in the 70s - Meaning of Lyrics From Songs of the Seventies
Meaning of Lyrics From Songs of the Seventies
These are the meanings behind the song lyrics from various songs of the 70s. In particular,   we're looking for songs that aren't immediately obvious.
We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 80s and 90s
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This is a song anbout the Welsh witch-goddess and seducer Rhiannon
James Taylor's "I Seen Fire And I Seen Rain"
What i interpet the song is when he sings susanna the plans they put an end to you.  Sweet dreams and flying machines in peices on the ground represent when his girlfriends plane crashed. Susanna was in sweet dreams and she was in a plane and it sadly crashed.
Steely Dan's "Everyone' Gone to the Movies"
A song about a guy who shows dirty movies in his den on his own old movie projector to kids.  Key Lines "Soon it will be to late..bobbing for apples can wait.  I know you're used to 16 or more, sorry we only have 8" That last line is a reference to the size of the film, 16mm or larger would be a pro film...8mm is amateur. The song sounds happy and upbeat, but this hides the character's seedy hobby.
Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl"
It is a song about his love for heroin.  To prove this to you I will mention a couple of facts.  The word "girl" in drug culture is used for drugs that work on the brains hypothalamus region; this is the same area one feels pleasure during sexual activity.  The drugs that pleasure this area are cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy.  In the song he says, "slipping and a sliding" which is a description of using a needle for injection.  He uses brown because heroin is normally found as a brown powder (china brown).  So, before you start to make a reference to a song please research it before you put description into an artists work.  -Professor Stylee
Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne"
This is a tough song to decipher..as are many Steely Dan Songs. Its about Stanley Owsley III, a chemist who was well-known in the San Francisco drug culture. He made millions of tablets of strong LSD in his day, and then dissapeared. Key points: "Just by chance you crossed the diamond with the Pearl..you turned it on the world..thats when you turned the world around"   And..."All your low-rent friends are dead..life can be very strange...those test-tubes and the scales, just get em all out of here.....is their gas in the car? Yes, there is gas in the car. I think the people down the hall, know who you are.."   Its a great lyric, although hidden..like most-all of their lyrics.
Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight"
*Real Meaning*, Phil and his best friend were swimming at the beach and his mate began to drown so Phil asked a man to help and he said no "Thinking it was a joke" so phil watched his best friend as a kid drown and die. So later on Phil whilst on tour tracked this guy down and sent him front row seat tickets and first class air fair ticket to his tour and limosoine and everything, then when he started singing this song he put the spot light on the guy, and started singing, a few weeks later due to all the humiliation and publicity the guy commited suicide.
James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"
...After a little research, I find it was suicide, not cancer that killed Susan.  All the more reason not to tell someone in detox or rehab.
America's "A Horse With No Name"
"A Horse With No Name" was a song meant to compare the similarities and the beauty of the ocean to the desert.  It gives a sense of a peaceful state of mind and was written to describe the artist's passion for xenophobic landscapes (as one of the members liked to visit the area around Vandenburg Air Force Base, California).  America Sang, "The ocean is a desert with its life underground and a perfect disguise above", to explain that the ocean was much like a desert in the sense that both are barren, exposed to the sun, and uninhibited by (drinkable) water.  The artist explicitly describes what he had seen on his �journey�, to convey the idea of wide open peacefulness, �A sky with no clouds.�
the Doors's "People Are Strange"
About a bad LSD trip.    "Faces look ugly when you're alone Women seem wicked when you're unwanted Streets are uneven when you're down When you're strange Faces come out of the rain When you're strange No one remembers your name"  no doubt about that
Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Craddle"
According to Harry himself, his wife Sandy Chapin wrote the lyrics for Cat?s In The Cradle, while she was pregnant with their first child as a warning to Harry not to miss his child growing up.
Bad Company's "Shooting Star"
According to the lead singer, Paul Rodgers, the song is a story, and it's almost a warning. He wrote the song about the casulaties of making it in the music business and then dying of a drug overdose. At time he wrote it, he had Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin in mind along with other "superstars" that didn't make it.
America's "Horse With No Name"
Actually this song is about using heroin.  In the 70's this song was banned from many radio stations because "horse" is a street name for heroin.  If you listen to the lyrics in the chorus they say "In the desert you can remember your name.  'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain."  Not only does heroin cause severe memory loss but it is also used as a pain killer.  I think this is proof enough of what this song really means.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Actually, the most accepted theory is that Hotel California talks about "high life" in So. California during the time the song was written.  It talks about a being trapped in the high life, and having to deal with many obsessions - especially drugs.  Many of the lines mentioned in the other review of this song present on this site are a direct reference to drugs: "We are all prisoners here of our own device" - you choose to live the high life, and then are stuck to them; "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" - as an artist, you can always step away from the spotlight, but you'll always be stuck to it somehow; "this could be heaven or this could be hell" - once more, a reference to the high life, and also to the high during a drug run, and the low afterwards; "And in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can't kill the beast" - a reference to buying drugs for someone, doing the drugs, and still wanting more."
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Actually...after talking to members of the band...the song is about a gang in california...the line "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" symbolises the fact that once your in...your in for life.. the girl mentioned in the story is like a metaphor for the gang itself... anyway... thats all
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
After listening to the song, the first time around, I thought it was about the heavy drug use in the 70's. But after READING the lyrics myself, I gathered it was about the Satanic Church. PLEASE, correct me if I am wrong, somebody out there. Creeped me out!
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
After see faust(a theatrical play), I now believe that Bohiemian Rhapsody is about the lives of faust,the band's lead singer. The play faust is about a man who sold his soul to the devil in return for fame. after some time the devil comes to take faust's soul(which is why at the end of bohemian rhapsody you hear him saying "will you let me go". also, i've heard that the lead singer was diagnosed with HIV. This is pure speculation, but maybe he had a sexual relationship with someone and transmtited the diease.That would explain why he say's " momma I just killed a man". which doesn't imply he's a homosexual(artistic license) but who knows? maybe...
Rush's "The Trees"
Agree with most previous posts but being a big Rush fan in england in 1977 remember geddy lee (lead singer) getting grief off Radio Tees DJ Alistair Pirrie about it all being about British Colonialism as in oaks traditional english tree and maples guess. Geddy had clearly got a lot of grief over this from lots of other sources and said okay it was but since they were touring it wasn't a good time to get into the discussion
Eagles's "Hotel California"
All that is said is very interesting about the satanists and drugs but, I read where the Eagle's themselves said that the song lyrics are a tribute to their good friend Jackson Browns wife Phyllis who committed suicide as they were composing the songs for the album. That lends so much to the line "you can checkout anytime you like, but you can never leave."
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
Alright..enough with about how this song is just about syd barret...only half of the song probley not even half is about syd...i believe that this song is talking about roger waters X-wife...hence the line..."were just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year..running over the same old ground, but have we found the same old fears? wish you were here!" that is talking about his X-wife and how he wisshed things would have gone better and every year thungs are the same and same..and same old fears are fears of loosing one another...this is not about syd barret...its about roger waters X-Wife...but then again..some parts do talk about syd..but not in the lyrics such as when the song starts on the am radio and some1 plays along that represents the distance he has with other ppl...such as his x-wife and syd...its all simple just think
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
Also a tribute to Syd Barrett. It was a message to their former bandmate that they wished he was still a member of the band.
Boom Town Rats's "I Don't Like Mondays"
Also the girl who shot the people was asked in court why she did it and she replied "I don't like Mondays" or something along that lines!!
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Althoguh many would argue that this is about the bands addictions, jail time, etc etc. i think that this song is a lot of what it means to you. In a way i like to think that Hotel California is simply a tribute to the bands love for California, all the members moved from somwhere else to go to California; so perhaps its just a song about home; the line "you can check out any time you'd like...but you can never leave" doesnt have to mean an addiction, what if its just that once the love of a place, or person is in you, you can break up, or leave the place, but it will never really leave you; interpret this as you will... songs werent meant for 1 person only
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Although I think many of you have hit upon some very interesting ideas about the lyrics here (and justifiable ones at that -- especially the "in limbo" entries, as that is my 2nd choice regarding the meaning), nobody as yet has suggested that the song is about an alien abduction (yes, I believe in UFOs).  [* Note well - the aliens' UFO/planet/people have apparently recreated the look of earth and earthlings to gain confidence and complicity by the abductees.] Here are arguments regarding my theory. 1) First off, the very opening lines certainly point to an abduction --  "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair; Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance I saw a shimmering light -- My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim; I had to stop for the night." Dissecting these lines, we find the following: 2) 'On a dark desert highway' = aliens nearly always take and perform their experiments at night, and pick remote areas to do so. 3) 'UP' (ahead...) suggests he saw something 'ABOVE' another thing (his car)-- i.e., in this case, the "something" being the spacecraft. 4) smell of colitas = some abductees report a strange odor emanating from the aliens or in the craft itself (possibly a formaldehyde-like substance??). 5) 'I saw a shimmering light' = well, we all know by now that them thar extraterrestrials like to flash their lights when flying/landing. 6) '...head grew heavy...sight grew dim...' = a hypnotic trance that aliens subject humans to, so that they do not resist abduction. Now on to the rest of the song - the alien mentions are more implicit than explicit, yet there are still clues: 7) 'There she stood in the doorway...this could be Heaven or this could be Hell...And she showed me the way; There were voices down the corridor - I thought I heard them say Welcome ...such a lovely place.' = The 'she' in the lines above can be looked upon as the (remember, in human guise) leader of the abductees in their doomed exile, like the farmer leading lambs to the slaughter (illustrated in the fact that "you can never leave"). 8) The extraterrestrial's realm will soon take control now, as the humans are brainwashed, repeating, like a mantra: Such a lovely place, Such a lovely face. 9) 'And still those voices are calling from far away; Wake you up in the middle of the night' = as in a dream /abductions occur at night and many victims say they thought it was only a nightmare.  10) This next segment, '...her mind is... (through)...Some dance to forget’ = is the narrator being lead on/enticed by the woman at the doorway, to comfort him before any predictably sinister goings on befall him. 11) 'bring your alibis' = hard to come by any witnesses to abductions – since there were nine for the narrator, despair may be setting in. 12)'Welcome to the Hotel California...Were all just prisoners here' = welcome to a prison-like existence where there is no leaving. 13) 'They gathered for the feast; they stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast. Last thing I remember I was running for the door' = These lines are highly indicative of alien experiments, and this newcomer (not yet brainwashed) is still desperate to survive --> the beast /and/ to leave --> running for the door. 14) 'We are programmed to receive' = 'programmed' suggests something non-human.  Hence, an alien. "You can check out any time you like But you can never leave." = 'Check out' represents a mental suppression of the abduction, yet the abductee's memory will 'never leave.' ~~~ Well folks, that's my interpretation (with limbo as close runner-up.) ~~ AJH, Aug. 2006
Rush's "The Trees"
Although i do agree with the other posts in the means that this song deals with oppression, i disagree with the other posters implied meanings of this song. First, a reasonable conclusion can be that it is obvious this song deals with oppresion "as the maple's scream Oppresion" (regarding the oak's natural stature.) But before immediatly jumping to the idea that all oppresion is bad you need to consider the fact that the forest represents nature, therefore the "oppresion" is a natural oppresion. Listening to other rush songs one can cleary identify that Peart is heavily influenced by the transcendental romantic era of literature. One of the main belifs of this era was the sence that nature was an "all pervading goodness", and society was corrupt. therefore because this oppresion is a natural oppresion, it must be good. Enter the hatchets, axes, and saws. Givin the fact that Niel has brought the "human Society element" to the inanimate forrest suggests that the forrest has been pervaded, making this whole song a pervasion, aka sarcastic. when the Maples formed a union and enforced it's "rules" upon the oaks it does so in a harmful way, attacking the oaks Natural presence. this i belive to be an attack on the Canadian Socialist movement (symbolized be the maple tree[canadian national symbol] which although it has a noble intent=equality, the means it uses to get there are  corrupt=destroying others natural rights). In the end the lyrics alone are only half the song, one must truly listen to the tone in which it is presented to pick up the intent of the song.
Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
Although it is obvious that this song (along with a majority of Beatles songs)is about a hallucinagenic, it was not LSD, but rather Angel Dust. Dust being the Diamonds (as stars look scattered across the sky).  In the 70's when you took this drug, you believed you could fly.  Several deaths were caused by trying.
Yes's "South Side Of The Sky"
Although it's rather ambiguous, it appears as though this song is about the Chapter from Fellowship of the Ring called The Ring Goes South from The Lord of the Rings.  The fellowship is faced with a huge storm in the mountains and proctiaclly freeze to death.  "Move forward, was my friends only cry, in deeper, to somewhere we could lie..."  You really have to read the chapter and listen to the song.  VERY close fit.
Elton John's "Daniel"
Although the lyrics suggest the song is about the singer's younger brother flying off to Spain (Europe), they  are actually about a real life U.S. marine called Daniel, who was injjured by a landmine in Vietnam. He was left wheelchair bound and blind. The military of the day used him for PR perposes, "A BRAVE AMERICAN, WHO GAVE FOR HIS COUNTRY", sort of thing. Television pictures showed Daniel receiving a medal in Washington, waving goodbye before boarding an aeroplane bouned for Spain (Texas).  (Note: to the site creater, I was trying to find out Daniel's full name when I happened upon your web page. Should you ever find out who he is I'd appreciate if you'd let me know.)
Don McLean's "American Pie"
American Pie By Don McLean  (BTW - the person who said t was about the JFK assassination... the ONLY part of the song that McLean will decipher is that theopening is about Buddy Holly and the plane crash.)   A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile And I knew if I had my chance  That I could make those people dance And maybe they'd be happy for a while. 1  But February made me shiver  With every paper I delivered,  Bad news on the door step,  I couldn't take one more step, 2  I can't remember if I cried  When I read about his widowed bride 3 But something touched me deep inside,  The day, the music, died. 4 So... Refrain:  Bye, bye Miss American Pie 5 Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry 6 Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey 'n' rye 7 Singin this will be the day that I die. This will be the day that I die. 8 Did you write the book of love 9 And do you have faith in God above, If the bible tells you so. 10 And do you believe in rock 'n' roll?  Can music save your mortal soul? 11 And can you teach me how to dance real slow?   Well I know that you're in love with him  Cuz I saw you dancin' in the gym. 12 You both kicked off your shoes 13 And I dig those rhythm and blues. 14  I was a lonely teenage bronkin' buck  With a pink carnation and a pick up truck 15 But I knew I was out of luck,  The day, the music, died. I started singin...  Refrain  Now for ten years we've been on our own 16 And moss grows fat on a rollin stone 17 But that's not how it used to be,  When the jester sang for the king and queen  In a coat he borrowed from James Dean 18 And a voice that came from you and me. 19  Oh and while the king was looking down,  The jester stole his thorny crown 20 The courtroom was adjourned;  No verdict was returned. 21  And while Lennon read a book on Marx, 22 The quartet practiced in the park 23 And we sang dirges in the dark, 24 The day, the music, died.  We were singin'...  Refrain Helter Skelter in a summer swelter 25 The birds flew off with a fallout shelter, Eight miles high and fallin' fast. 26 It landed foul on the grass. 27 The players tried for a forward pass 28 With the jester on the sidelines in a cast. 29  Now the half-time air was sweet perfume 30 While the sergeants played a marching tune. 31 We all got up to dance  Oh but we never got the chance. 32  As the players tried to take the field  The marching band refused to yield.  Do you recall what was revealed, 33 the day, the music, died?  We started singin'...  Refrain  Oh and there we were all in one place, 34 A generation lost in space  With no time left to start again. 35 So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. 36 Jack Flash sat on a candle stick 37 Because fire is the devils only friend.38  Oh and as I watched him on the stage,  My hands were clinched in fists of rage,  No angel born in hell  Could break that Satan's spell. 39  And as the flames climbed high into the night  To light the sacrificial rite  I saw Satan laughing with delight,40 The day, the music, died.  He was singin'...  Refrain I met a girl who sang the blues 41 And I asked her for some happy news  But she just smiled and turned away. 42 I went down to the sacred store  Where I'd heard the music years before  But the man there said the music wouldn't play. 43  And in the streets the children screamed, 44 The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed. 45 But not a word was spoken,  The church bells all were broken. 46  And the three men I admire most,  The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, 47 They caught the last train for the coast, 48 The day, the music, died.  And they were singin'...  Refrain  They were singin'...  Bye, bye Miss American Pie  Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry  Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey 'n' rye  Singin' this will be the day that I die.  Go to Jerry's Jukebox  ________________________________________  Possible Interpretation of Lyrics The following represents a combination of some of the more popular interpretations of the meaning of the "American Pie" lyrics. McClean has remained silent on the meaning, except to say that the song was dedicated to Buddy Holly and that his death is referenced in the first verse. He has left it up to others to figure out what he really meant.  1. The song is about the history of rock and roll music and how it changed after Buddy Holly's death. It is also, however, about McLean's growing up, and his love of the pure rock and roll of the '50s. McLean was a musician. He wanted to make people dance. Most 50's music was meant for dancing and in general upbeat and happy, in contrast to 60's music.  Back to Verse  2. McLean was a paperboy on February 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly's plane crashed. He was devastated by the news, since Holly was his idol.  Back to Verse  3. Holly's recent bride was pregnant when the crash took place; she had a miscarriage shortly afterward.  Back to Verse  4. The same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly also took the lives of Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba") and The Big Bopper ("Chantilly Lace"). Since all three were so prominent at the time, February 3, 1959 became known as "The Day The Music Died."  Back to Verse  5. Goodbye to the music of America, the Rock 'n' Roll and dance music of the '50s. It's interesting how McLean has feminized 50's rock music here, the fact that it's a virgin (Miss) form of music that's as American as apple pie.  Back to Verse  6. Chevy represents America. The Levee is the bar where McLean and his friends hung out in his hometown of New Rochelle, NY. It closed down.  Back to Verse  7. This line is a play on words. Rye is a city in New York near where McLean grew up. When the Levee closed, the "good ol' boys," McLean and his friends, fled to drink in Rye where together they mourned the deaths of the trio.  Back to Verse  8. One of Holly's hits was "That'll be the Day"; the chorus contains the line, "That'll be the Day that I Die."  Back to Verse  9. "The Book of Love" by the Monotones; hit in 1958.  Back to Verse  10. In 1955, Don Cornell did a song entitled "The Bible Tells Me So." This line could also refer to the sense of disparity that maybe God let us down after the assassination of John Kennedy and the general disillusionment of the early '60s. It is also likely that these lines are meant to garnish rock 'n' roll with religious imagery, because most of the early musicians, including Holly, got their start in church choirs or by singing hymns. An old children's hymn called "Jesus Loves Me" has the line "the Bible tells me so" in the lyrics.  Back to Verse  11. This is a lament of the decline of the dance music of the '50s. It might also be a reference to The Lovin' Spoonful's hit in 1965 with John Sebastian's "Do You Believe in Magic?" Or, McLean might be questioning the integrity of music and its worth after the plane crash  Back to Verse  12. Dancing slow was an important part of early rock and roll dance events -- but declined in importance through the 60's as things like psychedelia and the 10-minute guitar solo gained prominence. Back then, dancing was an expression of love, and carried a connotation of commitment. Dance partners were not so readily exchanged as they would be later. Allegorically, the "him" is probably all the young, handsome teen idols that were common in the late '50s and early '60s. The "you" represents all the teenage girls who swooned over those idols.  Back to Verse  13. A reference to a "sock hop," generally held in gymnasiums.  Back to Verse  14. McLean is letting us know he prefers the R&B music of the '50's to the sock hop music.  Back to Verse  15. "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)," was a hit for Marty Robbins in 1957. McLean was lonely because his music was out of style.  Back to Verse  16. It was roughly 10 years after the death of Buddy Holly that McLean started writing "American Pie."  Back to Verse  17. The "rolling stone" is a reference to Bob Dylan, since "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965) was his first major hit; he was busy writing songs extolling the virtues of simple love, family and contentment while staying at home and raking in the royalties. It also is a reference to The Rolling Stones, and a symbolic reversal of the aphorism, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." To McLean, the music of the '60s was gathering moss--growing stale. "That's not how it used to be" refers to the early days of Dylan.  Back to Verse  18. The jester is Bob Dylan. The king could refer to Elvis. The Queen is probably the Queen of England, whom Dylan performed for. In the movie "Rebel Without a Cause", James Dean has a red windbreaker that holds symbolic meaning throughout the film. In one particularly intense scene, Dean lends his coat to a guy who is shot and killed; Dean's father arrives, sees the coat on the dead man, thinks it's Dean, and loses it. On the cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", Dylan is wearing just such as red windbreaker, and is posed in a street scene similar to one shown in a well-known picture of James Dean. Bob Dylan played a command performance for the Queen and Prince Consort of England. He was not properly attired, so perhaps this is a reference to his apparel.  