12 Popular Songs That Hit Differently After Reading The Lyrics

Have you ever been singing along to a song before realizing what you’re saying? You’ve got company.

Recently someone asked, “What song hits differently after reading the lyrics?” The Internet responded by delivering this hit list.

1. Macarena by Los Del Río (1993)

“The ‘Macarena.’ The song they played all the time for stuff when I was in elementary school it’s about a girl cheating on her boyfriend with multiple people while he’s away,” one user shared.

“Not only while he was away, but he was deployed right. And she took his two friends home with her,” added another.

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

Someone explained, “Born in the U.S.A.’ is famously misinterpreted as patriotic. However, the amount of politicians that used or tried to use that song as a rally song is laughable.”

Another added, “I grew up in the military, and they played this song at EVERY event at EVERY base or small town I’ve ever lived in, so a large portion of the population pays zero attention to the song’s meaning.”

“Beyond belting out the ‘BOOOORN IN THE USA!’ while wearing their screaming eagle t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and chugging their Coors Light in an American flag Koozie, they’re not all in the military.”

3. Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

“A portion of people (maybe a majority) don’t pay attention to the lyrics of songs,” admitted one.

“In this case, they don’t pay attention to any part past ‘Some folks are born to wave the flag.’ Many politicians used or tried to use that song as a rally song. Some people think that it’s a patriotic song.’

“There was a Wrangler Jeans commercial a few years back where they cut the song off after ‘Some folks are born to wave the flag’ and before ‘But it ain’t me,’” another user added. 

4. Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads (1980)

“This song popped into my head for the first time in years recently when I had an odd moment of self-reflection. It was like snapping back to reality as if the past ten years had been on autopilot. All those little changes over time you grew accustomed to as one-day blends into another, and then suddenly you look at everything in aggregate, and it’s an overwhelming shock to the system.”

“Like waking up from a coma or something where everything suddenly seems foreign to you – it’s a scary feeling. Get the job, move to the big city, meet the girl, get the place, get the car, have kids – and then it’s like, whoa, what am I even doing? Is this what I was after all along? Or was I going with the flow? This is my life now? How did I get here?”

5. Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad by Meat Loaf (1977)

One person replied, “Meat Loaf said it always depressed him how many people came up to him and told him they danced to ‘Two out of Three Ain’t Bad’ at their wedding. It was like, have you ever listened to the damn lyrics?”

“‘There ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you. Now don’t be sad. Cause two out of three ain’t bad.’”

6. You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell (1940)

“You Are My Sunshine,’ seems like an upbeat, happy song, but it’s pretty depressing when you hear more lyrics: ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey.’”

“‘You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping. I dreamed I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. And I hung my head and cried.’” It’s about unrequited love.

7. Hey Ya! by OutKast (2003)

“‘Hey Ya’ by OutKast is the one that pops right away. It’s a dance song with a depressing message,” one said.

Others quoted the lyrics, “If what they say is nothing is forever, then what makes love the exception? Why are we so in denial when we know we’re not happy here? Y’all don’t hear me. You just wanna dance.”

8. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People (2011)

One person shared, “I worked with somebody who said this was her favorite song and would be dancing a little bit whenever it came on. Then somebody mentioned what the song was about to her.”

“It was amazing how quickly her face went from joy to pure horror. ‘All the other kids with the pumped-up kicks. You better run, better run outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped-up kicks. You better run, better run faster than my bullet.’”

9. My Sharona by The Knack (1979)

“I loved ‘My Sharona‘ until I looked up the lyrics,” admitted one.

“I always thought he was saying the other kind, but it’s the younger kind. The worst part is it’s actually about a real girl named Sharona. When they wrote the song, he was 25, and she was 17.”

10. Polly by Nirvana (1991)

“‘Polly’ by Nirvana, hits differently when you read the lyrics knowing that the song is about the abduction and rape of a 14-year-old girl in August 1987 in Washington. She was strung up and tortured with a blow torch before being repeatedly raped and barely escaped when she jumped out of his truck at a gas station to draw attention.”

11. 99 Luftballons by Nena (1983)

Someone replied, “99 Luftballons was a fun song until I read the English translation. It’s about Cold War generals misinterpreting a balloon for a first strike.”

“‘Ninety-nine dreams I have had. In every one a red balloon. It’s all over, and I’m standing pretty. In this dust, that was a city. If I could find a souvenir. Just to prove the world was here. And here is a red balloon. I think of you and let it go.’”

12. Physical by Olivia Newton-John (1981)

Finally, someone confessed, “Reminds me of ‘Let’s Get Physical.’ Of course, it went over most kids’ heads, but I was sitting there thinking, ‘I’m pretty sure it’s completely inappropriate to have a bunch of 10-year-olds exercising to this song.’”

We hope you enjoyed this Reddit picks list of songs that hit differently after reading the lyrics. Also, check out these fifty songs people voted as musical masterpieces.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.