Art imitates life. Art is also massively inspired by life.
Today we take a look at some songs with hidden meanings or songs that got their meanings twisted and misconstrued. Whether it's a sexual innuendo or a lyrically confusing moment, sometimes people have to take a close look at the lyrics.
Selena Gomez's Lose you to love me
Selena Gomez released new music. Last week the singer dropped a brand new song "Lose You to Love Me"
"This song is so dear to my heart. I've been working so hard to make this album as honest and fun as possible while remaining vulnerable enough to share where I am in life," she tweeted.
The song is allegedly written about her on again, off again relationship with Justin Bieber.
"This song was inspired by many things that have happened in my life since releasing my last album," Gomez says of her new track. "I thought it was important to share the music, as I know many can relate to the fact that the road to self-discovery generally comes through the scars in one's life. I want people to feel hope and to know you will come out the other side stronger and a better version of yourself."
Even Hailey Bieber allegedly reacted. On October 22, she put out a screengrab of ‘I’ll Kill You’ on her story right after Gomez dropped her latest single ‘Love You To Lose Me’ which riled fans who questioned the model if it was a reply to the singer’s new lyrics, which seemingly hint at her previous relationship with Justin Bieber.
Guess we aren't the only ones looking into her song meaning.
Miley Cirus's Slide Away
Miley and Liam hadn't even broke up for a month (at least not publically) when she released her breakup song, Slide Away. Slide Away was one crazy breakup song. According to a People source, “Slide Away” was Miley’s chance to share what she’s been going through post-breakup in an unmalicious way.
“Move on, we’re not 17 / I’m not who I used to be / You said that everything changed / You’re right, I’m grown now.” Though the lyrics are damning–Miley didn’t expect people to read into them so much.
Carly Simon's You're So Vain
Jumping back in time a little bit. The song is ranked at number 92 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All-Time. "You're So Vain" was written in 1971 by Carly Simon and released in November 1972. It is one of the songs that she is most identified with, and upon its release, reached number 1 in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
No one really knows who exactly this song was written about. Who was the classic song by Carly Simon actually about? What inspired it? Before the song became a hit single in 1972, Simon told an interviewer that the song was about "men," not a specific "man".
Simon has said in the past that the song refers to three men, but only one of whom she has named publicly is actor Warren Beatty. Shortly before she wrote the song, Simon was married to singer James Taylor. However, she has said that he was "definitely not" the subject of the song. David Bowie, David Cassidy and Cat Stevens have all been named by the press as potential candidates.
Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit
This song was one of Nirvana's biggest hits. Many assumed that the sond was a revolutionary slogan, specifically with anarchism and punk rock. But actually, Cobain came up with the song's title when his friend Kathleen Hanna, at the time the lead singer of the riot grrrl band Bikini Kill, wrote "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit" on his wall.
Hanna meant that Cobain smelled like the deodorant Teen Spirit, which his then-girlfriend Tobi Vail wore. Cobain said he was unaware of the deodorant until months after the single was released.
The Eagle's Hotel California
Welcome to the Hotel California… after over four decades of rocking out, LA's number-one country rock band, The Eagles will always be remembered for their hit song Hotel California. Many have speculated what the song lyrics are about.
For some mysterious reason, the song has been linked to devil-worshipping by those who champion the cause of the anti-rock and roll movement. We may find it silly now but there was a time when people seriously thought Hotel California (released in 1976) was about Satanism, that it was a tribute to the place where The Satanic Bible was written. They often cite the line "they stab it with their steely knife but they just can't kill the beast" from the song as proof of their allegation.
But regardless of the allegations of hidden meanings and despite the abstractness of the lyrics, one thing is definite: it's difficult not to like the song at the very first listen. That's the magic of Hotel California.
