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Wait- OMG! The song is really about...?

Elton John's High Flying Bird is a song about.... suicide??! Thought for years it was just another song about lost love. For whatever reason the full meaning of he lyrics didn't sink in until today on the drive in to work, "The white walls of your dressing room are stained scarlet red. You bled upon the cold stone like a young man... in the foreign field of death." 

That song will never be the same for me again. Its much, much better now. Damn that Taupin was good.

128x128millercarbon
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millercarbon OP
12,531 posts
 
One that I always found sadly amusing was Sting’s "Every Breath You Take," which was about stalking an ex. To show how little attention people pay to lyrics/music’s message, this was a popular wedding dance song.

YES! Good one! I tell people that’s the most popular song ever about a stalker and they look at me like I’m the one who doesn’t get it!

Since you’ve gone, I’ve been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it’s you, I can’t replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby please
THIS is a WEDDING dance song?!?!?! Just play Evergreen, people. Better boring than Orwellian!
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
yyzsantabarbara, point well taken. The term I used "imported" could be misconstrued to mean the Beetles had taken a Christian song and made it into an idolatrous song. It never was Christian, though a great many people thought it was, and were shocked to learn that the backing lyrics shifted halfway through the song.  :) 

teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
Metallica, ’Enter Sandman’,

....is about crib death.

Source: the making of Metallica’s Black Album, 1 hour documentary, ’classic albums’ series - direct question, direct answer from James Hetfield. (with explanation)
jetter
2,969 posts
 
Very sad
berner99
214 posts
 
The Song Closing Time by Semisonic is not about when the bars close, but about pregnancy.
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