Songs that have surprising deeper/darker subjects.

[Mumby Magic]

Thought of this whilst listening to the Eurovision winner, and 70's floorfiller Waterloo by ABBA. A song about a battle of which 25000 men died.

 

[Irish Saint]

Never liked it myself but " every breath you take" The Police.

I was once at a wedding and the couple described it as their song@

[hindle xiii]

Similar to @Irish Saint the first one that came to mind for me was 'Roxanne' by The Police.

But pretty much every song has a deeper or darker meaning that I simply don't understand.

[Red Willow]

Land of Make believe by Bucks Fizz, written by King Crimson's Peter Sinfield. Lyrics darker than first thought

[Old Frightful]

Moonlight Shadow is apparently about the assassination of John Lennon.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Golden Brown by the Stranglers - All about Heroin addiction.

[my missus]

divine comedy/something for the weekend. despite its jaunty tune it is very dark.

[Niels]

4 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Moonlight Shadow is apparently about the assassination of John Lennon.

I didn't know this but I read online after seeing your post and it has some significance as you say.

I remember reading at the time of release that Mike had studied the components that made a song a UK no I record and this was his attempt to have one.

He was close, it made number 4. 

[Mumby Magic]

Of course there is Delilah about murdering his girl. Was attempted to be banned by Wales RU if I remember rightly.

[hindle xiii]

I saw it recently on either a program about 80s music or a show about Top of the Pops in the 80s, maybe. But there's a punk song that is pretty grim but we would know it as the "We all hate Leeds" tune. Google can't help much.

[hindle xiii]

... The Piranhas - Tom Hark.

[gingerjon]

21 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Moonlight Shadow is apparently about the assassination of John Lennon.

It’s not but it was written around the time of the assassination and so has an emotional connection.

I forget who it’s meant to be really about. Houdini or somebody like that. There’s an additional verse which does some explaining.

[Exiled Townie]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

It’s not but it was written around the time of the assassination and so has an emotional connection.

I forget who it’s meant to be really about. Houdini or somebody like that. There’s an additional verse which does some explaining.

There was a documentary on Mike Oldfield on one of the Sky channels not too long ago and I am sure they said the song has been attributed to several 'real life' incidents, but in fact it was just a made up song about a young girl shocked at the shooting, at night time, of her boyfriend. 

[gingerjon]

Just now, Exiled Townie said:

There was a documentary on Mike Oldfield on one of the Sky channels not too long ago and I am sure they said the song has been attributed to several 'real life' incidents, but in fact it was just a made up song about a young girl shocked at the shooting, at night time, of her boyfriend. 

The quote I was thinking of has actually found its way onto wiki.

Not really... well, perhaps, when I look back on it, maybe it was. I actually arrived in New York that awful evening when he was shot and I was staying at the Virgin Records house in Perry Street, which was just a few blocks down the road from the Dakota Building where it happened, so it probably sank into my subconscious. It was originally inspired by a film I loved – Houdini, starring Tony Curtis, which was about attempts to contact Houdini after he'd died, through spiritualism... it was originally a song influenced by that, but a lot of other things must have crept in there without me realising it.

Fair to say, I suspect, given that Oldfield basically just likes to play instruments that he spent more time thinking through the two guitar solos than he did worrying too much what his song lyrics were about.

 

[HawkMan]

The Vapors Turning Japanese,  a big hit, but nobody at the eager to ban BBC realised it was about a lonely guy with a photo of his girl having a w##k.

[my missus]

Enola Gay by OMD about as dark as they come.

STAN eminem

everybody hurts REM

[CanaBull]

Was at a wedding a good number of years ago and their first dance song was Paul Weller's 'You Do Something To Me', thought it was a bit odd, but hey if they both liked it right?

[gingerjon]

8 hours ago, my missus said:

Enola Gay by OMD about as dark as they come.

STAN eminem

everybody hurts REM

The One I Love by REM is a good one for (some) people completely missing the point. Back in the day when such things existed I even saw it on a Valentine's compilation CD.

Still, if you do want to tell someone that they're a simple prop to occupy your time ...

[M j M]

Greensleeves is supposedly a little ditty about a prostitute getting grass marks on her clothing by doing her business in a field.

[graveyard johnny]

shiny happy people by rem is about valium 

[Jasper]

14 hours ago, M j M said:

Greensleeves is supposedly a little ditty about a prostitute getting grass marks on her clothing by doing her business in a field.

We were taught at school that Greensleeves was written by Henry Vlll for Anne Boleyn.

[M j M]

Just now, Jasper said:

We were taught at school that Greensleeves was written by Henry Vlll for Anne Boleyn.

Not true apparently.

[gingerjon]

26 minutes ago, M j M said:

Not true apparently.

It's one of those "no one really knows but it definitely had nothing to do with the fat philanderer" ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensleeves

[graveyard johnny]

55 minutes ago, Jasper said:

We were taught at school that Greensleeves was written by Henry Vlll for Anne Boleyn.

we thought it was about coming to school with a snotty nose and no hankie 

[Shadow]

Has everyone forgotten the deeply significant lyrics of that classic “Shiny Shiny” by Haysi Fantayzee?