day

This song has a message that is mind-bogglingly obvious, but largely ignored nonetheless. The expression ‘good riddance’ suggests relief at being liberated from a troublesome person or event, yet the song is heavily associated with nostalgia and high regards for time passed. This is perhaps due to the rich, beautiful melody which masks Billie Joe Armstrong’s intended message of “screw you” to his then-girlfriend who left him to travel to Ecuador. With this in mind, its continual placement in graduation slideshows, weddings, and funerals becomes a little weird. We’re sure Armstrong is perfectly fine with that.

#9: “Harder to Breathe” (2002)

Maroon 5

Maroon 5’s 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 appear to describe the feelings of loneliness and suffocation of a breakup, but Adam has since declared 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, but we can guess the animosity faded when the royalties came in.

#8: “The One I Love” (1987)

R.E.M.

The song is called “The One I Love”. How can this one not be a love song right? And in 1987, Michael Stipe told Rolling Stone that “It's probably better that they just think it's a love song at this point.” However, while the song is relatively light on lyrics, most of them are anything but loving. In reference to the titular “one I love” Stipe refers to “A simple prop to occupy my time”. As he said in a different interview at the time, “It's very clear that it’s about using people over and over again.” So, basically, you might wanna think twice before you add this to your Spotify “Romantic” playlist.

#7: “B.Y.O.B” (2005)

System of a Down

People were very prepared to jump to the obvious conclusion when System of a Down put out a song called “B.Y.O.B”. Surely, Serj Tankian was telling people to ‘bring your own beer’, right? Well, the overtly political nature of some of the band’s earlier work wasn’t enough to make this one obvious enough it seemed. The track is in fact titled “Bring Your Own Bombs” and is pretty clearly a protest song directed at the U.S. government’s war with Iraq. The song went on to become a pretty big commercial success for the band, becoming their only Billboard top-40 hit, peaking at number 27.

#6: “Closing Time” (1998)

Semisonic

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. 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’s sad, existential message transforms into one of hope for new beginnings in a person’s life after experiencing the joys and challenges of parenthood.

#5: “Rock the Casbah” (1982)

The Clash

By 1982, the Clash were spreading their wings a bit more with their musical output. Elements of new wave and ska had found their way into their music, and their single “Rock the Casbah” was one of the finest examples. Sure, it sounds like an exotic party-song on its surface, but Joe Strummer’s lyrics reveal quite a lot more. The track actually focuses on the banning of music by a tyrannical king or lord, and was in some ways inspired by the outlawing of Western music and media in Iran, a ban that continued well into the 21st century. In the end, the king decides to order his jet pilots to bomb a group of protestors, but they reject his order and join them instead.

#4: “Summer of ‘69” (1985)

Bryan Adams

We all know that guy in high school who couldn’t go without making a low hanging sexual joke any time someone mentioned the number 69. It turns out that Bryan Adams’ nostalgic rock classic was never reminiscent of that final summer of the 1960s, as Adams would have only been 10 at the time. Bryan has gone on to admit that the musical experiences are merely filler, and the intended meaning is to detail a summer full of lots and lots of sex. It turns out this time around, immature high school guy was right, and the most obvious of innuendos slipped right under our noses.

#3: “Ironic” (1995)

Alanis Morisette

Events and statements that are deliberately opposite of what one may expect are considered ironic. What takes place in Alanis Morissette’s song can be more appropriately categorized as tragic. Winning the lottery and dying the next day, being pardoned from death row two minutes too late, and discovering your dream man is already married are all tragic events, leaving listeners confused why a song named Ironic contains no real irony. Stay with us here, but the lack of irony in a song named for irony, is in fact, ironic. Confused? Think it over a bit, it’s actually quite clever.

#2: “Semi-Charmed Life” (1997)

Third Eye Blind

Given this song’s upbeat vibe and status as, as Rolling Stone called it, “one of the most relentlessly sunshine-y songs of the Nineties,” you’d be forgiven for not realizing “Semi-Charmed Life” is about struggles with substance use. You’d also be forgiven for missing the not-so-hidden meaning, had you only heard the edited version that most radio stations pounded into our eardrums back in 1997, since a line that was very specific in its detail was cut for airplay.

#1: “Born in the USA” (1984)

Bruce Springsteen

This essential 4th of July power ballad likely conjures up images of fireworks, American flags and freedom. It’s truly an iconic song of patriotism … until you realize that Bruce Springsteen basically spends the entire song criticizing America with respect to how working-class veterans of the Vietnam War were treated. Starting out, the song recounts the story of a man born dirt poor and constantly in trouble. He then goes off to war, 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 U.S.A when its message couldn’t be any different.

Did you already know any of these meanings? Let us know in the comments!