Back to Verse  19. A reference to Dylan's style of music, folk music, from the people (you and me).  Back to Verse  20. This could be a reference to Elvis's decline and Dylan's ascendance. (i.e. Presley is looking down from a height as Dylan takes his place.) The thorny crown might be a reference to the price of fame, or another religious metaphor.  Back to Verse  21. This could be the trial of the Chicago Seven. It could also refer to the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, which really had no "verdict," and is still open to speculation. Most likely, it is a reference to the fact that there really is no true "king" of rock 'n' roll during this period. For even though Dylan has grabbed (stolen) the mantle of rock's spokesman, the verdict is still out.  Back to Verse  22. This is a play on words. Literally, John Lennon reading about Karl Marx; figuratively, the introduction of radical politics into the music of the Beatles. Both Lennon and Lenin (Soviet dictator) believed in Marxist philosophy.  Back to Verse  23. Allegorically, this line probably refers to the time when the Beatles were still playing in England and Europe. They were still "practicing" because they had not come to America yet.  Back to Verse  24. A "dirge" is a funeral or mourning song, so perhaps this is meant literally, mourning the death of Holly or his music...or, perhaps, this is a reference to some of the new "art rock" groups which played long pieces not meant for dancing. It's likely just a reference to McLean's unhappiness with the way music was going.  Back to Verse  25. "Helter Skelter" is a Beatles song which appears on the "White Album." Charles Manson, claiming to have been "inspired" by the song led his followers in the Tate-LaBianca murders. The "summer swelter" might be a reference to the "Summer of Love" or perhaps to the "long hot summer" of Watts.  Back to Verse  26. The Byrd's "Eight Miles High" was on their late 1966 release "Fifth Dimension". It was one of the first records to be widely banned because of supposedly drug-oriented lyrics.  Back to Verse  27. One of the Byrds was busted for possession of marijuana.  Back to Verse  28. The football metaphor could be the Rolling Stones, i.e. they were waiting for an opening which really didn't happen until the Beatles broke up. Or it could refer to attempts of other musicians to come into the limelight while Dylan was laid up.  Back to Verse  29. On July 29, 1966, Dylan crashed his Triumph 55 motorcycle while riding near his home in Woodstock, New York. He spent nine months in seclusion while recuperating from the accident.  Back to Verse  30. Drugs, or the hidden messages about drugs in some of the songs of the mid-'60s (half-time in the decade).  Back to Verse  31. A clear reference to Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles 1967 album that changed rock 'n' roll forever. It was the first theme album, the first to put lyrics on the cover, the first to use synthetic sounds. It had no hit singles, another new concept in album production. It had purported hidden messages, mostly drug messages, allegedly, in songs like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (LSD). McLean liked it (sweet perfume).  Back to Verse  32. All the youth got into this album. They didn't get the chance to dance because the Beatles had now pushed rock music away from its dance roots. They used orchestras. They wrote long, slow songs with ponderous rhythms. Or it could also refer to the fact that the Beatles' 1966 Candlestick Park concert lasted only 35 minutes.  Back to Verse  33. No one could compete against the Beatles. Some folks think this refers to either the 1968 Democratic Convention or Kent State. What was "revealed" was the dark underlying messages of rock music: the Marxism that was alluded to in the previous verse, the avocation of drug use, the overly self-obsessed quality of the lyrics.  Back to Verse  34. The "place" was Woodstock.  Back to Verse  35. Perhaps this is a reference to "hippies", who were sometimes known as the "lost generation", partially because of their particularly acute alienation from their parents, and partially because of their presumed preoccupation with drugs. It could also be a reference to the '60s TV show, "Lost in Space," whose title was sometimes used as a synonym for someone who was rather high. Perhaps, their preference for psychedelia had pushed rock and roll so far from Holly's music that it couldn't be retrieved.  Back to Verse  36. Probably a reference to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones; "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was released in May, 1968.  Back to Verse  37. The Stones' Candlestick park concert? Candlestick Park was also the venue for the Beatles' final performance--the end of the rock 'n' roll era.  Back to Verse  38. It's possible that this is a reference to the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil".  Back to Verse  39. While playing a concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1968, the Stones appointed members of the Hell's Angels to work security (on the advice of the Grateful Dead). In the darkness near the front of the stage, a young man named Meredith Hunter was beaten and stabbed to death -- by the Angels. Public outcry that the song "Sympathy for the Devil" had somehow incited the violence caused the Stones to drop the song from their show for the next six years. This incident is chronicled in the documentary film "Gimme Shelter". It's also possible that McLean views the Stones as being negatively inspired (remember, he had an extensive religious background) by virtue of "Sympathy for the Devil", "Their Satanic Majesties' Request" and so on.  Back to Verse  40. This could be a reference to Jimi Hendrix burning his Stratocaster at the Monterey Pop Festival, or simply the bonfires that were lit at the outside concerts. It could be a reference to Jagger dancing and prancing while the murder was happening. Mick Jagger is Satan, the murder provided the sacrifice.  Back to Verse  41. Janis Joplin  Back to Verse  42. Janis died of an accidental heroin overdose on October 4, 1970.  Back to Verse  43. The "sacred store" might be Bill Graham's Fillmore East, one of the great rock and roll venues of all time. Alternatively, this refers to record stores, and their longtime (then discontinued) practice of allowing customers to preview records in the store. It could also refer to record stores as "sacred" because this is where one goes to get "saved". (See above lyric "Can music save your mortal soul?") The music "wouldn't play" means that nobody is interested in hearing Buddy Holly et.al.'s music anymore. Or, as above, the discontinuation of the in-store listening boot
Rolling Stones's "Angie"
Angie was the wife of David Bowie, with whom Mick Jagger was having an affair...well, I think affairs with Bowie AND the wife.
Cher's "Dark Lady"
Another 'somebody done somebody wrong song' featuring a newlywed couple who goes to see a mysterious gypsy fortune teller. When the "dark lady" predicts stormy weather for their marriage, the married woman (Cher) becomes suspicious. She discovers her husband and the gypsy woman in bed together. As soon as the man dumps his wife, she buys a guns and kills both the cheating husband and the gypsy lover. At the end, the murderess carries no remorse.
Jackson Browne's "Rosie"
Another great song about masturbation, it describes the band's sound mixer falling in love with a girl he meets at a concert. But the girl ditches him for the drummer, and the unhappy sound mixer goes home alone. But he still has Rosie (Rosie Palm, that is.)  "But Rosie, you're alright, you wear my ring. When you hold me tight, Rosie that's my thing. When you turn out the light, I got to hand it to me. Looks like it's me and you again tonight, Rosie."
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Appearing simple at the first glance (a song about a boy who kills a man, the emotional pain that he endures as he faces the consequences, following the operatic section where his fate appears to be decided, and finally the rebelliousness against his fate, before resigning himself to it), Bohemian Rhapsody is a painstrucking, emotional (and very likely an autobiographical) song about searching for identity and being misunderstood as an artist or not accepted as a human being with personal, seemingly unconventional views on life - hence the title 'Bohemian' Rhapsody, as the primary meaning of 'bohemian' is 'artist' - both in literal and metaphorical sense. Bohemian Rhapsody sweeps form sweetly harmonised confusion through melodramatic upheavals as fleeing death, horror, persecution, betrayal, to a final acceptance of all doubts and fears, resigned but sorted. Mercury made the song capable of thousands of interpretations and thus universal. Daria Kokozej www.mercury-and-queen.com
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Are you guys smoking something? Hotel California was written with PARTICULAR emphasis with herion and cocaine in mind.... (silver spoon anyone). The fact that your dad thinks that Hotel California is about a love story.....dear god people
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
As Dylan says, the song meaning comes only from how the listener/reader sees it. Personally, I believe it's talking about the higher in society that a person gets, the harder they fall. Also, it's about our general human characteristic of looking down on others who we consider below us, and how quickly we can find ourselves to be just like them.
Steely Dan's's "'Kid Charlemagne'"
As I understand it, the "gas in the car" lyric is related to the "LA on a dare and you go it alone" lyric in the sense that they both refer to car travels outside of San Francisco to sell LSD in LA. On one such occasion, Owsley is rumored to have run out of gas while in pursuit by the law.  Similarly, the "people down the hall know who you are" refers to neighbors who have figured out that their neighbor is the acid kingpin publicly known as Kid Chalemagne. I won't ruin it for you as the rest of the puzzle should fall into place nicely now.
Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
As a DEVOTED Simon and Garfunkel fan I must right your wrong and tell you what the REAL meaning behind the "silvergirl" lyric is! I've seen countless interviews w/Paul Simon and he explains it as follows: "My girlfriend at the time was particularly saddened upon finding a few grey hairs in her brush, lamenting that she was getting older. I wrote that lyric as a tribute and inside joke to her. I don't know how the heroin connection rumor got started. The song is basically about friendship." Also, Mother and Child Reunion-the title was taken from a dish Paul Simon had in chinese restaraunt of chicken and eggs (Mother and Child Reunion.) And the song of "I can't for the life of me remember a sadder day." was inspired by the death of his dog.
Abba's "Dancing Queen"
As a little sister of a HUGE Abba Fan & a Swede herself, I have to add that Abba's "Dancing Queen" was also performed by Abba to the King of Sweden and his new bride, Queen Sylvia. I believe it was played at their wedding reception, but I'm not 100% certain; but anyway I think the song has a double meaning - for the groovy 70s chick, and also for the royal couple.
John Lennon's "Imagine"
As a person with a PhD in music history I just wanted to point out that I really enjoyed the communist idea in the lyrics.  If you think the song is simply approaching the idea of imagination than you are only generating obvious and simple observations but approaching through an interpretation such as communism reveals a great deal of discussion as well as in depth knowledge of the cultural and political issues arising in the time period!
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
As the title cut from the album, "Wish You Were Here" sets the tone for the entire album. As tensions were running high between members Roger Watters and David Gilmour, both members felt the entire album was missing something. This fact is illustrated by the various album covers, each which left out one the elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Because of all the in-fighting, Watters has been known to remark that the name of both the song and album could have been "Wish We Were Here". So, what is the missing element depicted in the song? Many say the missing ingredient is the actual founder of Pink Floyd Syd Barrett. The point is made even clearer on others cuts off the album such as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", parts one and two.
Jimi Hendrix Experience's "The Wind Cries Mary"
At the time Jimi wrote the song he had had a huge fight with his girlfriend. When it says "Somewhere a queen is weeping, somehwere a king has no wife." he means his girlfriend is crying and he is loveless. Also, he talkes about clownes and jack-in- the boxes that have gone away, which means there is no more happiness.
The Eagles's "Doolin Dalton"
Bill Dalton was a train robber in the 1880's Along with his gang of brothers; Bill, Bob, and Emmett. When the song quotes "Two brothers lying dead in coffeeville" its talking about the time in 1884 when the dalton gang robbed the condon bank in their hometown of coffyville and the law men were waiting for them as they walked out. Bob, and Emmit Dalton were killed, but Bill escaped to later on join the doolin gang hjints Doolin' Dalton.
Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"
Billie Jean is a very disputed song. The true meaning of the lyrics are best told by Jackson himself, from an interview for VH1 a while back. The question was, "Does the real Billie Jean know about the song and if she did what was her reaction?" and Jackson replied, "There is a girl named Billie Jean, but it's not about that Billie Jean. Billie Jean is kinda anonymous. It represents a lot of girls who used to - they used to call them groupies in the '60s - they would hang around backstage doors and any band that would come to town they would have a relationship with. And I think I wrote this out of experience with my brothers when I was little. There were a lot of Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claimed that their son was related to my brothers."
Kiss's "Black Diamond"
Black diamond was actually written by Paul Stanley,the lead singer. It was inspired by The Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar, which is a song about and african american prostitute. so Paul stanley wanted to write his own version. ps. Angus young was not a member of kiss, he is the AC/DC's lead guitarrist, "jailbreak" is also a acdc album, and a Thin Lizzy's as well.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Bohemian Rhapsody is about a boy (most likely a teenager) who shoots a man in the head. The boy is sentenced to death. While he's on death row, he wishes that he was never born. He begs his mother to try and get him out ("Mama mia mama mia let me go"). There's also apparently other people who want him released as well, but there are others who want him dead ("Let him go, Don't let him go, Let him go, Don't let him go"). The word "Bismillah" appears before the aforementioned lines. In fact, it appears a few more times shortly after that. Bismillah is used in Islamic prayer. Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim means "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful". Bismillah appears at the beginning of every chapter of the Holy Qur'an (excluding the ninth chapter). This would all suggest that religion has something to do with the decision to let the boy live or not. On that same subject, the boy feels that he's going to Hell when he dies ("Beezlebub has a devil put aside for me") Eventually, it appears that the boy is to be executed anyway. He feels his mother has betrayed him by not getting him out ("So you think you can love me and leave me to die?") In the end, the boy feels that it doesn't matter anymore. He has apparently excepted his coming death.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Bohemian Rhapsody is an extremely well written, and beautifully composed song which is NOT about AIDS for two reasons: number one- because as someone already stated BoRhap was released in '75 and AIDS didn't gain it's notorioty until '81 and number two- Freddie, if he had contracted the disease prior, or during the develpoment of this song, would most likely not have known about the disease. and the biggest point i want to make is the fact that Freddie (RIP) specifically told virtually anyone who asked that the song had no "hidden meaning" or "underlying message" or "story behind it". so honestly, anyone can say it's about whatever they want, but the real truth is that no one in this world knows or ever will know if it does in fact have a "hidden meaning". if anything, we should just simply take Freddie's word and stop trying to "interpret" it and just enjoy it. that's what it's there for, enjoyment.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Bohemian Rhapsody was written, recorded, and released in the mid 70s, well before AIDS spread beyond Africa so it's not about anybody infecting somebody. I've read that Freddy Mercury simply wanted to write an operatic rock song, and that a lot of the references (such as Visballah, or however it's spelled) are just allusions to literature.
Van Morrison's "Brown-eyed Girl"
Brown-eyed girl was orginally titled Brown-skinned Girl.  V.M. had to change it due to institutional racism.
Don McLean's "American Pie"
Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, The Byrds, The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.... that's all you need to know.  Funny that a song that celebrates the music of the 50s and pretty much disses the 60s and 70s makes so many "best of the seventies" lists.
America's "Horse With No Name"
C'mon guys, the song doesn't even begin to describe doing heroin. Sometimes it's just better if you take the song at face value. Listen to the music, and the lyrics and if that doesn't describe a very human reaction to austerity that both the desert and the ocean represent to the human psyche, then what is it?
Eagles's "Hotel California"
The California Rehabilitation Colony (CRC) in Norco originally was a luxury hotel that was converted to a military base in WWII. After the war it was acquired as California's narcotics rehabilitation prison.  Addicts can check in voluntarily, but discharge is determined by their progress. Blind spots  are monitored by mirrors on the ceilings. The guard captain prevents prison-brewed wine 'pruno' from being used. Many, many other parallels in the lyrics.
Billy Joel's "Captain Jack"
Captain jack was slang for heroin.  "just a little PUSH and you'll be smiling" its obvious
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" has been one of the most mysterious songs of the 70's.  To date, Carly has never revealed the identity of the vainee. The names that have been tossed around are, Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, Kris Kristofferson and of coarse former husband James Taylor.  In a 1973 interview with "Rolling Stone", Simon said the song was definitely not about James Taylor.  Carly has always voided the idea that "You're So Vain" was written about a specific person.  Carly said that she had about three or four people in mind, and specifically thought about a couple of people when she wrote it, but the examples of what they did was a fantasy trip.  Will we ever know who "You're So Vain" was writtn about?
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Claim:   The lyrics of "Fire and Rain" chronicle James Taylor's reaction to the death of his girlfriend in a plane crash.  Status:   False.   Example:   [Collected on the Internet, 2000]    The real story behind 'Fire and Rain,' as I understand it, is that some friends of James were going to surprise James by bringing his girlfriend, Suzanne, to one of his concerts -- unbeknownst to James. According to the story, Suzanne's plane crashed ('sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground') on her way to see the concert and Suzanne dies ('Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you').      Origins:   Gentle, plaintive, and compelling, "Fire and Rain" was the hit that launched the career of James Taylor, one of the 1970's premier singer-songwriters. The song's mournful lyrics of loss and redemption were enigmatic, and many listeners tried to make sense of the words by reading literal meaning into them.    Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone.  Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you.  I walked out this mornin', and I wrote down this song;  I just can't remember who to send it to.        I've seen fire, and I've seen rain.        I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.        I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,        But I always thought that I'd see you again.   Won't you look down upon me Jesus?      You gotta help me make a stand.  You just got to see me through another day.  My body's achin', and my time is at hand.  I won't make it any other way.         [repeat chorus]   Been walkin' my mind to an easy time,  My back turned towards the sun.  Lord knows when the cold wind blows,  it'll turn your head around.   Well there's hours of time on the telephone line  to talk about things to come:  Sweet dreams and flying machines  in pieces on the ground.         [repeat chorus]       Taylor's audience collectively developed an autobiographical story line for his "Fire and Rain" lyrics: Suzanne, the girl who was now "gone," had been Taylor's girlfriend. They were frequently separated as he  travelled on tour, but they kept in close touch, spending "hours of time on the telephone line" and talking about the good "things to come" when Taylor finally established himself as a musician. Seeing how disconsolate Taylor was at being away from his love, his friends arranged for Suzanne to fly out to meet him at his next tour stop. Suzanne joyfully accepted, but the flight carrying her to a reunion with her beloved crashed, and she was killed. Both the "flying machine" and Taylor's "sweet dreams" were now "in pieces on the ground," and he had lost the woman he "always thought" he'd "see again."   Although James Taylor's song is indeed autobiographical, it doesn't match the heart-wrenching story line of popular legend. By the time "Fire and Rain" established Taylor as an international pop star at the tender age of twenty-two, he'd experienced plenty of psychological and physical pain upon which he could draw in crafting his lyrics. He already had a long history of depression and substance abuse for which he'd been hospitalized twice (his first hospital experience was the basis of the song 'Knockin' Around the Zoo' on his Apple debut album), and he'd also spent several months recuperating from a near-fatal motorcycle accident. All of this was fodder for his songwriting, as he explained in a 1972 interview with Rolling Stone:    "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it . . . And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs which lasted about five months.      Taylor hasn't spoken publicly about the identity of or the nature of his relationship with the 'Suzanne' referred to in the first verse of the song. In his recent James Taylor biography, Ian Halperin writes:    Privately, however, Taylor has admitted to friends that Suzanne was a girl he met when he was in the Austin Riggs mental hospital. They became close friends because they shared many interests and goals . . . He was deeply saddened when he found out Suzanne committed suicide several months after he left the hospital. At first, Taylor didn't find out about Suzanne's death for several weeks, because his friends were afraid that that if they told him he might do a lot of drugs or something drastic to escape the reality of his friend's death. So they waited until he was finished recording before to break the news to him.      Even if Taylor's friends are right about how Taylor met 'Suzanne,' they're still wrong about when he met her. Taylor entered Austin Riggs psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a few months after his October 1968 return to the United States from England, where he had recorded his debut album for the Beatles' Apple lable. Yet the liner notes from the CD re-issue of that album indicate that among the unreleased tracks recorded by Taylor was an early version of "Fire and Rain," which means the song clearly antedates his stay at Austin Riggs. If 'Suzanne' was an acquaintance from one of Taylor's hospital stays, it had to have been from his 1965 stay at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, when he was seventeen.   The mention of the "flying machines in pieces on the ground" is not about an airplane crash; it's an allusion to a group called The Flying Machine that Taylor had formed with his friend Danny Kortchmar. The group disbanded in 1967 when Taylor's drug problems led him to leave New York and return to his parents' home in North Carolina.   Last updated:   17 December 2000     The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm Please use this URL in all links or references to this page  Click here to e-mail this page to a friend  Urban Legends Reference Pages ? 1995-2000 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Sources:      Halperin, Ian.   Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story.      New York: Citadel Press, 2000.   ISBN 1-55972-533-8   (pp. 93-97).       Werbin, Stuart.   "The Rolling Stone Interview: James Taylor and Carly Simon."      Rolling Stone.   4 January 1973.    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil Collins 's "In the Air Tonight"
Collins saw a man drowning yet was too far away to do anything, but the man closest, could have saved but didn't do anything. Phil was outraged at the fact the man was not even making an attemp to help his friend who was struggling.   "I was there and I saw what you did  saw it with my own two eyes"
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
"Comfortably Numb" tells a part of the story of Pink, the album's protagonist. Pink, feeling completely isolated from society, cannot stand the pressures of life as a rock star and collapses in his hotel room before leaving for his concert. A doctor is sent into the room and gives Pink an injection that gives him the energy he needs to perform. The lyrics are written as a conversation, with Waters voicing the doctor and Gilmour voicing Pink.
