Round about the same time that I started paying attention to samples used in songs I found there are well known songs whose lyrics aren’t always about what you might think

1. Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Under the Bridge

The LA rock band released this song off their 1990 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik
It’s a fairly amicable ballad which fans of all ages can be found singing along to.
However, I suspect many do not realise that the lyrics are an introspective reflection on vocalist Anthony Kiedis’ drug addiction (in this case heroin)
The track has been covered several times, though perhaps the most well known in the UK is the one by girl band All Saints where in my opinion they murdered John Frusciante’s guitar line by taking the flow out of it cutting it with samples. They also didn’t include the final verse which is the verse that is most obvious in terms of it’s drug references.

2. Semisonic – Secret Smile

There is some debate about this song out there, but the general consensus I get about this pop ballad by another american rock band is that it’s about oral sex or at the very least has some form of sexual innuendo. Again it’s a very easy to listen to song which people of all ages listen to. Not an awful lot to say about it, but next time you hear it bear the lyrics in mind.

3. The La’s – There She Goes
Another drug reference in this song – again another apparently harmless pop song.
Like Under the Bridge, it’s about heroin:

There she goes
There she goes again
Pulsing through my veins
And I just can’t contain
This feeling that remains

“She” is the personification of heroin
It is, as with Secret Smile, debatable, but is largely thought to be about the drug

4. The Kinks – Lola

This one is not debatable at all and for years I had never thought about the lyrics for the song
But again, it’s a pop ballad with lyrics that are about subjects that you wouldn’t think about
Lola is about a ladyboy who comes onto the main character.
Verse 2 is probably the one that reveals this the most:

Well Im not the worlds most physical guy
But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola
Well Im not dumb but I cant understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola

I don’t think I properly listened to the lyrics before, but I know what it’s about now whenever I hear the track.

5. The Police – Every Breath you take

Another song that people sing along to, dance to and even get married to
It’s actually quite a scary song as it’s about the break-up of Sting’s marriage and how after he broke up he metaphorically followed her everywhere she went

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
Ill be watching you

I’ve also heard theories that it could be interpreted as a reference to the iron curtain and how the communist governments watched everything you did to make sure you didn’t step out of line.

Make of it what you will, but I wouldn’t rate it as a song to get married to

6. Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side

Finally, a song that I just didn’t realise how filthy the lyrics are. I think it was this verse that really made me jump:

Candy came from out on the island
In the backroom she was everybodys darling

But she never lost her head
Even when she was given head
She says, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
Said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
And the coloured girls go

Well, that concludes my lyrics post – feel free to comment if you have anything to add