7 classic songs with surprisingly inappropriate lyrics
If you’re like us, when you listen to music you aren’t focused too much on the lyrics – if you like a song, you like it, right? Well, the next time you’re listening to one of your favourites, pay close attention to the lyrics – you might be surprised to learn what the song’s really about.
With this in mind, a Reddit user asked the online community the following question: “What classic song is widely accepted, but upon closer look, completely inappropriate?”
As it turns out, there’s a lot of them. Here are some of the most surprising responses.
1. “Waltzing Matilda”by Banjo Paterson – “It’s about a man that commits suicide after he was accused of stealing and eating a goat. He drowns himself and haunts the bog afterwards.”
2. “One Way or Another” by Blondie – “It’s actually a song Debbie Harry wrote about an ex-boyfriend that was stalking her.”
3. “Oh My Darling, Clementine” (traditional American folk song) – “Oh My Darling, Clementine. It’s an oldie but a song that many people know. The song is about a girl who slips and drowns in a quarry, and her father isn’t a good swimmer so he is unable to rescue her in time. He then commits suicide. The end.”
4. “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen – “Most people see it as this patriotic song and play it on July 4th and stuff but it's an ironic, somewhat bitter anti-US Vietnam War song. It's inappropriate because of the settings you typically find it playing - yay America! parties, political rallies, etc.”
5. “Every Breath You Take” by The Police – “This one even baffles Sting. He had written it to be about a stalker, something menacing and threatening... and people listen to it as it it’s a love song.”
6. “99 Luftballons (99 Red Balloons)” by Nena – “It sounds pretty childish and very happy... It’s about nuclear Armageddon.”
7. “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes – “The wife writes an ad about cheating on her husband and taking a vacation, the husband (not knowing it was her) replies to it, wanting to cheat on his wife and take a vacation. They meet at a bar, recognise each other, and laugh, ‘Oh, it’s you!’ And then they go on said vacation.
Tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite song?