The Undertones's "Teenage Kicks"
Correction to the previous post. The lyric is actually "I wanna hold HER, wanna hold HER tight..". It's not about masturbation, but simply about being a teen and not having the guts to ask a girl out you really wanna be with.
ABBA's "Dancing Queen"
Dancing Queen is about a girl in the disco scene who loves sex and is seeking out men. "You come in to look for a King/Anybody could be that guy." She's out everynight looking for a different man.  She's also spreading something to the men she sleeps with, "You're a teaser, you turn 'em on/Leave them burning and then your gone." The Dancing Queen sleeps with the man, passes on an STD and then leaves.   While it sounds like a pleasant song, and it has an awesome beat...its really about being a slut in the Disco Clubs.
ABBA's "Dancing Queen"
The Dancing Queen is about a girl who absolutely loves disco.  When she goes to a disco club, the music fills her, and she becomes the dancing queen.  Anyone can be her guy, the night is young and the music is high, she's getting in the groove, she's in the mood for dance.  And when she gets the chance, she is the dancing queen, young and sweet only seventeen.  And Stephanie is also seventeen.  Therefore, Stephanie is the Dancing Queen.
Deep Purple's "Child In Time"
Dear People, I am so surprised to see one of the most obvious songs not on this page. In 1972, Deep Purple came up with the beautiful psychedelic ballad named "Child in Time". It refers to a horrific moment, when the singers daughter was shot by some blind lunatic in the street ("See the blind man shooting at the world, bullets flying taking toll.") During this song, his voice covers almost every frequency, and - to be honest - I tried imitating him, and my throat hurt real bad! I think this song was his way to deal with the situation.
Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit"
Definitely about hallucinogenic drugs. The lyrics--go ask Alice, when she's 10 feet tall. They even mention one pill making you larger and one pill making you small. Classic!
Fleetwood Mac's "Sara"
Don Henley has said that he believes this is about an abortion of Stevie Nick's child, whom she named Sara, after he got her pregnant. They dated for about 2 years, and Henley thinks it is a tribute to the unborn child. He claims he was building a house at the time, and the line, "When you build your house, call me home" is a message to him.
Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls"
Fat Bottomed Girls, written by Brian May, was, as the author himself put it, a way to have fun with writing, and pull away from his serious side.  It was just meant to be a silly song.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Fire and Rain has nothing to do with someone dieing in a plane crash. It's about herion and depression.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Fire and Rain was accually not about a plane crash in which his girlfriend died in, its not even about a plane crash. When he was in the mental hospital he met a girl named Susan and they began dating. He was later released from the hospital suddenly and did not get a chance to say goodbye to her and she assumed that he had deserted her and killed herself. Thats what the line "Susan the plans they made put an end to you"means, the plans of letting him out but not letting her know where he was. His friends did not want to upset him while on tour so they opted not to tell him until he was done touring for the year, thus "Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone" The part of the the song about the "plane crash" is accually about his former band that failed. It was called FLying machine
Coven's "One Tin Soldier"
First I would like to describe the only irony I see in this song. Coven since the 1600's (look up coven on wikipedia)has described a sect of witches that meet (usually 13 witches). The word eventualy gave rise to the english word "convene" which means to gather. However since this song was written in the 70's, the modern translation of the word "coven" is directly related to witch craft and wicca. When I read the lyrics to this song I see a battle between good and evil. Let me begin:  "The Mountain" - The last line of this song states the phrase "peace on earth", which is most well known as the song the angels sung to herald Christ's birth. I believe the mountain could most likely represent heaven, or more likely, Christians, (of the true kind) since the song also spoke about the "people of the mountain". (people is the active word)  "The Valley Folk" - I believe the valley folk could be the general population of the world, enticed by thoughts and rumors of treasure, mankind would do anything to have this useless yet primarilly rich element. The valley people represents mankind and the demons that surround them.  "The Treasure" - "Peace on earth" was the treasure in this song, and peace can only be accomplised by loving one another. Only when you care for eachother as if you cared for yourself would this world be a peaceful place, which is why I say if anyone alive is waiting to see a peaceful earth, you may as well kill yourself, or realize the truth about life.  Now I will narrate the song in a scence.  The valley people heard a rumor about tons of treasure that the mountain people were "hoarding" for themselves, and because of their jealousy they decided to ask for the treasure to be given to them under penalty of death. The mountain people replied to them, "With our brothers we will share all the secrets of our mountain and all the riches buried there." But the valley people were stupid (like God said the men of the earth would be) and did not understand the meaning of the letter. (The valley folk were their brothers, if they chose to be) The valley people armed themselves and whent up the mountain to slay the people living there (those who live in God's glory are the mountain dwellers) when they found the rock that rumored to house the tons of gold that would make them rich, they found nothing, except a small inscription that read "peace on earth" The greedy valley people had destroyed the treasure before they even got to see it. The treasure was the peace that the valley people enjoyed with the mountain people and the mountain peoples brothers were indeed the valley people.   The chorus of the song seems to explain the mentality of the valley people which directly reflects on the greater majority of man. hate your neighbor, cheat a friend, that you can justify all these thigs in the end. It seems that the valley people, like most of mankind, just doesnt beleive a judgment day will ever come, and that their actions will hold for them no consequence at all. Judgement day will be a terrifying day indeed for most men, as the bible says, "there will be much *gnashing of teeth*"  For those still wondering, the truth about life is that we arent flukes of science, and that we were most definitly created to operate the way we do (if you cant understand that, we have a problem email me at batousai1787@hotmail.com)the purpose, and meaning of life is to endure the stupor of the world while seeking the glory of God. its not hard to understand, but it is very hard to successfully do. people are lazy, and that is why we do not have peace on earth today, because very few people are willing to put the effort into love, forgiveness and Christ.   If you read all of this, you have too much time on your hands for one, and two, go buy yourself a Bible, and start reading.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Freddie Mercury wrote this song just to make an operatic song.  He simply plucked out some notes on the piano, wrote them down, wrote some words to it, and added the operas.  In truth, it was expected to be a great failure.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
From http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm:  [James Taylor] explained in a 1972 interview with Rolling Stone:   "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it . . . And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs which lasted about five months.  Taylor hasn't spoken publicly about the identity of or the nature of his relationship with the 'Suzanne' referred to in the first verse of the song. In his recent James Taylor biography, Ian Halperin writes:   Privately, however, Taylor has admitted to friends that Suzanne was a girl he met when he was in the Austin Riggs mental hospital. They became close friends because they shared many interests and goals . . . He was deeply saddened when he found out Suzanne committed suicide several months after he left the hospital. At first, Taylor didn't find out about Suzanne's death for several weeks, because his friends were afraid that that if they told him he might do a lot of drugs or something drastic to escape the reality of his friend's death. So they waited until he was finished recording before to break the news to him.   Even if Taylor's friends are right about how Taylor met 'Suzanne,' they're still wrong about when he met her. Taylor entered Austin Riggs psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a few months after his October 1968 return to the United States from England, where he had recorded his debut album for the Beatles' Apple label. Yet the liner notes from the CD re-issue of that album indicate that among the unreleased tracks recorded by Taylor was an early version of "Fire and Rain," which means the song clearly antedates his stay at Austin Riggs. If 'Suzanne' was an acquaintance from one of Taylor's hospital stays, it had to have been from his 1965 stay at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, when he was seventeen.   The mention of the "flying machines in pieces on the ground" is not about an airplane crash; it's an allusion to a group called The Flying Machine that Taylor had formed with his friend Danny Kortchmar. The group disbanded in 1967 when Taylor's drug problems led him to leave New York and return to his parents' home in North Carolina
Madtown Boyz's "The Gator Chomp"
The Gator Chomp is about a young boy who can not stop this crazy girl from calling him. So he has to do drugs to ease the pain that the girl inflicts upon him!
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Guys this song is about getting high and deaqling with withdrawals...plain and simple
Billy Joel's "Captain Jack"
Hate to burst the drug bubbles...or at least in the context of the song. Billy grew up on Long Island (NY). There used to be a "fishing" rowboat rental place (Capt. Jacks) on the south shore and little islands to row out and party till morning...these were days.
Queen's "'39"
Here's one I didn't see discussed: '39 by Queen. Rich with musical complexity, it is an acoustic folk-rock song about a group of space travelers who take a voyage to explore and perhaps colonize a new world and, due to time dilation, find a more aged Earth upon their return. It was written and sung by Brian May, who received a degree in physics and was working on an advanced degree in astronomy at the time he composed the song. The volunteers leave in a starship in one year of '39 and return from the blue (sky) in another year of '39 ... the kicker being that it is a century (or more?) later! This is significant for the protagonist, who arrives home to a world which is some multiple of 100 years older, but because of the slowing of time for a traveler at near-light speeds, he has only aged one year, as though it is for him still perhaps the original year of '39 ("oh so many years have gone though I'm older but a year"). His loved ones have passed away, causing his heart and the hearts of the other volunteers to "so heavily weigh ... for the Earth is old and grey," but he can see the resemblance of a woman (surely a love from the world of so long ago - perhaps his wife) in the eyes of her younger relative. In this light, the line "your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me" is quite poignant. He comes home to find his love long dead but imagines her calling to him as he looks into the eyes of her descendant, and the love this rekindles in him can no longer be. We are asked to pity him for his life that is still ahead.
Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black"
His girlfriend/wife/lover dies and he is watching the funeral from afar, because in his grief, he cannot attend it.  he wants to see the entire world painted black and in the end contemplates suicide.  cheerful song for the masses.  :-)
Gennesis's "Home By The Sea"
Home By The Sea is a huanting piece of music with lyrics that take on the view of someone that has died and is stuck in this house. The house seems to hold many that have passed on. They are able to move around, touch things, even pick them up, but something doesn't feel quite right. Always loved the images that come to mind when I hear these lyrics.  "Help me someone, let me out of here then out of the dark we suddenly heard welcome to the Home by the Sea" "shadows with no substance, in the shape of men round and down and sideways they go"
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
The Hotel California = The Beverly Hills Hotel.  Eg: John Belushi OD'd while staying at a BHH bungalo. Janis Joplin OD'd after leaving the BHH. The names of the nearly and/or dearly departed go on..ad infinitum. Check in..no check out.   Alotta rockers rock-ed. On gurney wheels they roll-ed.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
The Hotel California is a drug fee community where hopeless drug addicts would check in indefinitely. You Can check in but never leave. The beast within is the addiction. Some would dance to remember what it was like to be on the outside well other would dance to forget. We haven't had wine here since this place became a drug & alcohol free community in 1969. Would it be heaven or hell to have to live like this?
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Hotel California is about the old Camarillo State Hospital.  It's where all the old time jazzers and silent screen folk would go to dry out or kick heroin.  Charlie Parker also has a famous song about it.  Technically, you COULD never leave, as it was a mental hospital/rehab facility.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
Hotel California is purgatory and the song is about the goings on there. "you can check in but can never leave". The recent Soprano's episode has the song playing in the background when Tony is in a coma and stuck in purgatory.
FLEETWOOD MAC's "Rhiannon"
I READ A LETTER BY STEVIE NICKS, SHE SAID RHIANNON WAS A TERMINALLY ILL LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD TOUCHED HER HEART BEING SO BRAVE FACING HER DESTINY.  THIS LETTER WAS POSTED AT THE N.Y.N.Y. HARD ROCK WHEN HER SIGNATURE SHIRT WAS BEING SOLD.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
I always think this song is about the experiance of being sunk in the very deepest miasma of depression.Also referring to others descriptions: "Pink" is not a character, nor is it JUST the name of their band. They ferived their name frome too jazz greats, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Basically the whole song is about a man receeding further into himself as he gets more and more depressed. It is not about an illness, as it says in the chorus: There is no pain, you are receeding. The person mentioned in the song is alienated from everyone (is there anybody home, a distant ship's smoke on the horizon, only coming through in waves etc), including himself (this is not how i am, i have become comfortably numb)..... Im pretty sure what the song's about, its either about being depressed, or some depressed guy.girl has taken painkillers or sleeping pill to numb him/herself from the pain and the world outside.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
I always thought this song was about vietnam veterans and how they seemed distant and "somewhere else" when they returned from war.  After witnessing a war such as vietnam, perception is changed and that's where the lyric "do you think you can tell.." and "cold comfort for change" ect comes from.  Also, the "wish you were here" implied that the vetran was physically there, but not mentally or emotionally.  "two lost souls" and "the same old fears" also imply the emptiness within the retired soldier ect. What do ya think?
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
I believe I've read that each stanza in "Fire and Rain" is about a different topic. The woman he sings of was indeed with him at McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, MA, and she killed herself. The reference to "flying machines in pieces on the ground" is a reference to his original band--they were known as "James Tayor and the Original Flying Machine." But the the band and the dreams of success that went with it broke apart, "in pieces on the ground."
Bread's "Everything I Own"
I believe many people like myself thought this song was boyfriend-girlfriend love song.  It wasn't until years later that I read that David Gates wrote and recorded this song in memory of his father.  Listening to the words of this song give it a whole new meaning when you put yourself in David Gate's place and think of your loved ones that have passed on.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
I believe that the song Fire and Rain is about his significant other whose name is Susanne, who died in a plane crash, and James Taylor wrote down how he is suffering from his loss and is looking for guidance.  James Taylor is one of the best musicians to bless the earth.
Don McLean's "American Pie"
I believe this old song is describing a "Dark Age" for the United States. The day the music died means the day John F. Kennedy was shot and "I can’t remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride, But something touched me deep inside The day the music died" is Jacky Kennedy. Also the verse where he talks about the Jester and the King represents the US defeat in Vietnam and the courtroom is the United Nations. "Oh, and while the king was looking down, The jester stole his thorny crown. The courtroom was adjourned; No verdict was returned". "And while Lenin read a book of Marx (communist manifesto), The quartet practiced in the park, And we sang dirges in the dark. the day the music died." This is showing the communist influence in Vietnam and pretty much all over the world. Also one last thing when he says the good old boys are saying this is the day that I die, is representing the young GI soldiers drafted into Vietnam
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
I don't know which idiot wrote the comment about Like A Rolling Stone, but he/she should keep their comments to things they understand.  The song is about the changing of America through the troubled times of the 60's and 70's.  It's about the loss of innocence and the fall from grace that accompanied Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement.  About BD's generation waking up and smelling the coffee..... a little to late.
Simon And Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
I don't know why it was so difficult to understand the song. I have no idea how the drugs got in there, but it is more of friendship. S&G are trying to say to their friend I will be your bridge over trouble water. The point is that you can't cross a very rapid water without a bridge.    " When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all; I'm on your side. When times get rough And friends just can't be found, Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down."  He's saying I'm there for you when you need me. I'll be your bridge over trouble water.
Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London"
I dont' find much meaning in it.  I just think it is a great karaoke song for howling.  You could argue that it is about stylish werewolves stalking and dancing around London.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
I doubt the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody were written with AIDS in mind. Bohemian Rhapsody was written at least 6 years before any type of AIDS related deaths occured. The Queen album "A Night at the Opera" (in which Bohemian Rhapsody appeared) was released in 1975, while AIDS was first recognized in 1981.
Simon and Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
I enjoyed the other people's interpretation of the lyrics, including Paul Simon's, but the beauty of poetry is that we can all have our personal interpretation, even if it differs from the author's.  I feel that the softly sung early verses seem to be that of a father speaking to his baby / daughter, showing that no matter what trials and tribulations she will go through, he will always be there for her. Sail on Silvergirl, which seems to be sung with more vigour, gives me the impression that he is sadly, yet gladly, releasing her to the world ( college, independence, etc.) for her to achieve her independence; yet no matter what happens, he will no longer control her directtly, but always be there for her. (I will ease your mind)
Hot Chocolate's "Everyone's A Winner"
I feel most people think that this song is about each and every person being special and unique in their own way, particularly the way he's singing about his lover in the song.  I think he's singing about every orgasm that he gets and how his lover satisfies him each time they have an intimate encounter. "Every one's a winner baby, that's the truth. (that's the truth) "Makin' love to you is such a thrill."  "Every one's a winner baby, that's no lie" (that's no lie) "you Never fail to satisfy" (satisfyyyyy)
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
I feel this song is about a drug overdose death.  First he sees the light,"Up ahead in the distance, I saw shimmering light" "Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way" He sees the devil. "in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast"  His life flashes before him, he ultimately winds up in Hell. 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device' "You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave!'
Don McLean's "American Pie"
I had a professor who saw Don McLean in concert in the late 70s.  According to my professor, McLean made the following comment.  "A lot of people have asked me what this next song is all about, what it means.  It means I don't have to work anymore."  He then started singing American Pie.  As DH Lawrence said, "Never trust the teller; trust the tale.”
Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight"
I had heard the popular explanation about the friend drowning and Phil tracking the non-helpful witness years later and seating him front and center at the concert.  Later, I heard the more plausible explanation that it was Phil's bitter ode to his ex-wife.
Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water"
I hate to destroy the power of this song, but the line "Like a bridge over troubled water/ I will lay me down" and the subject matter for the first two choruses are taken from a poster that Simon saw where a black couple were standing together and the man said to the girl "like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down". He built the rest of the song on this premise. So it is not spiritual in the least and was going to be even more boring. Paul wanted just himself and a piano to perform it, but Garfunkel protested and made him throw in the extra lines and add his voice and the orchestra.
James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"
I hate to tell you this (no I don`t - if I did I wouldn`t!) but you`ve slightly missed the point:  Fire and Rain was written while James Taylor was undergoing treatment for his own addiction but it`s really about how he heard that an old girlfriend of his (Suzanne) had died as a result of her addiction - hence the refrain 'I`ve seen fire and I`ve seen rain..... but I always thought I`d see you again.' !  I actually found this site `cos I`ve intended for years to find out a bit  more about the 'Funky Claude' in Deep Purple`s Smoke on the Water - thanks for the extra info, I`m off to websites about the Montreaux Jazz Festival to see what else I can find.......
