It’s Friday. This means it’s time to reveal the weekend rock list theme, which this week is Songs With a Secret. We’re looking for songs that are widely misunderstood to mean something they totally don’t mean. You remember the rules -– today we list five and on Monday, with the help of your suggestions, we’ll unveil our official list. Happy thinking!
- Nirvana’s “Polly” – misunderstood by frat boys to glorify rape, was actually inspired by a true story in which a rape victim escaped from her captor.
- Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” – widely thought to be about a drowning incident, is actually about divorce.
- Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” – misperceived as a love song, but it’s really about a bitterness-filled breakup.
- R.E.M.’s “One I Love” – thought to be about the one he loves, is actually meant to be ironic.
- Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In the USA” – misperceived as a nationalistic anthem, is really a dark portrait of post-Vietnam life.
