Music

16 Songs with Hidden Meanings

Think you like these songs for the beat? Maybe listen again for the words.

Image source: Business Insider

You likely listened to these songs for their beats or tunes and didn’t catch the lyrics properly the first time. But when you go back and read the lyrics, you may have a new outlook on the song altogether. At the very least, you will think of the song differently. That’s exactly why these songs made this list. Please be aware, these songs have meanings that discuss topics which some may find disturbing.

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People (2011)

This one has been talked about several times before, so I’m sure you knew this one was coming. Earning a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance doesn't take away from the fact that the song is about a kid named Robert who fantasizes about causing a school shooting. The upbeat sound definitely contrasts with this dark message, and that, in a way, makes it a commentary on youth culture and societal issues.

Animals by Maroon 5 (2013)

Take a listen to the lyrics again, and you'll see why this song made this list. This one explores intense, primal sexual desire, using predator and prey metaphor to tell the tale of a toxic relationship, where the couple don't get along until they get it on, so to speak.

Every Breath You Take by The Police (1983)

This song has likely been used at the dance during weddings, but here's why this song doesn't really belong on the dance floor. This song is about an obsessive lover who watches over everything you do. Lead singer Gordon "Sting" Sumner was disheartened to hear that listeners actually enjoyed the song and thought of it as a love story. He said, "I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle, little love song, when it's quite the opposite."

Angel by Sarah McLachlan (1997)

This one has been used to guilt trip people into giving money to animal shelters, and it’s easy to see why. The song sounds sad enough, but there’s an allegory that you may have missed. To make a long story short, the “angel” in this context is heroin. McLachlan wrote the song following a two-year hiatus of performing. In addition, at the time, she had recently read about Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin overdosing on heroin was moved by his struggled with drug addiction.

Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen (1984)

Okay, you had to have seen this coming. There is no list of misunderstood songs without this one. Many have come to associate this song with American patriotism, but little could be further from the truth about this song’s meaning. To sum up, it basically criticizes how American veterans were treated after returning home from the Vietnam War. Springsteen himself says that the song's protagonist is "isolated from the government, isolated from his family to the point where nothing makes sense."

Chandelier by Sia (2014)

This one may have been played at parties, and if that's true, the partygoers probably didn't realize what they were missing. Hidden behind the soaring chorus is a song that portrays the raw reality of addiction, loneliness, and self-destruction. It depicts the desperate, hedonistic cycle of partying to escape pain, with the "chandelier" representing a fragile state of living on the edge. It is not a celebratory anthem, but a dark reflection on addiction and mental health.

You Are My Sunshine by Johnny Cash (1989)

Sure, the title sounds like a romantic thing to say to your significant other, but that’s not what this song is about. Instead of that, it concerns lost love, regret, and the fear of losing someone, all hidden behind a happy-sounding tune. The verses, which can be omitted from covers of this song, tell a story about a broken relationship where the singer is devastated by a lover leaving.

Gangnam Style by Psy (2012)

This song is sung in Korean, so you most likely didn’t pick up on the lyrics (unless you speak Korean). This record-breaking earworm of a song actually has a meaning that non-Koreans won’t notice. The song and the music video are not making fun of Psy’s extravagant lifestyle choices, as some have thought. Basically, the song mocks the lifestyle where one pursues looking wealthy while ignoring one's own needs. Psy himself later said "Human society is so hollow, and even while filming [the music video], I felt pathetic."

Hello by Lionel Richie (1983)

As 80s as this song is, the music video kind of says what this song is about. This song is a ballad of intense, unrequited longing, shyness, and the fear of rejection. The singer describes his fantasy about a woman he admires from afar, wishing his feelings were mutual. In fact, the famous chorus line "Hello, is it me you're looking for" is the ultimate question, asking if the woman he desires also longs for him.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (1975)

Is it just fantasy that this song has a hidden meaning? No, it's not. Freddie Mercury himself never explained the meaning of this song, but others have tried to figure it out. Many theories range from murder confessions to personal struggles with identity. Its complex lyrics made it one of the most studied and analyzed songs ever.

Who Let the Dogs Out by The Baha Men (2000)

Setting aside how many of you might be barking during the chorus when you should be saying “who,” the term “dog” refers to women. Singer Anslem Douglas said in an interview that the song is an allegory for a good time being ruined by men cat-calling and harassing women. Essentially, everyone is having a good time until bad men start treating women as objects, ruining everything. And the fact that the music video has actual dogs in it didn't help people find the song's real meaning.

Macarena by Los Del Río (1993)

One of the most popular (and overplayed, if we’re being honest) Latino songs ever, you might be surprised to see it on this list. Before you do the dance again, let’s look at why it made the list. Translated from Spanish, the lyrics mean something else entirely. The lyrics describe a girl named Macarena, who is "giving it to two friends" (cheating) while her real boyfriend is enlisted in the army.

Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd (2015)

Those who are more innocent may hear this song and assume that the singer is infatuated with someone so much that his face hurts from smiling, but that’s not exactly it. Behind a pop love song is a story of an addiction to cocaine. The lyrics use double entendres to compare the numbness caused by the drug to the "numbing" intensity of a toxic relationship. In fact, in a 2016 song called "Reminder," The Weeknd has the lyrics "I just won a new award for a kids show, talking 'bout a face numbing off a bag of blow," which was basically a confirmation of Can't Feel My Face was really about.

Bounce by System of a Down (2001)

Don’t go saying that this song is family-friendly just because it was used in the trailer for The Secret Life of Pets. Putting it as mildly as possible, the “pogo stick” at the center of the song is an allegory for the narrator's (ahem) package. Yeah. And the fact that he "does tricks" with it makes the song even less family friendly.

Hotel California by The Eagles (1976)

The title suggests a hotel in the US state of California, but there’s more to it than that. The band themselves have publicly said that the song is excess and materialism in the US. Singer Don Henley said "It was really about the excesses of American culture and certain girls we knew. But it was also about the uneasy balance between art and commerce."

Independence Day by Martina McBride (1993)

Before you turn this song on during your Fourth of July festivities, know this first: this song isn’t about American independence at all. This song tells of a mother and daughter, and an abusive husband, from the daughter’s perspective. On July 4th, the daughter goes to the fairgrounds. At the same time, the mother burns down the home, with the husband inside. Thus, the mother achieves her own “Independence Day,” meaning freedom from the relationship.

If you’re in need of assistance in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).