Simon And Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson"
I have always heard that this song is aout a teacher who has a realtionship with on e of her students, and even though she has sinned, heaven still holds a place for her.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
I have heard a hundred different things that people think this song is about. It doesn't really matter who wrote it or what it was written for because niether of those effect the meaning of the song very much. The inspiration effects the meaning. And the inspiration for this song was some type of opiate. Whether it was morphine or heroin, I don't know but it was some kind of injected opiate. Try some one day and listen to this song, it will be hard to disagree. This song is entirely too "fitting" with that feeling to be about anything else. Or just look at some of the lyrics: I can ease your pain, there is no pain you are receding, ...two ballons now I've got that feeling once again (the strange bodily feeling, not a happy childhood memory), just a little pin prick, you may feel a little sick, and the major one... I have become comfortably numb. I really want to say its more about morphine than heroin because of "we need some information first, just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts" doctors don't give out heroin. Some of the lyrics show that the writer feels confused: you are only coming through in waves, your lips move but I cant hear what youre saying, when I was a child....I cannot put my finger on it now. Morphine/Heroin will make you confused. Of course if a person hasn't experienced the feeling of this drug firsthand they might think this song is about something else and I dont recommend anyone go out and shoot up so just trust me. It's definitely not about racism.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
I have read the other entries made about this song and i understand that it is easy to percieve it as talking about war,drugs and people dying as i used to think that myself but trust me,i've read a lot of stuff by Water's on this song, and it is not. Yes, there are refrences to Syd Barrett in there and yes the whole album is about people being vague and not there mentally and phisically(mainly due to the affect that the music industry has had on them)but the main theme running through the song is a schizophrenic one written by Waters about himself. If you break the song down every sentance has a positive claim exchanged for a negative claim.I.E Heaven,blue skies,green field,smile,hero's,trees,cool breeze,change,walk on part in the war. - The negative side reads hell,pain,cold steel rail,a veil,ghosts,hot ashes,hot air,cold comfort,lead role in a cage.(This is why it is a schizophrenic song). The whole song has a metaphor meaning, it is one side of Waters character crying out to the other side. One side of his personality has a selfish,uncaring and thoughtless persona where as the other has a caring,generous and giving side (Waters explains in many books that this is how the music industry had made him feel at the time) In the line 'did THEY get you to trade', the THEY he is referring too is the music industry. The've made him trade all his good points for his bad points. As the chorus enters we see that it is his bad side singing to his good side 'how i wish ,how i wish you were here.' The lines 'we're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year is both his persona swimming around in his body. Then the lines are followed by 'running over the same old ground,what have we found,the same old fears,wish you were here' This is waters stating that he wishes his good side would always prevail over his bad side but over the years this has not been the case thus finishing off the whole song 'wish you were here'. Very deep stuff I know but it's accurate. Anyone that is really intersted in the Floyd's music and lyrics should read - Which one's Pink by Phil Rose, The Pink Floyd encyclopedia by Vernon Fitch and Echoes the stories behind every Pink Floyd song by Cliff Jones. They make great reading for the Floyd fanatic. Sorry to dissapoint anyone's theory as i was pretty  dissapointed myself when i first read about it, i used to think it was a cry for his father ( Eric Fletcher Waters ) who died on the beaches at Anzio in World War 2.
Simon and Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson"
I heard it was about a retired teacher who had an affair with her student. She is now being put in an institution for drug dealing, retired, mentally insane tramps. Thats what my dad said.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
I heard somewhere that this song was about a gambling addiction. But I think it's really how you percive the song and what you think you think it means. If we keep on over analising these legendary songs we really end up missing the point altogether. They are meant to be enjoyed and that's what i am going to keep on doing no matter what other people try to tell me what they think. The only people that will ever know the truth are the song writers. and sometimes they might not even be clear on it.
Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl"
I heard that Van Morrison titled this song about a black woman he was inspired by and the song was originally titled Brown-Skinned Girl but the radio would not play it and he was convinced to change the name. I am not sure if this is true but I have heard this from several sources. Can you add any thoughts to this?
Simon and Garfunkel's "Blessed"
I know that many of these songs including this one was written about the Vietnam war and all the insidents revolving around them. I believe that this one is probably about how the US was being to aggressive and will basically rot in hell because we were not meek at all....just dictatorship wise.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
I love this song!  No matter what its meaning, I think you could & obviously have given it many meanings & isn't that what song writing is all about?  Unless you actually wrote it - how can you guess.  When I was in Puerto Vallarta, I was told Hotel California was written about the  Hotel that used to be there at the time that the Eagles were staying there. (which when I was there, the said hotel was dwindling down to rubble).  I was also told Tequila Sunrise was written there, too.  From what the "locals" were telling all of us North Americans at the "round table", was that the meaning behind the song Hotel California was exactly what became of the hotel, each floor harbouring it's own addictions & the people who had whatever addiction of choice always seemed to be drawn to those specific floors, be it opium, cocaine, heroin, alcohol, etc & never really being able to leave, but that's pretty much the effect Mexico has on people - who wants to leave?  (as it's said before...addiction never leaves) The nurse would come everyday to help those in overdoses, or whatever.  Made for an entertaining story night - but hey, it was Mexico.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
I read an interview by either Waters or Gilmour that this song is actually about the writer of the song's father, who died as a bomber crewman in WW2 leaving the future Pink Floyd member to grow up fatherless in postwar England. This WW2 loss is a very personal and reocurring theme that also influenced several other songs by the same writer.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
I read some time ago in an interview with one of the Eagles that this song was written about their record label, who they felt was holding them hostage in the slavery of a terrible contract.  All those lyrics about "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" and "they stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" are references to the greedy record execs and the contract they couldn't get away from.  The Hotel California itself I guess was representative of the entire music industry, where artists are lured by the promise of fame and riches, but then they are snared by legal contracts, so that they can never get away.  They were "all just prisoners here... of their own device" because they themselves actually DID sign the contracts after all. I don't think the song is about Satanists.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
I read two different descriptions of it. I heard somewhere it was written about Vietnam war with Fire and Rain referring to the the weather and explosives that are seen during war. It made sense to me.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
I really think this is just a compiliation of things that make sense, and things that dont. The things that dont probably came to them when they were completley drugged up, and as for the other things, some of the things mentioned above sound pretty accurate. Remember, some of the best songs from Rock and Roll came from drug-induced minds.
S&G's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
I remember hearing a paul simon interview back in the 70 when he said the line "sail on silver girl" was about an ex-girlfiend.
America's "Horse With No Name"
I saw an interview with one of the gys in America (I don't even know their names actually but it was a primary memeber - guitar player or lead singer) where he says that Horse With No Name is in fact not about drugs at all. He said something like: "It's really just a very simple song about the desert. All these people came up with interpretations that its about drugs and so on, but it isn't." I don't claim that's a 100% word for word accurate quote but that's roughly what he said. Hopefully that settles the debate here - sorry to all you drug interpretation proponents.
Don McLean's "American Pie "
I say the Jester is Buddy Holly, not Dylan.  "The Coat he borrowed from James Dean" refers to Holly's rebel, rockabilly image.  Doesn't work for Dylan.
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
I think It's about a young college girl who was rich but she spent all her money on drugs and cigarettes and became poor.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
I think it is about drug addiction,heroin/coke.The girl with the benz,is the attraction to the high life.As she lite up a candle and she showed me the way,meaning mealting the dope down.Preparing for the feast stealy knives (syringes) but they just cant kill the beast.(addiction)
The Undertones's "Teenage Kicks"
I think it's all too eays to right off this song by saying it's just about masturbation. Not only is it fantastic in that it got a chart position with a song about self-abuse, but it also addresses an issue too often skirted over in songs and popular culture - too often in reality there are people who are 'untouchable' and fantasies are the only ways we can come close to them.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
I think that everyone who is trying to pin down what this song really means is COMPLETELY missing the main point of this song. To understand the meaning of something, you have to first relate back to who made it (in this case, the writers). Considering the amount of metaphore that is used in this song, the writers did not ever clearly state what they were refering to (wheather it's a whore house, drug addiction, satan, death, gambling, etc...), but as confusing and puzzling as this sounds, it's what makes this song so amazing. The riddle of not knowing exactly what the song is refering to gives the listener the experience to relate this song to their own experiences. This makes the song, and experience a much better one, and gives it a lot of value
Blue Oyster Cult's "I Love The Night"
I think that you are missing the boat with your interpretaion of "I love the night". It's pretty much a wacky "romantic poetry" vampire song that humerously melds corny vampire stories with a quasi-subtle love song. Th elements are all there. The lady in white(pale, wrapped in a grave shroud) comes to him while he is alone and he can't look away(mesemerism). She loves the night(sun kills vampires...but the moon often stillshows when the sun is still up.) She offers to share and show something with him if he will only "welcome her."(enter freely and of your own will: Dracula to Harker.) He mentions "wonder" that "no mortal was meant to know". (the enthrallement and ecstasy associated with having vampires suck your blood ever since stories like Dracula and Camilla were written). Afterwards he learns what has become of him with "one look in the mirror". In other words he is no longer a mortal having known the previously mentioned wonder.   He tells the woman that he is leaving that he is a creature of the night now and plans to go off with the vampiress who changed, possibly in a cryptic way so as to not scare her.
Simon And Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson"
I think this song is about Mrs. Robinson being in an intervention (if you have ever seen the A & E show you know what I'm talking about). The Koo koo ca Choos being a sudden blitz of drugs into her system she can't control so she fades out from the intervention. Joe DiMaggio being a random childhood memory brought on by being around her family and wondering where he is. This person is obviously messed up in some respect.
Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair"
I think this song is about a soldier going off to war, and the one voice (Simon's)is nostalgic, and the other voice (Garfunkel's)is the chilling reality.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
I think this song is all about love. There are so many metaphors in this song that seem to resemble it.  And I was thinking to myself, 'this could be heaven or this could be hell' --> This is referring to someone that has never fallen in love before. They are in love with the idea of falling in love, but have known so many people that have been broken down by it. But then again, they have seen couples that are truely and completely in love, and if they were to discover that with someone it would be heaven.  "How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget" -->Some dance to remember, some dance to forget...Some people take up hobbies, or activities to remember or forget certain things. When you were with someone and were really in love and everything was perfect, but you lost them for some reason or another, you would want to remember them. If you were someone and your relationship was not so good, and you had your heart broken, you would be trying to forget.  And still those voices are calling from far away, Wake you up in the middle of the night Just to hear them say... --> This one is a little harder to explain. Unless you were in a difficult relationship, you might not be able to understand, but I will do my best to explain. Sometimes when you are in a relationship where you are being mistreated, you tend to try to justify and fix things. You replay things over and over agian in your head after it has all ended trying to figure what you did and where everything went wrong. You cant sleep, you cant eat, it just drains you. So this is where the "still those voices calling from far away" part comes into play. Its the sound of the conversations and arguments replaying over and over again in their head. "wake you up in the middle of the night, just to hear them say.." is about them not being able to sleep, they are just laying their awake liestening to the conversations in their head. And she said 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device' --> This is referring the the fact that people make up excuses for their partners behavior. If we would stop making excuses and face reality we wouldnt be stuck in the position that we were in, we would not be prisoners in the relationship. The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can't kill the beast --> This again is trying to get rid of the love feeling, because you know you are not loved in return. You want to not feel the way you do, but you cant help it, or change it. I had to find the passage back To the place I was before --> He wants to get back to the carefree, undamaged emotional state that he was in, before he was in love. He doesnt want to be in love anymore. You can checkout any time you like, But you can never leave!  --> Meaning you can leave the person anytime you want, but once you truely love someone, you can not escape that feeling, you will always care about that person, even after you move on, so to say.
Blue Oyster Cult's "I Love The Night"
I think this song is biographical in origin, from the experience of Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. After a traumatic breakup, he walks out at night and is enchanted by a perfect clear starry night, and then the moon rises. Enchanted by the vision and perfection of the night, he envisions the moon as a woman... and the final irony is that the perfect beauty of the night that brings him some surcease from his heartache brings it back in full force, for the final lines are "If only you had been there my dear, We could have shared this together..."
Eagles's "The Hotel California"
I think this song talks about a Hotel in wich orgies took place.When it says "there she stood on the doorway" it probably means some whore stood on the doorway. This Hotel involved drugs too. This is the kind of life it describes I believe, the kind of life you can never get away form "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave" and also these poor women cannot get away too as they can get away from the pimps that will haunt them and maybe kill them afterwards "they stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast"
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's "Thunder Road"
I think this song was a song about a young couple...the boy being ready to face the world and the girl a little scared of the relashionship and where it might lead.  The boy comes to the girls house and basically says we are ready for the world so climb on board.  It also kind of talks about just getting out and living.
Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson"
I thought it was about a woman going to a nursing home, my boyfriend thinks it's about the neighborhood tramp who also sold marijuana.  He got that info from his dad!
The Eagles's's "Hotel California"
I thought that this song was talking about the 2 biggest problems of the time, Heroin and cancer. Although no one related to cancer, but i see things like you can check out any time as you can die at any time but you can never live as you can never be cured. The mirrors on the cieling is the operations room and the beast is the tumor and they try to cut it off with their knives but they can't kill the beast. The device they are all attached to is again relating to hospitals. What do you think?
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
I was told just the other day by my music appriciation teacher that James Taylor had himself commited because he had a phobia, Suzanne was a woman who had the same one, being alone with someone of the opposite sex. They met at the mental hospital and cured eachother of the phobia, fell in love and planned to marry. They would get out of the hospital on Friday morning and marry Saturday afternoon. James Taylor signed himself out and left with no problem, but Suzanne couldn't leave, they didn't have her insurance release forms, the nurse called her doctor who said, let her leave, she's finally happy, I'll take care of the paperwork Monday, but the nurse lied and said she couldn't leave till Monday. Suzanne kept trying to leave but gave up and hung herself.
Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle"
I would like to revise the earlier description of Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle." The discrepancy lies is in the last statement. Formerly written, "In the end the father realized that his son had grown up to be a work-a-holic just like his dad..." If you listen to the lyrics, you'll see that just as the father had no time for his son when he was growing up, the son had no time for his father when he grew up. "...he came from college just the other day, so much like a man I just had to say, son I'm proud of you can you sit for awhile, he shook his head and he said with a smile, what I'd really like dad is to borrow the car keys, see you later can I have them please... ...I've long since retired, my son's moved away, I called him up just the other day, I said I'd like to see you, if you don't mind, he said I'd love to dad if I could find the time, you see my new job's a hassle and the kid's with the flew, but it's sure nice talking to you dad, it's been sure nice talkin' to you.. and as I hung up the phone it occured to me, he'd grown up just like me, my boy was just like me... It's about it all coming back around, not the son becoming a workaholic...
Simon and Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
I'm aware of the drug interpretation and the author's actual interpretation but depending on when the boat people incidents in the 1970's occured, this song could be a sort of welcome song for them. The "silver girl" in the song could also be a reference to a girl who has been lying in the sea for so long her skin has become a pale grey. Now this interpretation might not be the most accurate but if you look at these lyrics and the events of the Indochinese refugees there is an ominous connecion that binds them. If this song was written before these events then in could mean that Paul Simon is psychic!
Queen's "Killer Queen"
I'm not exactly sure why I think this, but the lyrics of this song, in my opinion, have nothing to do with a high-class prostitute, like Wikipedia claims.  I've researched various sites on the lyirics and there are a few that I just do not agree with (meaning it doesn't sound to me like that is what is being sung).  Personally, from everything I've so far read, this song to ME sounds like it's about a female assassin, or a spy perhaps?   "gunpowder, gelatine (one part I disagree with) dynamite with a laser beam" meaning the laser cites on hand guns, perhaps?? Doesn't keep the same address...
Rolling Stones's "Horse With No Name"
I'm not getting drugs in this song...I always thought it was about the a man and the effects of fame on the brain. Desert has turned to sea...life is like the ocean with its life under ground and the perfect disguise above...people fake and false...putting forward their plastic smiles when really inside its pain and ugly
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
I'm not sure if this explanation has been posted, but after listening to the song hundreds of thousands of times, and never knowing what it meant, I finally had an idea. I then listened to the song, possibly confirming my ideas. After this, I did a reasonable amount of research on mythology, especially females in mythology.  According to my analysis, Stairway is about a powerful and righteous female warrior. She is finally killed and battle, but doesn't know that she is dead. She feels, before her death, that there is good in all things. The entire world, according to myth, is in the palm of this lady's hand. Many signs point to her death, but she can understand or comprehend that she has been killed.  Her spirit continues to wonder through the heavens, and she sees the other spirits going about their heavenly lives. As stated in the Bible, spirits in heaven can see those in hell and on Earth. The warrior can still see the battle raging, which leads her to believe that she is alive. She meets one of the spirits that has been in heaven for no telling how long, and he explains what is happening. She finds out that the inhabitants of heaven have been waiting on her arrival, due to her righteousness in life. Throughout the song, which is merely an interpretation of the epic poem, she realizes that she has died and gone to heaven. After this realization, she begins to be an encouragement to those with whom she can communicate on Earth. She is a guiding spirit, if you will. Her presence, and her legacy, are a model for people to follow to get into heaven.   In conclusion, I state that Stairway to Heaven is a narrative. Not an abstract creation of Robert Plant, but a brilliant discovery of an epic story that he paraphrased and, with the help of the great Jimmy Page, put to music.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
I'm sorry but anyone who thinks it's about war (especially American based wars - Vietnam) is clearly missing the point. It IS about Syd Barrett, creative force of Pink Floyd until LSD screwed him up. Syd Barrett actually turned up at the studio when Pink Floyd were recording this album about him. He was a shadow of the man he used to be.   I'll say it again; it is NOT about war. No. No. NOOOOO!
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
If anyone out there doesn't know this yet, though I think you all should, this song is about drug addiction.  (especially cocaine)  "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast".  And of course the final line before that great dual guitar solo between Don Felder and Joe Walsh, "You can check out anytime you like , but you can never leave".
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
If this song does have a meaning it's not about AIDS, Freddy didn't know he had AIDS when he wrote it, I think the boy on death row is far more likely.
John Lennon's "Imagine"
Imagine is about communism, and is by no means the greatest song ever made.  Infact it's a completely naive song presented into society's common left wing views by Lennon to increase his popularity and how liked he was by the people.  Lennon was a fraud.  His own son even says so.  He didnt care about world peace and harmony, he just knew what people liked to hear about, (peace and harmony) and he fed them.  Sure it's a great sounding song, but Lennon was by no means a wondrous guy .  He was just an idealist, and a phony one at that (and God only knows we have enough idealist morons around these days).  He was a musician with an alright voice and a knack at writing nice songs.  In any case, left wing views -especially communism- are crap and always will be.  Marx was an idiot and has caused millions of deaths and anyone who promotes communism in turn promotes the state in which so many third world contries are and the deaths that occur daily in the communiste and dictated (becasue really, theyre the same thing) world.  To sum up Lennon was a good musician with a knack at impressing the populace with his phony ideas of world peace and love and whatnot and spreading this crap through all the millions of idiots who think that we could possibly ever achieve anything close to the world described in Imagine, and who believe that if we did we'd be better off, which we wouldn't, but that's another argument for anyother day.
Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
In Actuality this song was about Syd Barretts' rise and fall in fame
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"
In January of 1973, You're So Vain was the # 1 hit song on the radio. Carly had just married fellow pop-superstar James Taylor a month before, so when You're So Vain hit the airwaves, it stirred intense curiosity about which one of her previous lovers was the subject of this wry nod to the male ego.   Was it Mick Jagger? Cat Stevens? Warren Beatty? Kris Kristofferson? It was common knowledge that she had been involved with each of them in the past.Carly has never revealed who she had in mind when she wrote You're So Vain, and over 30 years later interviewers are still asking her this same question....................................   The Washington Post - 1983  WP: Who was ?You?re So Vain about? Mick Jagger? Carly: No. WP: Warren Beatty? Carly: It certainly sounds like it was about Warren Beatty. He certainly thought it was about him - he called me and said thanks for the song?. WP: You had gone with him? Carly: Hasn?t everybody?  "Clouds in my coffee" are the confusing aspects of life and love. That which you can't see through, and yet seems alluring...until. Like a mirage that turns into a dry patch. Perhaps there is something in the bottom of the coffee cup that you could read if you could (like tea leaves or coffee grinds). Carly Simon 5/17/01
Yes's "'Southside of the Sky'"
In a recent interview, Jon Anderson mentioned that the song describes a group of climbers who were lost, and about the euphoria that comes to one as one freezes to death..'Of warmth when you die'...though I do like the comment about the scenario being specifically about the Fellowship.
