Top 10 Songs Where People Always Misinterpret the Meaning

Almost every song has meaning. Some songs have straightforward meanings, while others have complicated meanings and lyrics.

There are songs that people always misinterpret. It is probably because of the good melodies and hooks in the songs. Here are 10 songs people often misunderstand.

The Top Ten

Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen

This is about America's involvement in the Vietnam War. Springsteen once said "Born in the U.S.A." is the "most misunderstood song since 'Louie, Louie.'"
Verse 2 explains it:
"Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man."
I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton

This is not a breakup song. This is about Dolly Parton's decision to stop working with her mentor Porter Wagoner. "I was with Porter for seven years, and I learned so many things from Porter. We had one of those relationships where we were just so passionate about what we did. It was like fire and ice."
But this song could also work as a breakup song since the lyrics aren't much different from other breakup songs.
Blackbird - The Beatles

It's not about a blackbird whose wings are broken. Blackbird was written after reading about race riots in America. It was written to describe the struggle of African Americans. Paul McCartney also said it was inspired by hearing the call of a blackbird in India. Blackbird is a metaphor for a young black girl.
Slide - The Goo Goo Dolls

It isn't just a normal love song. It is about unplanned pregnancy.
John Rzeznik told Billboard in 2018: "I was thinking a lot about the neighborhood I grew up in. 'Slide' is about a teenage boy and girl. They're trying to figure out if they're going to keep the baby or if she's going to get an abortion or if they're just going to run away."
"They're dealing with these heavy life choices at a very early age. Everybody grew up way too fast."
Verse two explains it:
"Don't you love the life you killed?
The priest is on the phone
Your father hit the wall
Your ma disowned you
Don't suppose I'll ever know
What it means to be a man
It's something I can't change
I'll live around it."
Like a Virgin - Madonna

It's about starting a good new relationship. The song wasn't actually written for a female performer. It was for the co-writer Billy Steinberg. He explained to the Los Angeles Times: "I was saying... that I may not really be a virgin - I've been battered romantically and emotionally like many people - but I'm starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it's healing all the wounds and making me feel like I've never done this before, because it's so much deeper and more profound than anything I've ever felt."

It's about how a new relationship makes it feel like she's completely new and inexperienced.
Also, is it a hot take to say there are quite a few cases of songs which have "hidden meanings" where the hidden meaning is actually really silly or makes no sense? (This isn't an example though).
S&M - Rihanna

It's about her love-hate relationship with the media.
"'Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it."
It's her reaction to the media abuse towards her when she changed to a more provocative style. She admits that she's bad and thinks she's good at being bad. She likes being provocative, but some people don't.
The One I Love - R.E.M.

It isn't just a normal love song. This is a breakup song. Mike Mills, the bass player, said: "The song was incredibly violent. It's very clear that it's about using people over and over again... it's a vicious breakup song." Stipe said, "It's probably better that they think it's a love song at this point."
Imagine - John Lennon

It isn't only about world peace. John Lennon once described the song as "virtually the Communist Manifesto, even though I am not particularly a communist and I do not belong to any movement."
John Lennon said, "'Imagine' is a big hit almost everywhere - anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic, but because it is sugarcoated, it is accepted." He added, "Now I understand what you have to do: Put your political message across with a little honey."
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams: "It's about making love in the summer. It's using '69 as a sexual reference." 69 is a position.
This part explains it:
"Standin' on your mama's porch
You told me that you'd wait forever
Oh, and when you held my hand
I knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of my life."

The Newcomers

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Highway Don't Care - Tim McGraw
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I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats

The Contenders

Despacito - Luis Fonsi
Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Closing Time - Semisonic
...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears

This song has nothing to do with masochism. This song is actually about wanting her boyfriend to call her. The writer Max Martin thought hit is a slang for call (he's Swedish).
I Like to Move It - Crazy Frog
We Found Love - Rihanna

Don't let the title fool you! Billboard just put this song on the Best Love Songs of the 21st Century list. It's about a toxic relationship.
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day
Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Wish You Were Gay - Billie Eilish
Harder to Breathe - Maroon 5

This isn't a love song. This song is about the band's frustration with their record label's pressure on making more material for their debut album. The band thought they had enough material for a release, but when the label told them to keep writing, Adam Levine wrote this song in frustration at the pressure.
American Pie - Don McLean
Angel - Sarah McLachlan
MMMBop - Hanson