Top 10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Famous Songs

“Dancing With Myself” (1981), Billy Idol

A lot of music fans and journalists have had a little bit of fun pontificating about the lyrical significance of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself.” The tune, which was originally written and recorded with Idol’s former band, Generation X, actually isn’t about the topic you might have in your head at this moment. Idol told Rolling Stone during a 2014 interview that “Dancing With Myself” is actually about the struggle of disenfranchised youth during the early 1980s. The music video seems to back up Idol’s claims, as well. The production, helmed by “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” director Tobe Hooper, was set in a post-apocalyptic, “Mad Max”-styled wasteland.

“Wake Me Up When September Ends” (2004), Green Day


Everyone processes music differently, particularly when it comes to the medium of music video, which doesn’t always represent a song’s specific conceptual content. This is probably why many Green Day fans seem to connect “Wake Me Up When September Ends” with the tragic events of 9/11. The video’s storyline of a young man heading off to war makes these connective lines easy to draw. Additionally, the “American Idiot” LP’s themes criticizing President George W. Bush belie the fact that “Wake Me Up When September Ends” was actually written about the death of Billie Joe Armstrong’s father, back in the September of 1982. It’s a situation similar [xref] to “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” which has nothing to do with graduation.

“Blinded By the Light” (1976), Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

There’s a laundry list of songs out there with misheard lyrics. Jimi Hendrix sings about kissing the sky, not a guy, in “Purple Haze,” while [xref] Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” isn’t about tomatoes, potatoes, or whatever Kurt Cobain was mumbling. [xref] The lyrical snafu of Manfred Mann Earth Band’s take on Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded By the Light” is a bit dirtier. Vocalist Chris Hamlet Thompson’s English accent led many fans to believe that he was referencing personal hygiene when he said “deuce.” Though the line was changed from “Cut loose like a deuce” to “Revved up”, it's still about a Ford deuce coupe car.

“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (1967), The Beatles

John Lennon never pretended that recreational substance use didn’t at least partially factor into The Beatles’ creative process. That said, it’s almost too easy to assume that “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is about tuning in and dropping out. After all, the song shares initials with a certain substance that was popular in the ‘60s. Thus, Lennon famously went on record stating that the tune was actually in reference to a drawing by his young son, Julian. This hasn’t stopped fans of The Beatles from thinking what they want to about the song, which does certainly tap into the prevailing psychedelic rock sound of the era.

“I Will Always Love You” (1964), Dolly Parton

Here’s a question: does it really matter that Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” actually isn’t about romantic love? It’s certainly been applied in this context over the years, such as with Whitney Houston’s famous version from “The Bodyguard” soundtrack. Art is no longer the property of the artist after it’s been put out into the world; it becomes interpreted by everyone who listens, watches and takes it to heart. Dolly wrote “I Will Always Love You” for Porter Wagoner, whose self-titled television program helped make Parton a star during her early days. It served as something of a coda for her collaboration with Wagoner, a sentiment that parting was such sweet sorrow.

“Waterfalls” (1995), TLC

The lyrical themes to this song actually run deeper than most fans seemed to think at the time. Radio listeners grabbed onto TLC’s message of being careful when it came to their song “Waterfalls,” but the tune isn’t only about watching where you leap for your dreams. It was also about some very specific issues addressing society at large, including the AIDS crisis. In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, TLC member Chili said that “Waterfalls” cryptically advises practicing personal responsibility and safety when it comes to sexual behavior.

“Summer of ‘69” (1985), Bryan Adams

You know the old adage: “Be careful what you wish for.” We’re almost sorry that we found out about the actual story behind Bryan Adams’ hit song, “Summer of ‘69.” The tune’s melancholic melody and wistful lyrics evoke images of days gone by. The truth behind the song’s composition, however, is a far more literal-minded interpretation of the title. Adams wasn’t thinking too far away from his own sexual desires when he helped compose the tune with songwriter Jim Vallance. He told Classic Rock’s LouderSound site in 2020 that “Summer of ‘69” was about exactly that. Vallance, however, first wrote “Best Days of My Life” about the more wholesome myth. It was Adams who dwelled on one particular aspect of youthful obsession.

“Born in the U.S.A.” (1984), Bruce Springsteen

The Boss put it perfectly during a 2019 interview with NPR. Bruce Springsteen explains how songs like “Born in the U.S.A.” were often misinterpreted, thanks to the power of their respective choruses. A surface-level listen to this song could very well lead people (such as former U.S. president Ronald Reagan) to assume that “Born in the U.S.A.” is patriotic. However, Springsteen is actually singing about the plight of returning veterans, and the hardships they face adjusting to public sector living. These veterans’ feelings of being left behind lurk within Springsteen’s verses, but many listeners, for better or worse, never got that far in their interpretations.

“In the Air Tonight” (1981), Phil Collins

It’s perhaps one of the most enduring lyrical misinterpretations of all time, while also remaining one of the most interesting. The story that former Genesis drummer and vocalist Phil Collins once watched a person leave another to drown, only to publicly out them at a concert. Truth is more believable than fiction, however, meaning that this actually never happened to Collins. Instead, “In the Air Tonight” was about Collins’ divorce, a tale that reiterated once again during a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone magazine. Who are we kidding, though? This urban legend will probably NEVER go away.

“Every Breath You Take” (1983), The Police


It’s just gotta be Andy Summers’ complex, melodic guitar chord choices that make “Every Breath You Take” sound less sinister than it was intended to be. How else can we possibly understand why so many people still believe this all-time banger from The Police is a love song? A 2021 article from Far Out magazine reiterated what many die-hard fans of the band already knew: that this is one dark song. “Every Breath You Take” is actually about stalking and obsession, with songwriter Sting being quoted as saying that he was inspired by surveillance culture during the creative process.


What are your thoughts about how musicians reframe or re-evaluate their back catalog as they get older? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!