Debbie Boone's "'You Light Up My Life'"
In a talk show interview Debbie Boone revealed that this is a "praise song." "You" refers to God. Praise songs are a devotional type of Christian Music separated from Hymns and general popular Christian music.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
In an interview with Howard Stern, James describes the meaning of the song a little differently.  James' friends didn't tell him about the death of his friend from cancer because, at the time, he was still trying to overcome his addiction when it happened, and they didn't want to add any additional stress to his situation.  The lyrics regarding "the plans" probably describe how he felt.  That is, the cancer (or whatever illness it was) actually killed her, but in his mind she was still alive until the planned disclosure of his friends ended that.
The Clash's "Atom Tan"
In death people have a look which is referred to as an atom tan..by the clash.  People die in various ways- described in the song,  and get an even atom tan!!
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
In response to the kid who said that he did his so called "research" on this song, Wikipedia does not count as a source at all.  Do some real research and then tell us about it.  First Freddie was born on the island of Zanibar, second the song has absolutely nothing to do with AIDS.  The song was written 11 years before he was diagnosed.  No one will ever know the true meaning of the song (if there even is one).  The only song that Freddie wrote which he explained the meaning to was Bicycle Race, no one knows the meaning of this one. Stop arguing about it.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
In the literal sense, the song is directed to a dead friend or family member at a funeral in a cemetery. The singer is possibly one of the pallbearers. Until recently, I had no idea where it was taking place and only a vague idea of who the intended recipient was. Only after shooting a video of a family cemetery and setting it to the music of Pink Floyd did it hit me. In the middle of a big green field is a small cemetery plot surrounded by a white, wrought-iron fence. The only trees nearby were the ones inside. It was a hot summer day and a cool breeze was blowing. Inside the fence were several markers. Among the lead role were the headstones of the few who had died in battle -- the heroes. The fence is a cage, our planet is a fishbowl, coffins have cold steel rails, and the veil hides the face of the widow. The clincher for me was this inscription on one of the headstones: "Stranger CAN YOU TELL is this where individuality ceases or does it exist beyond."
Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama"
In the song Mr. Vanzant not Van Dam (he's the karate guy) Sings about Neil Young because he "generalized" the South. Who needs a guy like that around starting trouble during the still very volatile time in the South! Another quote listed the lyrics wrong as well... "Watergate, it does not bother me Does your conscience bother you? Tell me true." is actually "Watergate,does not bother me! Does your conscience bother you? Tell "THE TRUTH." Also the post about Lynard Skynard's "All I Can Do Is Write About It"...quote "This song is about Mr. Van DAm growing up in the south, and the natural beauty of the country. It is so odd how he says," Lord take me and mine before the concrete creeps in." And how he dies not that much longer." Funny you get the idea but have it twisted some. He actually says "I can see the concrete a' slowly creepin' Lord take me and mine before that comes." So yankees...I'm not tryin' to put down no big cities  But the things they write about us is just a bore!! How you gonna know about it unless you do it suuun! Hoooray Dixie!!!
Coven's "One Tin Soldier"
In the song the mountain people say "With our brothers we will share all the secrets of the mountain, all the riches buried there,"  but the valley people are greedy and want the entire treasure not just part of it so they then start the war to take it.  Ironic, isn't it.
Pink Floyd's "Welcome To The Machine"
Interpretation of this song is varied. In one sense it appears to be a father's message to his son. This is a recurring theme in Floyd songs and is visually available in "The Wall" movie. Roger Water's father was killed during World War II. It can also be said that this song is about a young rock star living within the confines of the rock and roll world. He experiences the lesser sides of stardom and all the evils that go with it.
Paul Mccartney And Wings's "Band On The Run"
Interpreted to mean different things by the rock press at the time, one being that the song was possibly about outlaws (in the Eagles' "Desperadoes"  vein) but more likely about flight, escape and freedom.  It was postulated at the time that Paul's having written the theme song for the James Bond movie "Live and Let Die' several months earlier may have inspired him to do "Band".  Paul's solo output prior to "Band" was dismissed by critics as lightweight and overstylized (ie. AM radio fluff) so the lyrics on "Band" suggested a man who had been imprisoned by the critics' (and sometimes public)  criticism of his work and then suddenly breaks out of the chains and goes free from all that. The song and album of the same name actually welcomed Paul back into the good graces of the rock critics and minds of the public, who felt he put out a confident, well-constructed album after four mediocre ones.
Raydio's "You Can't Change That"
It is a song about a stalker... stalking his girlfriend.
Simon And Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson"
It is a song about alcohol addiction in housewives from the '60s in the USA where alcoholism was considered a mental disease and they were locked up in mental institutions instead of addiction hospitals.  The sympathetic eyes are those of the hospital staff, they 'want to know a little more about you for our files' (mental health files), take a walk around the grounds until you feel at home, and the stuff that they are hiding in the pantry with the cupcakes is the bottle of booze and always keep alcoholism from the children.
Marmalade's "Reflections"
It is about a person who thinks the world is a bad place, a terrible place to live, and he dont want to die..it is from 1970...
Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On"
It is about the Vietnam war, and how it wasn't the answer.  It also relates to what was going on here in America at the time and how tha hippies were discriminated against because they said how they felt and expressed themselves freely.(some with long hair, which he mentions.)
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
It means nothing. according to Queens drummer it means 'Theres just a little bit of chaos in the middle' It snot abut AIDs, its not about Freddies sexuality, its just a crazy song about nothing
Blue Oyֹster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper"
It seems to be a common misinterpretation (due to the line "Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity") that this song is about suicide. As Albert Bouchard, one of the band members, stated on several occasions, the song writer Buck Dharma, didn't have exactly that in mind, but merely the idea of not to fear death, probably because it is inevitable and also part of our life. There are also rumors that say that Buck thought at the time he was writing the song that he was dying, but I if that is true, I can't say.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
It seems to me that all of the comments made on pink floyds song 'wish you were here' are most intriguing and certainly interesting, but unfortunately wrong,people are reading far too deep into the song,or not deep enough as i will explain - I am a huge floyd fan and have read many a book on this subject trying to extend my knowledge and appreciation for the band/song as it is a complicated tune to understand. If you listen to the song you will realise that every sentence has a good/happy lyric in exchange for a bad/sad lyric,so when broken down it reads - heaven,blue skies,green field,smile,hero's,tree's,cool breeze,change,lead role in a cage.THUS - hell,pain,cold steel rail,veil,ghosts,hot ashes,hot air,cold comfort,walk on part in the war........Deep stuff i know, I used to think it was about war myself, but trust me it's not, and i only know this because i've read so so so much about the band. It's a schizophrenic song written by waters about himself, on one side of his personality is the good,caring and giving part of his character and on the other side is the selfish, unforgiving and greedy side. It is a song about one side singing to the other.......The bad side is calling to the good side saying how i wish, how i wish you were here. This is made evident by the lyric..'We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl'........The fish bowl being his outer body exterior and the two lost souls being his inner.The inner souls are swimming around 'the fish bowl', one side is crying to the other  'i wish you were here',but unfortunately for waters the bad side previels hence the lyric 'we're just two lost souls swimming a fish bowl year after year, running over the same old ground,what have we found,the same old fears,wish you were here.'............Basically it's saying that the good side of waters character will never exceed the bad side,and unfortunately for him, he knows it. I hate to say it but i was dissapointed myself to find out that the song actually meant this, I had studied the song for a long time and come up with a very strong theory about it being a cry for his father dying in world war 2 but i was wrong. If you are really interested on extending your current appreciation for the band then i strongly suggest reading - 'which ones Pink?' AUTHOR Phill Rose. 'Echoes; the stories behind every Pink Floyd song' AUTHOR Cliff Jones. 'The Pink Floyd encyclopedia' AUTHOR Vernon Fitch.......Happy Reading.
Spinners's "Love Don't Love Nobody"
It takes a fool to learn that love don't love nobody
Max Webster's "Let Go The Line"
It's about death and the thought of doing it by way of hanging hence let go the line.  It envisions a lifeless body in a casket (caskets are lined with satin)"i see you there in your satin shirt  unfocused eyes on the ceiling fluorescent lips on a painted face  i think i know what you're feeling. This tightrope begins to feel like home as the wind comes rising from the distant storm and all I know is that tonight I might let go the line.."
Bachman Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"
It's about venerial disease. "Cause any love is good love so I took what I could get" and "She took me to her doctor for a cure".
James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"
It's long been established and confirmed by James Taylor that the song was about his fight to free himself from heroin addiction! "sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" is the key lyric. yes, he was bi-polar and fought that, but his career was nearly destroyed by his addiction (as was his relationship with Carly Simon).
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
It's not about AIDS.  AIDS was only in Africa until the 80s.  So even if Freddie did have AIDS at the time, it couldn't have been diagnosed beacuse it had never been seen in India (where he was born) or England and the States.  Roger Taylor (drummer of Queen)is the only person who knows what this song is about, as Freddie only told him.
Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Craddle"
It's song about a man who didn't have any time for his son and how this man had missed important events in this young man's life.  In the end the father realized that his son had grown up to be a work-a-holic just like his dad.
Queen's "Killer Queen"
It?s a sing from their third album, released in 1974, called Sheer Heart Attack, maybe the song is about Cocaine, or about a high class prostitute, or about both things, it?s really interesting, the lyrics are great. Thank you!
Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
Its a song of salvation... many think it was a devil worshiping song... look closely at lyrics and it shows clearly that zep used abstract scenteces to bring out true meanings of christianity...
Cat Stevens's "Cat's In The Cradle"
Its about a man who never had time for his son and once the son grew up, he did not have time for his father.
The Beatles's "Let It Be"
John Lennon once said in an interview that this song was written after Paul had been listening to Paul Simon's Bridge Over Troubled Water.  This was Paul's inspiration after listening to that song.
Queen's "Bohiemian Rhapsody"
Just to clear it up. Freddie Mercury wasn't born in India... He was born and grew up in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
K everyonebody listen up this is exactly what this song is about, it has nothing to do what-so-ever with any war at all, or at one guy said "a hallucinated conversation with a toilet from drugs" any true fan knows that Wish You Were Here is clearly about Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett, the founded of Pink Floyd and was with the band from 1965-68 when he became way to involved with acid (lsd) and could not perform anymore. In 1975 Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason decided that after their huge success from Dark Side of the Moon (where some of the songs are still about syd) in 1973 the band deciced to make an entire album dedicated just to the founded of the band...Syd Barrett, when they were recording this song Syd actually showed up when they were recording Shine On You Crazy Diamond, no one in the band recognized Syd at all since he was basically a new person, Syd told they band that he wishes them all failure and that was the last the saw Syd.  Syd was the main inspiration of the band Pink Floyd, and even occured in The Wall in 1979.  K but back to Wish You Were Here...if you guys dont beleive me then go watch some of Pink Floyd concerts live, or Roger Waters or David Gilmour live and most of the time right before they play this song they say a little something about Syd...not about no Vietnam War...enough said
Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne"
Ken Kesey was one of the original people to introduce acid to the california scene.  He started his acid tests, which were events that consisted of people getting high at rented out music, or large halls, and they would get stoned out of their gords listening to the Grateful dead live, and with state of the art equiptment in lighting, and sound.  this refers to the Part where they sing about Sanfrancisco and LA, two big test areas, that turned hundreads upon hundreads of people on to LSD.  He and his Merry Pranksters drove around California in a day-glo painted bus that was called furthur, they all lived and slept on that bus, mainly getting high.  in the song, Steely Dan refers to the technicolored motor home.  Kesey was real big, and a lot of heads at the time really looked up to him. Kesey got in trouble with California.  He had gotten charged with two possesions of Marajuana, Kesey not wanting to go to court, fled to Mexico.  I believe that there is a part in the story "The Electric Kool ade acid test" (which is the true story of Kesey)  When Kesey is being sneaked across the border, and before hand he askes the driver, "Is there gas in the car?"  The Feds are on his tail in Mexico and California, and Kesey is a fugitive.  The problem is that Kesey is also getting his friends in trouble as well, and there is a good chance that if he gets caught, he will spend a whole lotta time in jail.  The feds would do anything to get him behind bars, because Kesey was the main provider of acid, other than close friend Owesly, and Leary.  His Prankster friends dressed in day glo clothes, and the whole hippie day glo thing was starting to wean out, "Day glo freaks that painted the face, have joined the human race."  Get along, Ken Kesey    Kesey also wrote "One Flew over the Kokoos nest"
Don McLean's "American Pie"
The King is not Elvis, it is a reference to folk King, Woody Guthrie. Guthrie was dying from a chronic illness.  Dylan would visit him in a NJ State Hospital while stealing the crown of folk hero.  This was before he "went electric."  Dylan clearly appropriated much of Guthrie's style in his early folk work.  Some other references in the song:  Eight Miles High refers to the Byrds' song of the same name.  Helter Skelter in the summer swelter refers to both the Manson murders and the Beatles song, probably making the point that art and life mirror each other. The levee and the good ole boys is a reference to the murders of civil rights workers Schwerner, Goodman and Chaney in Mississippi.  Their bodies were found in a levee.  The sacred store is the Fillmore East.  Interestingly, the official lyrics to the song included the line "Lennin read a book on Marx" which apparently intentionally combined John Lennon with Lenin, both of whom studied Marx, to some differning extents.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
Led Zeppelin was heavily influenced by the occult, especially Jimmy Page.  Stairway was about demons (Pan in paticular).  Stairway to Heaven", makes a clear reference to not only the music of Pan and his pipes, but his ability to spiritually influence and guide those who fall under his spell. Lyricist and singer, Robert Plant, begins with the thought that "The piper will lead us to reason."  Pan is the Piper.  The rest of the lyrics simply explore the Gods of old, or the evil side of spirituality and mythical figures.  Page was a great admirer of Aleister Crowley who was indeed a devout and famous satanist.  "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" was enscribed in one of Zeppelin's albums.  This is a verse from the satanic bible.
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
Like a Rolling Stone is a song about New York socialite and model Edie Sedgwick, who left Andy Warhol's factory scene for the chance of a record deal with Dylan's manager. Things went sour when she discovered Dylan's marriage and she left to go into rehab. The song is about how she lived a fast-paced life, primarily on speed, and then crashed later in life. Other songs that Bob Dylan wrote, presumably, about Edie include Leopard-skin Pillbox Hat and Just Like a Woman.
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
Like a Rolling Stone is about a model named edie sedgewick.  She did hang with Andy Warhol's crowd and Dylans crowd.  It's a song slammer her.  It's not a metaphor about a group of people it's a specific person who Dylan was disguisted with and went back and forth from dylan's people and warhol's people.
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
Like a Rolling Stone is about someone who had it all, all the while people told him that he was gonna lose it, then one day he did. now hes on his own on the streets. the song is about having it all, then losing it, just like that.
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
"Like a Rolling Stone" is one of the great lyrical ballads (and poems)of contemporary American thought..  If you have never read the lyrics side - by side - with the song, then don't judge the poetry of the work until you have done so.  Before it was "cool" to be a drug - using hippy in the sixties, there was a small counterculture of real hippies in places like New York and San Francisco.  Dylan was part of that very small late fifties/ early sixties movement.  "Like a Rolling Stone" is a poem about all the presumptous types (once upon a time you dressed so fine) that made fun of people like him (and the rags that he wore and the language that he used).  Now, those same snobs, in the lyrics of the poem - a young woman that he knew - have adopted the counterculture as their own.  However, she can't handle it, and her drug use has turned her into something far below the people that she once made fun of.  She's an out of control rolling stone tumbling with absolutely nothing; "when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.  Your're invisble now, you got no secrets to conceal."  And the catch is, she was already a rolling stone back at Harvard before she became a psuedo-hippy ("You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely, But you know you only used to get juiced in it"
Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way"
Lindsey Buckingham wrote this song in a Holiday Inn in 1976 after Stevie Nicks kicked him out.  It is like a plea and a blow off at the same time - "If I could, baby, I'd give you my world...open up, everything's waiting for you....You can go your own way!  You can call it another lonely day!"  So, basically the message is: I still love you...Come back to me...oh, you won't?  OK, be that way, then!  You'll be sorry, babe!
Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black"
Listen closely to the lyrics!  He wants to commit suicide because a loved one has died.  One line that I found particularly profound was "Just like a new born baby it happens every day."
Jimi Hendricks's "Hey Joe"
Listening to hey joe by jime hendricks i hear a double ententre.  the gun could be a hypodermic needle. the lady could be a drug. and he caught it from some guy downtown. could be his dealer. He shot her down could infer that he took the drug. to me this  loose interpretation makes more sense. i also think that the  performers where aware of this. sort of an inside inside thing.
Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle"
The Lyrics are actually a poem that his wife had written to him because he was always on the road and spent no time with his son.
Don Mclean's "American Pie"
Many people who have tried to interprit this song have missed interpreted the chorus completely. The actual way it goes is "So bye bye Ms. American Pie. Drove me Chevy to the Levy but the Levy was dry, and them good old boys were drinking whisky in Rye singing this will be the day that I die". The song does not refer to a levee at all, but a bar/pub, The Levy, which was in the town of Rye... Just thought I should point that out... As I do not have time for a full analization of this song right now I'll just explain the brief outlines of it. Obviously the beginings of the song refer to the Febuary plane crash that killed Holly, the Big Bopper, and Valens. But more then just the crash itself, it refers to the death of rock and roll the people could dance to. The song specifically refers to the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The rolling stones. At first it commends Bob Dylan for singing with a "voice that came from you and me." The King in this song is Elvis. The jester, Dylan. It then goes on to talk about "while the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown". This refers to the song Bob Dylan wrote that took Eliv's place as number one. Bob Dylan became a sell out as he began to use the electric guitar. References to the Stones include "Moss grows fat on a rolling stone". For lack of time I won't continue to anyalize the song. But you get the jist. This song is about the end of American Rock and Roll that one could dance to as the big bands from England introduced their version of music. It talks about great american artists selling out and making songs that aren't dancable to. And it mourns the loss of the old ways. I apoligize for how fragmented my writing probably was...I am working on a paper that anylizes ever line... When thats done I'll post it here... with spell check.
Pink Floyd's "Mother"
Mother is a song based on a little boy who lost his father in the war. Ever since his mother has been over protective and caring. This boy is living with his over protective mother and being shunned by the men surrounding him
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
Music can be interpreted differently by everyone, thats the freedom that it brings. Indeed there is usually an underlying meaning for most songs but each person who listens to a piece of music will take what they like from it. For me this song is perhaps talking to the listener more than being about something or someone. I feel the vibes about drugs and more importantly the psychological effects of them are too apparent in this song to dismiss. I have experienced most psychoactives and when you go where you want to go on drugs it is somewhere you love to be, hence wish you were here. You cannot interpret drugs until you have experienced them, 'so you think you can tell'. Drugs offer an insight into the simpler and more complex things in life and i believe that is something the Floyd were getting at here.
Bob Marley And The Wailers's "Burnin And Lootin"
My interpretation of this song is about when Marley remembers during a curfew probably about the racial wars going on in Jamaica at the time and then how black people would be blamed for crimes they didnt commit and then they had to burn and loot to get the money to repay the policeor get out of jail. Or Burnin and Lootin could mean how the black people would have to work like slaves for the police or whiteman. thats just my opinion anyway, i mean im only thirteen.
Rush's "The Trees"
My personal belief is that The Trees by Rush is an soulfully deep meaning of life and death... "the maples and oaks" can be applied to any division of human beings... race, color, creed, financal background, etc... but in the end, "they were all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw"... (ie: death)... God, in the end ultimately gives and takes life, and even though some of us seemingly "take up all the light" it is all for not, for as the trees, from dust we came, and to dust we shall return.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
NPR picked this song as one of the The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th Century (http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/vote/list100.html).  Each verse has a different meaning.  The first is about a friend who committed suicide, the second is about his battle with heroin addiction, the third refers to a mental hospital and a band he started called "The Flying Machine."  With Real Audio, listen to the story here:  http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20000626.atc.06.ram
ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
No, they ain't talking about the son of God. The song is about a drug runner. "You may not see him in person, but he'll see you just the same." You may not actually buy from him, but it's likely that whatever you got came from him. Taking care of business is his game.
Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight"
OK, enough of this crap about the lyrics to this song being true with 'drowning' and 'saving' and 'revenge' and 'spotlights' and 'suicide'.  Here's a link:  http://www.answers.com/topic/in-the-air-tonight  And here's the truth from PHIL COLLINS HIMSELF!:  (Phil) Collins commented on the legends about the song in a BBC World Service interview:  “ I don't know what this song is about. When I was writing this I was going through a divorce. And the only thing I can say about it is that it's obviously in anger. It's the angry side, or the bitter side of a separation. So what makes it even more comical is when I hear these stories which started many years ago, particularly in America, of someone come up to me and say, 'Did you really see someone drowning?' I said, 'No, wrong'. And then every time I go back to America the story gets Chinese whispers, it gets more and more elaborate. It's so frustrating, 'cos this is one song out of all the songs probably that I've ever written that I really don't know what it's about, you know. "
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
OK,...Hasn't anyone here who has been explaining these meanings even noticed that the original album cover was a colour print of The First United Satanic Church of America? If you search the history, alleged as well as documented you'll find the meaning of the song,...or maybe just us old-timers would know that,....
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
Oh, for God's sake, "Hotel California" is NOT about Satanism, it's about the insane and hidious life behind the rock life in southern California. The "Stab with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" was a volley back to Steely Dan and that song that went "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors can hear us." Otherwise, it's just a song about the "Fast Lane"
Don McLean's "American Pie"
Ok i was always told the jester was Bob dylan. obvious the day the music died was buddy holly. The quartet the beatles. The girl who sang the blues Janice joplyn. the devil mick jagger because of the hells angelsthing. The king elvis hence dylan steeling his crown.
queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Ok no more aids!!! haha! anyways Is this the real life- "Is this just fantasy- Caught in a landslide- No escape from reality- Open your eyes Look up to the skies and see- Im just a poor boy,i need no sympathy- Because Im easy come,easy go, A little high,little low, Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me, To me" This is a common carless teen who is just living his life day by day and doesn't care what happens to him, or to anyone else.  "Mama,just killed a man, Put a gun against his head, Pulled my trigger,now hes dead, Mama,life had just begun, But now Ive gone and thrown it all away- Mama ooo, Didnt mean to make you cry- If Im not back again this time tomorrow- Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters-" He is thinking to him self this, this isn't really him telling his mom anything if you think about it.  "Too late,my time has come, Sends shivers down my spine- Bodys aching all the time, Goodbye everybody-Ive got to go- Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth- Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows) I dont want to die, I sometimes wish Id never been born at all" This is his guilt, because he finally has feeling in him, and he is affraid of dieing. (death penalty was pretty common in the 70's)  "I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango- Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me- Galileo,galileo, Galileo galileo Galileo figaro-magnifico- But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me- Hes just a poor boy from a poor family- Spare him his life from this monstrosity- Easy come easy go-,will you let me go- Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go- Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go Will not let you go-let me go Will not let you go let me go No,no,no,no,no,no,no- Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go- Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-" ok so this versus does have demon written all over it... he see's a silhouetto of man, not really a man ( which would point out demon) and the way the demon comes to him scares him. And basically the kid is praying to get out... when he says no WE will not let you go. it is talking about satan and his demons. also this song could also talk about a kid selling his soul. but either or is a pretty close interpetation. also belzebub is the second in comand of satan.  "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye- So you think you can love me and leave me to die- Oh baby-cant do this to me baby- Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-" Ok so this versus is directed to the mom. either she is ashamed because the son either sold his soul or killed a man. and she emotionaly stones him, as in beats him emotionaly... which is used back in the days for punishments for your sins. And then the mom just leaves him there and doesn't care.   "Nothing really matters, Anyone can see, Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me,  Any way the wind blows...." Thats to remind you why he is where he is.  and thats a good meaning for the song ;-)
John Lennon's "Imagine"
Ok the song Imagine is all about communism. I mean listen to it people. "Imagine there's no heaven its easy if you try, no hell below us above us only sky" Communism eliminates religion since according to them religion seperates people. "Imagine no possesions I wonder if you can no need for greed or hunger a brother hood of man" Communism states that everybody has an equal share of wealh therefore no need for greed or hunger. "Imagine all the people sharing all the world" this one is self-explanatory. Well there you go!!!
Van Morrison's "Brown Eye Girl"
Ok, who ever wrote that brown eye girl is about heroin doesn’t known Van worth a damn. First off it’s from 1967 and not the seventies. The song is about Van’s first guitar and the joy of just jamming out and not worrying about selling records. He wrote this song when he was living in Boston with his wife and her child from another marriage in a one room apartment with just a fridge. He was depressed because he could not support them and was longing to find the joy again in music. The song is about the joy he had when he was a young boy up until he was a teen. One section and shows this perfectly is  “Whatever happened, to Tuesday and so slow Going down to the old mine with a, transistor radio. Standing in the sunlight laughing  Hide behind a rainbow's wall, Slipping and a-sliding, all along the waterfall ,With you, my brown-eyed girl, You, my brown-eyed girl.”  The “slipping and sliding” in the song is him having trouble learning the guitar. Van would bring the radio because he would try and copy the blues music from the radio station in Belfast. It also gave him a chance to “jam” with his favorite guitarists like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
John Lennon's "Imagine"
Ok. I won't be surprised if they edit some of my beginning comments, and that's no problem, based on their "unfriendly tones". Communism!!?? Are you serious? That has got to be one of the most idiotic interpertations of anything I have ever heard in my life. That's right up there with believing that is says in the bible that one race is superior to another. Which, after reading such a retarded statement, I wouldn't be surprised if you belivied. Anyway, the song "Imagine" from John Lennon is the greatest song ever written, (no matter what anybody thinks), unless of course Jesus ever wrote a song. What he asks the listener to do is absolutely amazing because it is something that anyone and everyone, with maybe the exception of people with severve mental disabilities (and I mean that seriously), can do. "IMAGINE". If you need help look up the definition of the word. "IMAGINE". He's not saying that things HAVE to be a certain way. "IMAGINE". He's not saying that the way he sees things are the way that everybody else has to see them. "IMAGINE". What he's saying is......(drum roll please) I M A G I N E. And if you're wondering how it is that this song is the greatest song ever written... "Imagine all the people, living life in peace". Thank you John and God bless.
Pink Floyd's "Welcome To The Machine"
Okay, this song is about the constant change of the music industry. Pink Floyd is probably the most unique bands out there. Their odd yet masterful since of music can be touched by no one. They define PSYCHADELIC. The Wish You Were Here album is all devoted to former member Syd Barret, who was forced out of the band due to his overwhelming drug use. I really like Wish You Were Here because each song can be used in similarity to Syd. Especially this song, not liked by most Pink Floyd fans "Welcome To The Machine" uses their earlier sound, the psychadelic keyboard and eerie noises much like Syd had used with the band earlier in their careers. Mostly of all though if you truly want to understand the lyrics its about being a rebel and not conforming to others music. Much like Pink Floyd always did in their amazing career in the music industry. I'm sick of you Floyd fans that only like Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and the Wall. Open up to their earlier work. Meddle, Piper At the Gates of Dawn, Saucerful of Secrets, and Ummagumma.  "Those of would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither." - Ben Franklin
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"
Okay... enough with the whole "it was a response to Neil Young"; the fact that Neil Young did "Southern Man" had nothign to do wiht the song. Artists like to play with songs, and to be honest if vanzampt were around him and neil young would still be laughing thatp eople think that they were acutally mad. In fact, they were great friends and loved each others songs, Neil loved Sweet HOme Alabama as much as Vanzampt loved Southern Man, there was no conflict.       People over look that this song is about a guy missing his home. Skynyrd were a couple of southern boys who just missed home
Boomtown Rats's "I Don't Like Monday"
On 29 January 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer opened fire on children arriving at Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego from her house across the street, killing two men and wounding eight students and a police officer.
Genisis's "In The Air Tonight"
On VH-1's show cant emember the name but it was when the artists told the real meanings of the song Phil Collins tells the story behind "in the air tonight" He says it is about being on the road and coming home to find his wife was cheating on him and how it destryed their marriage. He laughed about the whole "drowning" story!!
The Doors's "The End"
One of the most sacred songs till date. It clearly reflects the inside of a disturbed mind. Written by a person who always wanted to challenge the authority, this song can have many meanings. The haunting music can always reverbrate in ur ears.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
The Only mental patients are the ones describing it's meaning!! It's not intended to be analyzed too closely 'cos it was Henley/Frey's attempt at more Steeley Dan type lyrics (Steeley knives).It's meant to be a 'twilight zone' type of story where every turn/room introduces weird characters to stimulate the imagination. By '76,Henley/Frey were so adept at writing, they could write about a personal experience but make it sound like a universally understood subject (see: After the thrill is gone.. which sounds like a couples love fading, but is actually about the pressure of writing better hit songs ("Empty pages and a frozen pen")and being unable to rest on their laurels ("you don't care about winning..but you don't wanna lose"). In 'Hotel', they point out the excesses of L.A. To outsiders,L.A does seem like an asylum.  Generally (this is fact)each line of the song is meant to be L.A 'Heaven' or L.A 'hell' depending on the listener's perception. The opening lines describe the welcoming lights of the promised land(L.A) at the end of the desert(or a beckoning asylum waiting to drain the subject's spirit) .Then, the subject finds that instead of a wonderful,spanish influenced(..'mission bell')city of promise and wonder that as it was in the late 60s, it's now a fake,shallow city where 'Tiffany's','Mercedes-worship' and 'meaningless love' have taken over from the 'spirit of '69'. The chorus describes how 'The Hotel'(L.A) will always take in more dreamers('Plenty of room')..and will always have whatever vice you need('Any time of year..you can find it here).In the line..'so I called up the captain..bring me my wine' ..the eagles used to call there their drug dealer 'The count'..I'm guessing..'Captain'/'Count'..'Wine'/'Coke',that's opinion only..not fact. The last verse refers to constant drink and drugs..'mirrors..champagne' and how regardless of self-destruction, it's their '..Own device'. The 'masters chamber' is a nod to the superficial 'music industry critic's constant back-stabbing of The Eagles, but the 'Beast'..(The Eagles ever-improving popularity and record sales) couldn't be killed. The end is a metaphor for the subject(..in this case Henley & Frey), looking back to better days,the early magic and spirit of late 60s LA, but knowing it's now a spiritual graveyard where,no matter how much you bitch, It's the only place that offers you 'Heaven & Hell' at the same time. Although the '..Check out any time' line is also a nod to Jackson Browne's wife's suicide.  The reason for the 'Beverly hills hotel' being ot the album cover, is that the Spanish architecture fitted in with the 'simple roots' of LA as suggested in the song, but also to imply L.A city,with all it's super rich and 'wannabe's' as being somewhat of a soul-less asylum. incidentally, Felder(..noted as co-writer) wrote every musical part of the song incuding the bass-line and end solo, before Henley & Frey got their hands on it.  -(No.1 Eagles fan) Ian C
Cat Stevens's "Father And Son"
Orginally, this song was written for the film, Revolussia, which is about a young man who leaves home for the first time to join the Russian Revolution. But the film never took off! The song, Father and Son, by Cat Stevens is sortof, in part, a dialog between a father and his son, with Cat playing both parts! The father is trying to talk his son out of doing something which he considers to be fool heartedly, but to settle down and have a family, as the father is getting on in age and wants to have grandchildren!
Beatles's "Let It Be"
Paul McCarthney's mother, Mary, had died when he was young.  In spite of his success in music he was going through a period of loneliness and dispair.  One night his mother, Mary, came to him in a dream and told him that he would find his way and everything would be OK, that he just had to let it be.  Not long after, he met his wife, Linda, and wrote the song to express his thanks to his mother.
The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes"
Pete claims to be a victim of sexual assualt.  He wrote this from the perpetrator's perspective.
Phil Collins's "In The Air Of Tonight"
Phil was touring in Florida, and he needed some "alone" time. He took a walk on a nearby beach. He looked out over the water and saw a man in a boat. The man wouldn't help a person drownding in the water right next to him. The person drowned. Phil didn't know what to do. He wrote this song, and through boat registration he figured out who the man was. Phil sent him front row tickets to a concert. When the song about the man came up, Phil sang it staring at the guy the whole time. After the show, the guy turned himself in. Good story huh? It's true!
Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight"
Phil was with his fiancee on a beach one night when two men approached them.  One man raped Phil's fiancee while the other held Phil and forced him to watch.  Five years later, Phil went back to the same beach.  He doesn't know why, but he was drawn to that same spot where the rape happened.  Suddenly, he hears a man in the ocean calling for help.  He swims out to save him, but when he gets close, he recognizes him as the man who raped his wife.  So he lets the man drown.  It's all in the lyrics: "I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord. Ive been waiting for this moment, all my life, oh lord." -- Phil finally gets vengeance.  "if you told me you were drowning. I would not lend a hand. Ive seen your face before my friend, But I dont know if you know who I am. Well, I was there and I saw what you did. I saw it with my own two eyes." -- He reminds the drowning man about what he did.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
"Pink" is the name of the character from Pink Floyd's album The Wall. It's telling the story of Pink and his addiction to heroin.
America's "Horse With No Name"
Pleeeease. You guys don't realize what most if not all of America's songs were about. Drugs. Horse is slang for Heroin. Viola! Now I have never done heroin so it's rather difficult for me to connect these lyrics but the song is in fact about Heroin.
Deep Purple's "Child In Time"
Putting this up as someone's else's post was completely wrong.  According the Ian Gillan - Deep Purple's singer and the one responsible for the lyrics:  It was 1969 and the band was rehearsing at a Community Centre in West London; it was either Southall or Hanwell. Jon Lord was dicking around (or 'extemporising on a theme' as it's known in the trade) with a tune from the new album by 'It's a Beautiful Day', it was 'Bombay Calling'. I started singing and the words came easily because we were all aware of the nuclear threat which hovered over us at this time which was probably when the 'cold war' was at it's hottest. Through the medium of Radio Free Europe this song and many others reached the ears and hearts of like minded people behind the 'Iron Curtain' and as I found out many years later, it was of a great comfort to them when they understood that there were some peace loving friends out there somewhere.
Elton John's "Someone Saved My LIfe Tonight"
Quoted from http://www.eltonlinks.com:   "The song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is about an episode in Elton's life. In the late sixties, he almost got married to a woman who didn't even like his music and what he was doing. He wanted to get out of that situation, but was too confused, and also didn't want to face her. So one night he got drunk, then left his friends at the bar and went home. When Bernie got back, he found Elton lying on the kitchen floor, his head on a pillow for comfort, the oven open letting gas fill the room. But there was also a window open. So Bernie started to laugh. This suicide attempt was in fact a cry for help.  The line "Paying your H.P. demands forever" refers to installment payments. I've been told that the letters H.P. stand for Hire-Purchase or Hire-Pay. It means that he would have had to pay for her expenses all of their married life. He saw this marriage as a neverending chore. In the lines "You almost had me roped and tied, altar-bound, hypnothized", he speaks to her, saying, wow, I almost got caught in your web!  It's Bernie who wrote the words, so he had kind of an outsider view of this relationship. He thought she was a Prima Donna, and that Elton was "just a pawn out-played by a dominating queen". So anyway, after having been "saved" by Bernie, and also by Long John Baldry, the blues singer whom the band Bluesology was backing at the time, who talked Elton into getting out of this relationship, his friends came in the morning with a truck to take Elton home. Those lyrics are really great. They tell the story in a very poetic way, in my opinion. In 1974, when Elton recorded the song, it had been a couple of years since it happened. But Elton was still shaken by this experience and he was very emotional in the studio. The producer made him redo the vocals time and time again until they were just the way he wanted them, and Elton found that to be very painful."
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"
Recently, Dick Ebersol paid several thousand dollars at a charity auction to find out who the song was about.  Carly Simon offered the information in order to help the charity.  She whispered it in his ear.  She also dropped a few hints this year.  The name has an e, a, and an r in it.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
References to "Flying Machine" are references to a band which James Taylor formed in the late 60's.  The band didn't do well and therefore the reference to "Sweet dreams and 'Flying Machines" in pieces on the ground.
Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)"
The Rhiannon myth was not the inspiration for the song "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)". Rather, Stevie Nicks read the name in a romance novel during a flight, liked the name, and wrote the song in 10 minutes. She later learned of the Welsh myth and was shocked to learn that her song also fitted the myth.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
Robert Plant has been a friend and neighbour of mine for several years. I once asked him about the meaning of the lyrics to "stairway" he told me that because it was only written in 20 minutes, there was no great thought put into the lyrics - other than it refers to a rich woman who feels she can buy anything or buy her way out of any trouble. Eventually, though, we all have to 'pay the piper' - or pay for our misdeeds/ excesses in life. If an explanation by one of the authors to a friend is not enough to put an end to all those other theories and weird interpretations (satanism?? ) then I don't know what is.
Lena Horne's "Stormy Weather"
"Rock and rye" is an alcoholic drink. "Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye wiskey, I cry. If I don't get rye whiskey I surely will die." Check out "Cowboy Songs" by Michael Martin Murphey, cowgirl.
Don McLean's "American Pie"
SIMPLY----I have heard SO MANY different interpretations, but it all leads down to the main idea that Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash on February 2nd, 1959. Many lyrics allude to this like "But february made me shiver" and "With every paper [news about the crash] I’d deliver". Another main idea is the history of music (and world) from the 60s from the viewpoint of McLean. Thats all u need to know
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
"STH" has been named the Millennium Song (1000 years).  IMHO, STH is likened to a fine literature/poetical Zenith.  "Stairway" is the spiral staircase/ladder of physical and spiritual DNA. (so this puts LZ ahead of their time).  "glitters is gold": an idealist (it's ok to follow yr ideals) or the barring away of rose-coloured glasses/clarity;  "buying a stairway": 2nd contract, we are born into our 1st agreement when we come here; we may choose to make our 2nd agreement/path if we desire to follow a higher purpose ("those who stand long")(for the highest good of All);  "stores": the 'storehouse' in the hereafter we're now building to draw upon,-a kind of karma or Akashic Record;  "word": we are a/our 'word', our 'word' has energy/life/love -- 'go, create, as you have been created!'; 'all roads lead to happiness'--(Buddha);  "spirit...leaving": liberation from the bonds of life/death; also, the transcending of the limitations of our ego.  {re: STH, this might help a little...a poem by George Darley (1795-1846) called, ""Sylvia or The May Queen""..."Gently! gently! down! down! From the starry Courts on high, Gently step adown, down The Ladder of the sky, Sunbeam steps (staircase) are strong enough For such airy feet; Spirits blow your trumpets rough (the trumpets are round, blowing rings meaning celestial harmony) So as they be sweet!, Breathe them loud,-(instrumental voices),-The Queen descending (the May Queen who comes down and presents clarity of mind "spring clean"), Yet a lowly welcome breathe (whisper), Like so many flowerets (a flower in her breath/hair?) bending Zephry's (Greek god of the "west" wind) breezy foot beneath".}.  "rings" could be as in smoke signals/a sign/look for signs in the skies/on the walls of your heart/the rings of time as seen as circular not linear, sychronicity, etc;  "voices": The Watchers/the Listeners of Earth's thoughts, and also meaning 'us';  "humming"...a somewhat low vibration or buzzing sound some Lightworkers and others hear in their head "hedgerow" signalling their resonance with the Source/the Piper "on the whispering wind"...the Pipeline/focus.  (In "GoingToCal"...an Affinity Line..."throw me a line") who according to George Darley is "Apollo's (Greek god of the West, Sun, and Reason) winged bugleman".  May Queen,-Lady Of The Flowers,-Lady Of the Lake/Luck,-The Maiden,Goddess Of Spring,-Flower Bride,-Faerie Queen,-Elf Queen: "in the forests she ruled" (...when the children (us) sings-the new world begins...).  Two paths:  the ego or/ the Higher Self connected to All; the "whispering wind" of spirit/yearning/intuition.  "shadow": our Higher Self who is concerned with our sp. development, not ego/material matters...we align and merge with it.  "shines white light": in the universe and dimensions we are a shining mark/Light; we can live in and expand this Light while here...(ie. "turn on your LoveLight, shine it all around" -- Robert, from cd "Mighty Rearranger").  "everything still turns to gold": alchemy, the gradual changing from our dross of material world/self to reveal in us a 'golden' Lightbody of higher and wider consciousness...'a rebirth with new eyes' (as in "GoingToCalifornia").  "listen":  listen twice, speak once. "listen" as in: 'to pray' is to ask, 'to meditate' is to listen. (Meditation is not about giving up anything, it's about opening up to what is here in the Now moment...which one can do in silence, & one can do this in some music, eg. STH itself - a meditation.)  (Apparently "rock and roll" is an English term.)  Regarding STH reverse side which I've heard (it really does sound like Robert's beautiful voice-I couldn't bring myself to listen to it all  *:(   but you play the reverse of STH going forward not backwards??? huh! ...there are some people who have determined/theorized that when something as lovely as STH is produced there must be a counterbalance, yin/yang, hence the (collective) sub/unconscious hearing of a reverse  meaning to STH.  Indeed, when listening to some of our government 'Leaders' speeches, one can hear a word like 'peace' reversed to a war-like word like 'bomb'; and a word like 'evil' reversed to 'live' -- but as an immortal Soul, this won't hurt you.  Re: "Kashmir", which Jimmy says most closely defines his beloved Led Zep, it is not about the physical place Kashmir but rather about a metaphysical journey.  Also, for 'Going To California', etc., google 'astral projection/voyage/trip/OBE'.    P.S: 'zep' means 'time' (ha ha, is it possible LZ was a subconscious Name?...nah but it's a fun possibility!!); pls google 'Zep Tepi'(Time Travel,The Watchers).///  "...and they shall 'beat' their swords into guitars and their spears into pruning 'hook's...". (bluesforpeace.com)/// TTFN  *:)
Judy Collins's "Send In The Clowns"
"Send in the CLowns". I know the song came from "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" abd was written by Stephen Sondheim, and what the expression itself implies. Does anyone know how it related to Judy Collins?
Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe"
Several people in this forum have speculated on the meaning of the song Hey Joe as pertaining to Jimi Hendrix. Problem is, this song was originally recorded by a group called The Leaves, so where do we go from here?
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
"So you think you can love me and leave me to die?"  Absolutely an AIDS reference
Max Webster's "Let Go The Line"
Someone else mentioned that this song is about someone thinking of hanging themselves.  I don't get that feeling.  This song sounds too casual and laid back for something as serious as that.  For me, this song is about people getting burned out by doing too much partying and too much drugs in the late 1970s.  "This tight rope just begins to feel like home" implies that the person in the song has gotten used to living on the edge but is thinking about changing his life.  The tight rope is the stress that the lifestyle causes... "but tonight I might let go the line"...  he's thinking of letting go of his current lifestyle and 'the line' could refer to the line of cocaine (or whatever drug) that he wants to stop doing.  And this person must have a friend that he does this stuff with (or maybe it's a roommate or girlfriend) and he comes upon this person lying down, staring into space, completely stoned.  And with one look, he can pretty much tell that this person is high as a kite, and will eventually come down.  And this repetitive cycle of ups and downs and living on the edge is losing its allure and he's getting to the point where he can take it or leave it.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Someone here wrote that "Fire and Rain" was about JT's girlfriend dying in a plane crash. According to http://www.james-taylor.com/albums/firerain.shtml she committed suicide:  Who is Suzanne? Susie Schnerr was a friend from JT?s Greenwich Village days. She committed suicide while he was in London recording his debut album but his friends didn?t want to bring him down during his big break, so they kept it from him until later.   "You've just got to see me through another day" The phrase "another day" here and in the song of the same name both refer to recovery from addiction.   "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" The Flying Machine was the name of JT?s first band, which broke up when he left for England and his eventual solo debut. Stories claiming the line refers to an actual plane crash are just urban legends.
James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"
Someone put on this page that this song was about a woman who was with him in the mental ward. Although he was in a mental ward (1970's answer to heroin rehab) and he did write a song about that ("Knockin Round the Zoo"), this song is not about that. Here is the real story:  When James Taylor went off to record his first album shortly after he was signed, his girlfriend Susan had to stay at home. They could not afford a ticket for her, and since it was 1970 and he was a new artist, the label did not front the money. As a surprise, as he was finishing up on the album, his friends and the label pitched in to fly Susan to be with him. Tragically, the airplane crashed and she was killed. Since it was a surprise, he did not hear about it until after he finished the album and the label told him what had happened. Isn't that sad?   Here are the lyrics. Read them for yourself:  Fire and Rain                       James Taylor  Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone Susan, the plans they made put an end to you I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song I just cant remember who to send it to   Ive seen fire and ive seen rain I seen sunny days that I thought would never end I saw lonely times when I could not find a friend But i always thought that id see you again   Wont you look down upon me Jesus you got to help me make a stand You just got to see me through another day My bodies aching and my time is at hand An' I wont make it any other way (chorus)   Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun Lord knows when the cold wind blows itll turn you head around Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Queen's "Killer Queen"
Someone said they were usure of the lyrics "Gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam." I believe it's "Gunpowder, Guillotine..." that would fit with the whole 'ways of killing' thing it seems to have going for it.
Raydio's "You Can't Change That"
Song about a stalker stalking a woman.  "You can change the color of your hair, you can change the clothes you wear... You can change your telephone number, you can change your address too, but that won't stop me from loving you, no you can't change that" - kinda creepy huh...
James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"
Song is about being bi-polar and James Taylors relationship with a bi-polar female who was with him in a mental ward //ups and downs that come with the disease and suicide being a real danger that bi-polars deal with
John Lennon's "Imagine"
Sorry, but this song is about comunisum! If you've ever read a book like 1984(you probably havent if you live in the states) then you would see it is all about comunisum.  He is talking about having a completly perfect world that is only a dream "you may say i'm a dreamer" as in comunisum is only an idea.  He goes on to sing "imagine no possesions, i wonder if you can" as in equalless among people.  He then says "imagine all the people, sharing all the world" and goes on to say how he is a dreamer.  If that doesn't spell comunisum then how about this. After John Lennon wrote that song he was red flaged by the CIA for being a possible an-achist and comunist. Don't believe it?? Have you ever seen John Lennon? I haven't but honestly the guy was a big hippy and probably thought the idea of comunisum was great, and really it is ... but it was just his dreaming ... and that all comunisum is, works on paper but not in real life.
America's "A Horse With No Name"
Sounds like a good story,"as one of the members liked to visit the area around Vandenburg Air Force Base, California".  The was a song about drugs. First part of the journey taking the drug (horse) be involved and move from reality(There was sand and hills and rings)to (Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain)alone.  After prolonged exposure (Made me sad to think it was dead)a choice is made (let the horse run free)and back to the living (there was sand and hills and rings) but is it where we want to be (But the humans will give no love)and back to despair.  The cycle of hate will repeat as herion is want to do.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
Stairway To Heaven the greatest rock song of all time has many diferent theories as to what it means. Some say its about drugs. "Gold" was a term for marijuana in the 70s and "rings of smoke throuhg the trees and the voices of those who stand looking" means marijuana smoke came up throught the trees and the people around the smoke were talking about the girl smoking it. There are lines meaning things like that throughout the song. Some say it has no meaning and Robert was stoned when he wrote the lyrics. Some say it means whatever you want it to mean. Paige has said that is what it means and that it is a song of hope. A lot of people have heard the rumor about the lines in the song.  that go   "If there´s a bustle in your hedgerow don´t be alarmed now.   It´s just a spring clean for the May-Queen.  Yes there two paths you can go by.  But in the long run.  There´s still time to change the road you´re on."  Many people say that when played backwards those lines say a satanic message. My freinds and I have tried this and unfortunately the record I have has a big scratch on it, and the only one who has the record besides me out of my group of freinds lost it. So I don't know if its true or not. Every website, person, etc. who says there is a satanic message says it is something different. There is another rumor that says some really creepy stuff. Jimmy and Robert wrote stairway in a really old mansion where most of the album was made. It goes that while sitting by the fire in this mansion Jimmy was playing an acoustic while Robert hummed to it and at one point while he was starting to write he felt that "Something was moving my pen...". He has said that several interviews. Jimmy Page says that Robert "...had come up with 90% of the lyrics right there on the spot! We were all stunned...". I know that this in another entry, but I heard this rumor long before visiting this website. Some other websites I can give out to help people with Staiway To Heaven are:   http://www.durangocoloradousa.com/stairwaytoheaven.html  http://www.reversespeech.com/music_reversals.htm  http://experts.about.com/q/501/3526313.htm  I am a 12 year old zeppelin fan who has been workingon the meaning of Stairway since he was 11. If you feel I was wrong or needed to add things please enlighten me and put them on this website and all over the web. May this song be played forever.
Led Zepellin's "Stairway To Heaven"
Stairway To Heaven was recorded at Headly Grange in England.  Most of the 4th Album was recorded there.   Headly Grange was a huge, hundred year old mansion that was cold and drafty and had limited privileges. It was perfect.   Stairway was literally recorded in front of a roaring fireplace with Robert Plant & Jimmy Page sitting cross-legged on the floor. Jimmy came in with the intro intact. After a small while of "humming" from Plant, Robert  starting to write the lyrics right then and there.   "Something was moving my pen..." he has been quoted to say on many an interview.   Jimmy Page admitted that Robert "...had come up with 90% of the lyrics right there on the spot! We were all stunned..."
Led Zepplin's "Stairway To Heaven"
Stairway to Heaven is the old Christian sermon which says you don't have to pay to pray, you are saved by the love of God, not by your deeds, and it's never too late to be saved.  The Piper is Jesus.  You can read line by line and see how it's about Christianity by visiting here: http://www.sunsetwestproductions.com/forever/stairway.htm For the very intriging words of the greatest rock song of all time to be written on the fly, they must have been inspired by God.  Remember the music was written by a band called 'Spirit' but they couldn't come up with any words so they gave it Zepplin.  Makes you wonder????
Singer Lena Horne's "Stormy Weather"
Stormy weather is I think a song of the 40s sung by Lena Horne. Wanting to know the meaning of 'rock and rye' Your site seems to be the most hopeful. Thanks Helen Cramer
Nancy Sinatra's "Sugar Town"
Sugar Town by Nancy Sinatra in a song about being totally out of your head having a great buzz on cocain , but remember folks for every high there's a come down.
Don Henley, ex Eagles's "The Boys Of Summer"
Supposedly a nostalgic love song on the surface, this song is about post-WW2 racism in the US. The "Boys of Summer" were the American troops who went to Europe in the latter stages of WW2 to expedite the end of the war on the German Nazis. The story-teller returns to the US after the war, only to discover that racism is just as evident in the US. He laments, "I'm driving by your house though I know you're not home" - the house is the Whitehouse and the story-teller refers to the emptiness or lack of spirit in the Whitehouse - it's a place that tolerates or fosters racism, too. A black man is also seen down the barrel of a gun as the gunman says to himself, "I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun".
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Susan didn't die in a plane crash!! She was a girl Taylor knew in a mental institution (where he was being treated for heroin addiction). This was after the release of his debut album on Apple Records. Susan suffered from depression and committed suicide. The line "sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" refers to Taylor's band, The Flying Machine, which split due to his drug problems.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Suzanne was the name of a woman he befriended while in rehab for heroin addiction.  She committed suicide after she got out.  Flying Machines was the name of JT's former band which had broken up.  Remember this was the song that made him a star so he was lamenting the loss of his band.  It's not a completely literal song and that what makes it so touching.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
"Sweet dreams and flying machines..." refers to the breakup of his band, The Original Flying Machine.  See http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p00456.htm
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
THIS SONG IS ABOUT A BUDDHIST HOTEL IN TEXAS. THE EAGLES USED TO LIVE THERE AND WORSHIP BUDDHA, AND THEY MADE THIS SONG.
John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Road"
"Take Me Home, Country Road" is a classic ode to the speaker's home state (though not of the singer or the songwriters). On another level, though a line in the last verse hints at another possible meaning to the song "I should have been home yesterday, yesterday..."  It is quite possible that the speaker has missed his mother before she died, is making his way home and all his memories of her come flooding back to him, teardrop in his eye.  Jason Suggs, Notre Dame, Indiana
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Taylor's hit song "Fire and Rain" is about the suicide of a woman he became close to while in rehab and about getting off heroin itself.  There is an amusing myth about the meaning of the song. According to the myth, the song tells the story of Taylor's girlfriend, Suzanne, being killed in an airplane crash on her way to meet him at a concert. The myth is very popular among Taylor fans, and this is why I find it particularly pathetic. The idea of the plane crash comes from the line, "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground." One would think that fans would know the history of their idols. "The Flying Machine" was the name of a band Taylor had in New York--a band that broke up ("in pieces") in large part because of Taylor's drug use. There is an excellent discussion of this Urban Legend on the Snopes Web Site. Be warned, however, that the article makes an assumption about when Taylor met Suzanne by not taking into account the common practice of changing song lyrics drastically over time. Otherwise, the article is dead-on.
Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Technically, they were a band of the 60's, but this album was released Jan. 26, 1970.  My dad told me that this song was about "shooting up" or IV drug use.  He said the part where they say "Sail on Silver Girl, sail on by, you're time has come to shine...." is about the needle.  I don't know how true this is but when you listen to the rest of the lyrics you could see how they might be singing about using drugs to escape the pain of the world.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
That is not accurate, the story that JT told was that Susan was a girl he had met and befriended while in rehab.  She commited suicide while on the inside....
America's "A Horse With No Name"
That was a nice little concept about comparing the ocean to the desert  although extremely naive. A Horse with no name has long been known as a pet name for Heroin. The singer is obviously crooning about the ups and downs of the drug.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
"The Flying Machines" was the first band Taylor played in.  The reference in that line is refering to his hopes as a youth and the break-up of the band.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
There are a few errors from the previous posts.  Susanne was a friend of James.  The song is about Susanne's suicide while James Taylor was recording his debut album.  She did NOT die in a plane crash.  The line "sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" refers to James Taylor's first band.  The "Flying Machines" were not successful, and the line refers to their demise.  If you listen to the lyrics, you will realize that he is speaking of things he spoke about with Susanne.  The song also deals with his come back from addiction.  (the below is from www.james-taylor.com)  "Fire And Rain" James Taylor   Who is Suzanne? Susie Schnerr was a friend from JT?s Greenwich Village days. She committed suicide while he was in London recording his debut album but his friends didn?t want to bring him down during his big break, so they kept it from him until later.   "You've just got to see me through another day" The phrase "another day" here and in the song of the same name both refer to recovery from addiction.   "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" The Flying Machine was the name of JT?s first band, which broke up when he left for England and his eventual solo debut. Stories claiming the line refers to an actual plane crash are just urban legends.
Steely Dan's "Everyone's Gone To The Movies"
There are other possible interpretations here.  This man is a pedophile.  He doesn't just show dirty movies, he's after other things.  He wants to show kids a "new game to play."  Mmmm...wonder what that is?  There's another reference to him welcoming the kids with open arms.  Also, the lyric, "I know you're used to 16 or more, sorry we only have 8" can also have entirely pedophilic and different meanings - not 16 year olds, who in many states are legal, but 8 year olds.  The man likes little kids.  Anyway, a different way to think about it...
Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"
There was a lot of speculation as to who "Billie Jean" was when this was released, and the speculation only increased when it became clear that the only way Michael could have children at all was to pay lots of money to a nurse to act as a surrogate.  However, it is now clear that the song refers to tennis champion Billie Jean King, with whom Michael had an affair in the early 1980s, and who tried to trick him that the child she was carrying was his, when in fact she was actually pregnant by Demis Roussous, a then-popular Greek singer and Michael Jackson look-alike.    Whether Billie Jean thought that Demis *was* actually Michael at the time of conception is not clear.
Don McLean's "American Pie"
There's actually a grand interpretation of every lyric in this song, but what it's basically about is the grand scope of years after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper (i.e. the "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost").  It goes from the pop-music sockhops and the popular spurning of original R&B music, to the popularity war between Elvis (the King) and Bob Dylan (the Jester who sang folk music, "a voice that came from you and me"), to the British Invasion, to hard rock and the crudeness that it brought.  "The day the music died", in a way, is both the day in February that Buddy's plane crashed, and the decade from his death to the end of the 60's in which rock'n'roll as Don McLean knew it faded away.  In a way, it's about the death of innocence, too, and the death of 50's America.  The 60's changed everything, and in a way it killed the world that existed before it.  "American Pie" is a sort of eulogy for that old way of life, and way of music; it's a ballad for what we all lost, for better or worse, the day the music died.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
They said it in an interview themselves that I read a while ago. The entire song, although it is rumored to be about death is about fame and greed.. "Her mind is Tiffany twisted  She's got the Mercedes bends She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys  That she calls friends." "Materialism's" mind is twisted by Tiffany's and Mercedes: Tiffany's for expensive jewelry, Mercedes for the expensive cars. People's perspectives get distorted by these things, which explains another fun play on works with "Benz" or bends and twisted. "So I called up the Captain. Please bring me my wine. He said, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969." The Captain's response is interesting, they haven't had that wine since 1969. Since the summer of love, the summer of freedom from possessions. They haven't had the ability to give you that since... Woodstock. "Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'" Ceiling Mirrors are a great reference for our adult audience while Pink champagne is certainly another symbol of luxury. The last line gives up hope and hopelessness in that we are trapped of our own will. In pursuit of wealth we created our lifestyle. "'Relax,' said the night man, We are programmed to receive. You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave!" The night man, the guard, or society, tells us to relax, this is what we're all about, it is normal to desire things. We are brought up and conditioned by society to be receptive to messages about status and wealth. Of course, we can "check out", go on vacation, head to the mountains and get away for a while but, we will never pull ourselves from greed.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
This Taylor classic is about the death of a friend of James' called Suzanne (Susie) Schnerr,who he and a couple of friends were friendly with in New York around the mid 60's and who committed suicide while Taylor was in London cutting his debut album on the Beatles 'Apple' label.  He wasn't told about her death until six months after it happened because his own mental health was so delicate. The opening line 'just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone' is about how he felt on learning of her death.  The line 'won't you look down upon me Jesus, you gotta help me make  stand'is about him making a plea to help him through his drug abuse.  She was not a girl-friend and did not die in a plane crash.
Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbitt"
This is Grace Slick's effort from the band she was in prior to Airplane with her husband (The Great Society), written to scorn the use of extraordinary tales such as Alice in Wonderland, when raising children and expecting them to scorn psychdelia and open minded thinking.
Elton John's "Daniel"
This is a song about A brother or a friend or someone with a close relationship to a someone, "Daniel." Quite basically, Daniel is leaving home and the songwriter does not want him to leave. On the journey, something happens which kills Daniel. What a song!
KISS's "Beth"
This is a song about Peter Criss' wife being lonely because he and the band are always on the road and never home. the key line is 'me and the boys will be playing all night'
Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire"
This is a song that describes the influences that WWII had on America, and the reality of post-war America.  It's up-beat tune is extremely catchy, distracting mnay listeners from the true meaning: life and times of post-war America.
Black Sabbath's "Hand Of Doom"
This is a staight up anti-heroin song. "push the needle in, face that sickly grin, holes are in your skin, caused by deadly pins."
Guess Who's "American Women"
This is about Canada's frosty relations with the US during the Vietnam War. "I don't want your war machines, I don't want your ghetto scenes."  "American woman, get away from me."  I always thought it was kinda funny; did they think our part of the continent could pick itself up and float away?
Eric Clapton's "Layla"
This is about Clapton's affair with Beatle George Harrison's wife. To obscure who he was referring to, Clapton used the name "Layla" which was the name of a woman in a book he had just read...wish I could remember the name of the book.
