Misinterpreted song meanings
1. Arguably the Police's most popular song, Every Breath You Take, has been played during countless weddings and on request lines due to the widely held belief that it is a gentle love song. According to Sting, the song is about love, but it's quite a bit more "sinister and ugly" than people think. Sting wrote the song during the collapse of his marriage, amidst feelings of jealousy and obsession over his lost lover. He claims the stalker-like vibe of the lyrics were inspired by the desire for surveillance and control he was feeling during his divorce.
2. The dark, accusatory lyrics of In the Air Tonight led to the story that Phil Collins saw someone drowning once from far away, and that a third person, who was close enough to help, either ignored or refused to help the drowning person. Appalled by this, Collins penned this tune as an anonymous condemnation of the person's cowardice and/or apathy. Of course Collins says that story is incorrect, and the lyrics actually arose from the bitterness and anger he felt while going through his divorce.
3. Despite many people (including politicians) having used Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA for patriotic purposes, the lyrics are actually extremely critical of the US. Many fist-pumping beer-drinking Americans would proudly sing the chorus without giving a second thought to the lyrics. The song was written in response to the negative impact the Vietnam war had on Americans ... Similarly, the Australian band Men at Work's song Down Under has been widely considered a patriotic song, while the authors maintain it was meant to be critical of their country. (Source: listverse.com)
