I have talked before about my love for music. The universality of it is truly beautiful. One question I often wonder is, how subjective can it really be? I remember being in English class in high school arguing over poems and short stories and trying to interpret what the writer was trying to convey. The deeper argument within that is, does it matter? If art is meant for us to view and appreciate then is it our interpretation all that matters?
You can apply the same reasoning to music. Different songs bring up different emotions for people. It can be through the feel of the song or a memory associated with it. Sometimes these can be completely different than what the artist intent may have been. I'm thinking specifically about songs that seem like love longs. Songs that people use for first dances at weddings or songs that are a couple's "song." But when inspected further, the lyrics may lean toward a completely different direction. Maybe it will be more clear with some examples, so without further ado, here are a few songs that aren't truly romantic love songs but people use them as such anyway.
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
The name seems straight forward right? But it's not. It's not really a love song, it's more of a love lost song. I was at a wedding where the couple used this as their first dance song. It was a nice moment, and it truly is a beautiful song. But if you're paying close attention, you would realize Blunt was not singing about a current love. "She smiled at me on the subway, she was with another man." James Blunt is clearly lamenting a past love, not celebrating a current one.
Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life
This is one of those songs that fools you all the way until the end. There's some very beautiful lines that lead you in that direction. "I was blind before I met you" and "I'm glad I didn't die before I met you" sounds very romantic, until the song carries on and you realize that this is all in retrospect. We are shown the truth when near the end, the singer begins to question himself and ends the song with "besides, maybe this time is different I mean, I really think you like me."
Lord Huron - The Night We Met
I am guilty with this one and I don't care. This goes on a list of "our songs" for my wife and I. This song is all kinds of brilliant. On first listen I was sure this was a love song. First of all, because of the way it made me feel. But even some of the lyrics seem to lean towards feelings of love and nostalgia. "Take me back to the night we met" sounds like something positive but when you listen a few more times, it's clear the singer is talking about the pain he is feeling and how he wished he could go back and stop it all from happening.
U2 - With or Without You
This one I am unsure of. Only because of what my heart is telling me. I love this song and the beautiful picture the lyrics paint. "Through the storm we reach the shore, You give it all but I want more, And I'm waiting for you" sounds like a very romantic sentiment. Then again, "With or Without You" seems kind of confusing. What does it really mean? In one interview Bono stated that he wanted to write a love song with real issues, and in another, the Edge states that he finds it funny people use this song at weddings because it's not really a love song. I guess you can decide for yourself.
Damien Rice - The Blowers Daughter
"I can't take my eyes off of you" rings over and over in chorus and makes you feel like this is a real passionate love song. Damien Rice has such emotion in his voice and the cello is so beautiful. So why isn't this a love song? The real answer we might never know, Rice has played coy forever about who this is about. There was even an elaborate story about him working at a call centre and developing a relationship with a woman, which turned out to be false. But I think that its true meaning is hidden in the last line of the song "til I find somebody new."
The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
To me this one is either really obvious to you or it it really isn't. While on the surface it seems like the song is about a relationship, especially using the pronoun 'she' when describing things. However, this song is a metaphor about doing drugs, specifically cocaine. Now if you go back and listen to the lyrics with that in mind I think that you see. The Weeknd has been very open in interviews about his love for recreational drugs and "Can't Feel My Face" is an ode to the lifestyle he has become accustomed to.
The Beatles - Got to Get You Into My Life
Not trying to start a theme here, but we have another song steeped in metaphor. Its sounds like a lovely song, about love. They almost get you with lines like "Ooh, did I tell you I need you, Every single day of my life." But it's really not about romantic love, for a person. It's about their love for Mary Jane. Fully admitted by Paul McCartney. But Hey. It's the Beatles, what else did you expect.
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
This is a case of people only remembering or paying attention to the chorus. Obviously singing about how they belong together is romantic. And to boot, the chorus is the catchiest part of the song. I don't blame you. But, when you listen to the verses, you realize that the 'she' in this song is with someone else, and that takes this song from romantic to something else.
There are a few that didn't make the cut because they maybe were too obvious in certain ways. "Every Breath You Take" by The Police and "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver could ostensibly be included on the list, but I don't think these songs fool anybody looking past the title.
Did I miss any? Are you shocked by some of these? Did I crush your hopes and dreams?
Let me hear from you!
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