The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes"
This is about Pete Townshend's then-closeted bi-sexuality.  "No one knows what it's like to be hated, to be fated to telling only lies", etc.
Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water"
This is about a fire in the Casino at Montreux, Switzerland. The water is Lake Geneva, which the casino overlooked. The band was going to record Machine Head there right after a Frank Zappa concert, but someone fired a flare gun at the ceiling which set the place on fire. The band was relocated to another hotel and recorded the album in the Rolling Stones mobile studio. Deep Purple and Frank Zappa  lost all his equipment in the fire. "Funky Claude" is Claude Nobs, a man who helped rescue some people in the fire was the person responsible for relocating the band to the Grand Hotel and arranging for themm to use the Rolling Stones mobile studio.
Elton John's "All The Girls Love Alice"
This is about a young lesbian in town who provides "entertainment" for the women in her neighborhood.
Jackson Browne's "Rosie"
This is about masturbation with Rosie Palm and her five sisters. "Rosie you're all right, you wear my ring; when you hold me tight, Rosie that's my thing." It's sung from the viewpoint of a musician who had hopes of picking up a groupie one night, but she goes off with the drummer instead. "Looks like it's me and you again tonight, Rosie."
Brownsville Station's "Smokin' In The Boys' Room"
This is about sneaking out of class to smoke in the bathroom and then getting caught.
Kiss's "Black Diamond"
This is an early Kiss song written by their original guitarist Angus Young.  It's about his cat Diamond who was white but would go out on the streets of London at night and come back home black and dirty.  This was on Kiss's first album Jailbreak.
Pink Floyd's "Any Colour You Like"
This is any instrumental from dark side of the moon... the title comes from an old english saying at the markets near where roger waters lived, when selling cutlery people would say, you can have any colour you like as long as its blue.. metaphorically this is offering a choice when there really isn't any
Rush's "The Trees"
This is clearly a play on Ayn Rand's philosophy which Rush has given credit to on at least one of their albums.  Rand's philosophy is survival of the fittest and individualism.  The oaks are the best, they deserve what they have, they earned it based on their ability to grow taller.  The end result of the weaker individuals grouping together to create "equality" is that everybody loses (kept equal with hatchet ax and saw).  Instead, they should strive to be better as an individual and become like oaks.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
This is one of my favorite songs ever written.  I believe that it pertains to the horrors of the Vietnam War.  It describes a soldiers confusion with reality in the lyric "can you tell heaven from hell".  Many of the soldiers had emotional troubles due to this war.  The lyric "trade your heroes for ghosts" was also about the thousands of soldiers killed. And one other lyric "did you exchange a walk on part in the war, for a lead role in a cage?" is about draft dodging and being put in jail which some thought better than walking onto the horrors of war.  The point is this song definetly is about the times of the Vietnam War, case closed.
Tubeway Army's "Everyday I Die"
This is yet another song about masturbation and alienation. It's about unfulfilled fantasies, and is pretty graphic: "The problem of need, I need you. Obscene dreams in rusty beds. No one came here tonight. I pulled on me, I need to. I unstick pages and rear. I look at pictures of you. I smell the lust on my hand...everyday I die."
Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London"
This might be rumor...but as I understand it this song is about the gangs portrayed in Clockwork Orange, who ran around london killing and raping.
Don McLean's "American Pie"
This must be one of the two most contested songs of all time (the other being Stairway).  I did a thesis on this song for a contemporary poetry class, and what I have written is the result of many hours of research.  The best way to understand it is to go line by line, noting the references, and then allowing people to draw their own conclusions.  "But February made me shiver, With every paper I'd deliver,  Bad news on the doorstep... I couldn't take one more step." February 2nd, 1959 was the date of the plane crash which killed Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper.  At the time Don McLean was a paperboy, and on Feb 3rd would have delivered the papers carrying the news of Holly's death. "So... Bye bye Miss American Pie..." The word "so" suggests that the next lines are connected to the previous ones. "Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry" This is reminiscient of a Chevrolet ad slogan of the 50's which ran: “Drive your Chevrolet/through the USA…On a highway or a road along a levee…” "That'll be the day that I die" was one of Buddy Holly's most famous songs. The next line "Did you write the book of Love, and do you faith in God above/ if the bible tells you so" "The Book of Love" was a 1958 hit song by The Monotones. "If the Bible tells you So' was a song by Don Cornell, 1955.  "Now do you believe in rock 'n roll?" This hints at the change in setting from the 50's to the 60's, as a well known 60's song by the Lovin Spoonful called "Do you beleive in Magic?" which reads "…I’ll tell you ‘bout the magic to free your soul, but it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll."  The song goes on for a while longer, but you get the idea.  Don McLean has admitted to the Holly references in the first lines, but prefers to leave the rest to the listener's imagination. Email me if you have any more questions.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
This one really speaks to alot of things going on at the time.  Both Henley and Frey have hinted to drug addiction, sex and the excesses of fame.  California was the perfect example of all of these things taking place, but it was actually about the US as a whole.  Sex-"There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bells.  And I was thinking to myself, this could be heaven or this could be hell".   A  little known fact is that Henley was arrested for harboring a young girl (not sure of the age but definitely not 18)    Drugs-Mercedes Bends (not Benz, like the car) is a code name for a heroin overdose.  "Steely Knives" is their way of mentioning Steely Dan, who had mentioned the Eagles in a song.  The theory about Satan worshipping may come more from the inside of the album than from the song itself, supposedly a devilish figure stands in the balcony being crucified.  You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.  Has there ever been a more analyzed line in music?  This could be about alot of things, drug addiction or sex, but I want to think it's about their rising popularity-that they could never go back to being the good ol' boys that hung out at the Troubadour, drank and smoked and tried to get layed every night without the whole world knowing. This is one of the greatest songs ever written, if nothing else to keep us all guessing.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
This song (as any Floyd fan would know) is about The Floyd's rise to superstardom, because of the album Dark Side of the Moon, and becoming trapped in the world of being a super star thus "Wish You Were Here"...because they weren't...
The Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
This song IS NOT ABOUT LSD as some folks would have you believe.  John Lennon's son Julian had come back from school one day with a drawing.  When John Lennon asked his son what it was, Julian told him that it was a girl he liked "Lucy" who appeared to be floating in the sky with diamonds that he drew around her that he had hoped one day to give her.    If you belive that Lucy in the sky with diamonds is about LSD use, then you probably believe the rumors that Paul McCartney had also died back in the 1960's and that we are still listening and being fooled by his perfect double "Billy Sheers".
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"
This song also refers to recordings the band did in the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama where the guys there took them under their wing and showed them how to record in a studio. Ronnie Van Zant affectionately dubs them the "Swampers" and states "they pick me up when I'm feeling blue." The majority of the Skynyrd band hails from Jacksonville FL and no members were from Alabama. Also the recordings made in Alabama lead to the success of their first album. Neil Young and Van Zant were friends, Young thought the song was funny, he even did it in concert on occasion. Ronnie was also known to wear a Neil Young t-shirt during concerts. Also alot of people think the band were racists, they were not. Why else would they "boo" governor Wallace, who was for segregation at the time. The confederate back drop for the band was drummed up by the record company to promote them as a Southern Rock band. The band thought it was a good idea at the time and eventually stopped using the flag later in their career. Skynyrd  Rocks!
Styx's "The Grand Illusion"
This song basically says that we shouldn't follow the rest of world in fads but show our-selves for who we are.  The line "America spells compitition" says that we are obsessed with beating other countries.
Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar"
This song deals with the record company man who promises the world to a would be star. "The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh, by the way, which one is Pink?" reveals disdain for the record company man who fakes enthusiasm for the band while not knowing anything about the band. The "gravy train" is the riches that success in the music world can bring. In short, the music business is all about making money, regardless of artistic creativity, which is the foundation of Floyd's music.
Queen's "Death On Two Legs"
This song has a lot of meaning, is is a very degrating song, and it is directed to one of Queens managers, who in the 80's took a bunch of "Royalty" money from them and left, So they thought the only thing fit for them to do is right a song about him.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
This song has been argued over for a long while now that this song is about a drug addiction and the hotel is a metaphore for a rehab facility, but in fact the hotel is the Las Angeles county morgue. This song is about a car accident and many people died and they ended up with there souls trapped in the morgue. I quote ' We are all prisoners here of our own device'. I qoute 'You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave'. In those sayings is cleary makes a point of death. This song is clearly about a morgue I quote 'this could be heaven or this could be hell.' before those lines are spoken he talks about seeing a light....(the light of death).......he talks about pink shampane on ice (AKA emablming fluids) the mirrors on the ceiling( the mirrors the docters see from in the ceiling.  "And in the master's chambers,  They gathered for the feast  The stab it with their steely knives,  But they just can't kill the beast " He talks about the table were his body lies they cut him open with teh knives they try to kill his spirit but it still lingers.  "Last thing I remember, I was  Running for the door  I had to find the passage back  To the place I was before  'Relax,'said the night man,  We are programmed to receive.  You can checkout any time you like,  but you can never leave! "  He talks about his spirit trying to erase this dream and wake up and the nightmen says he can die anytime he likes but his spirit can never leave. And he says we are programmed to recieve,is that they are programmed to recieve spirits and bodys because they are the LA morgue.
Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
This song has definately been known as relating to drugs but is no where close to that. My marching band is playing it now in our show and we sat down and our director, a very big S&G fan, told us about the song and its meaning. He said we are using it as a sign of our relationship towards eachother and thats why he picked it in the first place. The song is definately in no way related to drugs.
Rush's "The Trees"
This song has so much meaning.  To me, it is describing how you can fight back and if you stand together you can overcome anything.  "the maples formed a union, and demanded equal rights"  Just because a group of people have more money, a better car, house, ext. this DOES NOT mean that they are better than you in any way shape or form.
Don McLean's "American Pie"
This song has various meanings. On the surface it appears to be about the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly. However, the song is also about the death of the innocence of the 1950's and 1960's. If you wish to over-analyse American Pie you may find connections to other bands but the main thing here is to find the essence of the song.
John Lennon's "Imagine"
This song is NOT about  communism, may sound like it, but no.. It's about how much better the world would be with out religion, seeing as religion causes wars, racism, hate.. putting mankind against eachother.. when in fact it should be the opposite.
Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
This song is NOT about LSD.  Initially, the Beatles did nothing to dspel the misconception behind the lyrics.  As we all know, controversial lyrics make for a more popular song.  It was later told by John Lennon that he got the idea for the song from a drawing his son Julian had done.  He asked Julian what it was a picture of and he said "Lucy in the sky with diamonds."  Not as intrigueing as a song about LSD, huh?  But, still, it was, in my opinion, one of their best.
Coven's "One Tin Soldier"
This song is a story about a group of people that lived high on a mountain who had a treasure buried under a stone and another group down in the valley that wanted the buried treasure and swore they'd have it one day.  First they go and ask the mountain people to turn over their treasure, but they refused.  The valley people then mount horses and draw swords and kill all the mountain people in order to claim this treasure.  The treasure turns out to be nothing they expected.  They turn the stone and look beneath it and, ironically, it says 'Peace on Earth' and nothing more.  I beleive the meaning of this is that you have to share such a treasure as peace.  Otherwise, it leads to more conflict.  The war in this story would never have happened if the mountain people had just shared their treasure.
David Bowie's "Heroes"
This song is about "old life" meeting "new life". Bowie describes it through the lovelife of his characters. In the beginning, everything seems "king and queen", then .. he can be mean, but they are still together, the process of living in love is not the issue, rather than the result.  Later in the song,in modern life, love is different. It has become "epic" ..(in a music way) and also described in the "dolphin verse". In Freudian, water equals the unknown, and the sexual frustration.  Standing by the wall, he has been caught with his love (a man), but he regrets nothing. Those who love all, they are nothing, and nothing will help them. Maybe they lie, so be carefull, they are men, men have lead world wars. !  The meaning is, that love is more than just sex between sexes, men and women. It is a universal thing, and if You can be accused of being wrong in that respect, who do You have to answer for then ? The judge on earth will stand to answer someone ... We can be heroes .. we can beat them .. Just for one day .. Maybe not for as long as we are here, but in eternety .. ! That is the message ! Pete ..
Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit"
This song is about ALice and Wonderland. The book not the Disney movie, but u can still match most of the lyrics to the Disney movie.
Don McClean's "American Pie"
This song is about Buddy Holly dying in a plane crash("the day the music died. It is full of allusions to the 60's and 70's.  I was surprised it wasn't on this site, and if anybody knew more about it they could post a longer entrie.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
This song is about CULTS........being lured in, joining, and (trying to) leave them....
Harry Nilsson's "1941"
This song is about Harry's early life growing up as a child. Harry was born in 1941. In 1941 happy father had a son. And by 1944 the father walke right out the door. This is when his parents divorced. By 1945 mom and son were still alive but who could tell by 46 if the two could still survive. He refers to when the circus comes to town as meaning to his life being a circus as a child. Not knowing what was going to happen next.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
This song is about James Taylor's sister, Susan, who died in a house fire.
Lynard Skynard's "All I Can Do Is Write About It"
This song is about Mr. Van DAm growing up in the south, and the natural beauty of the country. It is so odd how he says," Lord take me and mine before the concrete creeps in." And how he dies not that much longer.
Heart's "Magic Man"
This song is about Nancy Wilson, who fell under the spell of Charles Manson and for a short time, became a follower.  Her mother tried to bring her back home, but she believed he was a "magic man," because she first experienced drugs while with him.  Eventually, it was her sister Ann who managed to pull her away from the cult.  She arrived at the Manson compound and kidnapped Nancy in the middle of the night.  Ann and her mother managed to "de-program" Nancy before it was too late.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
This song is about Satan.  there are few pieces of evidence to support this claim. first off the first church of satan is located on california st, hence the title "Hotel California." The line that goes "So I called up the Captain, 'Please bring me my wine' He said,'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine."  It is interesting to know that wine is the blood of christ and Anthony Lavey the founder of the church of satan wrote the 1st satanic bible in 1969......Coinicidence????  of course the satanic bible would condemn "Wine."  Now listen to the song and think about the descriptions they give especially at the beginning
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
This song is about a chick who uses heroin. At the end she dies, and climbs the "stairway to heaven"
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
This song is about a couple in a mental institution.  The couple was separated by those in charge, and as a result, the man committed suicide.
Garth Brooks's "Unanswered Prayers"
This song is about a guy who dated a girl along time ago.  They broke up and he wanted her back very badly.  He would pray to God every night that God would make her his again.  He then met and married someone else, and ran into his old flame, he introduced the two and realized that she and he both had changed.  He then looked at his wife and Thanked God for the way he answered that very prayer...with someone else, not the original girl.
The Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black"
This song is about a guy's girlfriend or wife dying.  "I see a red door and I want it painted black"- some churches- have red doors.  "I see a line of cars and they're all painted black.  With flowers and my love both never to come back" as in a funeral procession.
Vicki Lawrence's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia"
This song is about a man who is a long haul truck driver and is sung from the perspective of his little sister.  After a few days out of town he is on his way back home when he stops at a bar and runs into his best friend Andy.  Andy tells him that his wife has been sleeping around and that he has been with her too.  The Trucker is angry about the betrayal and decides to do something about it.  He heads home to get his gun "the only thing papa had left him" while Andy is making his way home, wondering what is going to happen now that he lost one of his only friends.  When the brother/trucker is sneaking through the woods to get to Andy's house he comes across some small footprints, too small to be a man's.  When he looks into the house and sees Andy dead he knows that his sister must have killed him, so he fires his gun into the air to draw the attention of the officers in the area on patrol.  It doesnt say so but I think that he confessed to the crime to protect his sister and she is bitter because they didnt even bother to investigate and prove he was telling the truth. "The judge said 'guilty' at a make-believe trial".  When she refers to the "lights in Georgia" I think that it is a reference to truth and justice, that the actions of the court in her brothers case were so blind that they were working in the dark, railroading her brother to get the best outcome for themselves, even if it wasnt the truth.
Boomtown Rats's "I Don't Like Mondays"
This song is about a school shooting. A woman who didn't like the day Monday came into a classroom and shot heaps of children. Not very blatant meaning, maybe except for "I want to shoot the whole day down."
Eagles's "Hotel California"
This song is about a whore house. The "Captin" is the pimp. "Her mind is Tiffany-twisted" means how shes whore whos addicted to the life of sex drugs and money.... She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends" means her 'johns' or 'clients.' "Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice" what high class whore house dosen't come with mirrors on the ceilings and booze. "You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave" is talking about how the hookers can stop being hookers but it will never leave them.
America's "Horse With No Name"
This song is about drug use and the horse with no name represents heroin. Everything is a metaphor in this song. The journey through the desert represents the initial happiness and eventual horror that will "drown" you in an ocean of despair.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Where Here"
This song is about former band mate Syd Barrett. This 1975 album is mostly based around Syd. It is not about the bands drug use or a father lost in World War 2. A Pink Floyd song named "Mother" is about a father who was a casualty of World War 2.
Billy Paul's "Me & Mrs Jones"
This song is about heroin.  "Jonesing" is slang for heroin use.  What Billy Paul is talking about his love affair with H.
Neil Young's "Down By The River"
This song is about heroine. Hence when he says, "down by the river"(his arm), "i shot my baby"(his heart) "she could drag me over the rainbow"( the high) "its so hard standing here being all alone" (the addiction)
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
This song is about how he was in a mental institution and the only thing that kept him going was a girl.  When he left the institution he found out that she had killed herself a day before he got out.
Rush's "The Trees"
This song is about labor unions and how they may help the workers but in the end everyone will be brought down.
Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight"
This song is about nothing.  Phil Collins was setting to go out on a solo tour and had just purchased new equipment.  In getting set up and testing the equipment out, he started singing just anything that came to mind.  He later added melody and that's the real meaning behind the song.  I heard Phil Collins himself tell the story on a late night radio show.
Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"
This song is about someone who is desperately seeking the love of another someone, and how they would do anything to have their love returned by that person.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
This song is about what Roger Waters perceived as a near death experience. As a child, he experienced an illness which brought on a high fever which he felt would lead to his death. It is a song about drifting in and out of consciousness--both as an ill child, and later as an adult on drugs.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
This song is actually about a drug rehab facility in New England which was ironically referred to as "The Hotel California" in part as a means of maintaining discrection while discussing it and in part as a reference to the celebrities and wannabes who spent time there. The narrator is refused wine for obvious reasons. "We are all just prisoners here of our own device" is a reference to addiction. "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave" is another reference to addiction, which can be dealt with but never cured. Once you know what it's about, all the pieces fall into place rather easily with this one.
Don McLean's "American Pie"
This song is almost like a bard's tale about folk/pop rock between the fiftys and the seventys. The actual "day the music died" is most commonly believed to mean that dread day in 1958 when a small airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper crashed killing them all. The first verse covers the beginning of the end with the death of Mclean's idol and the song continues to progress as did the music of the day. We go through the rise and fall of: Dylan, and folk music; the Beatles and modern pop; the Stones and thier perversion of what rock once had been. The song reads almost like a history book of the social and political semiment and events of the 10 or so years between the writing of the song and the death of Buddy Holly. The lyrics also greatly reflect McLean's first introduction to music in the form of Gospel. We could go on four hours about this song and we promise a line by line break down by verse in the future (when it's not 5:39 in the morning).
Coven's "One Tin Soldier"
This song is an allegory of what non-natural American's did to the Native Americans. The Native Americans were nearly destroyed by a different people's ignorance of the difference between material wealth and wealth of the greater things in life, like peace (or spirituality). The One Tin Soldier represents the single and only person who stood up for what was right.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
This song is based on roger waters. he had a problem with his hand and on the day of a concert he took something to numb the pain. When he was playing he could not feel his hand but still felt comfortable and as if he was able to play even better, hence the title comfortably numb
Simon And Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
This song is basically about a person who is there for his friend self-sacrificially, he is always there to provide a shoulder to lean on no matter what the situation, with little or no regard for him/herself.
Jethro Tull's "Crossfire"
This song is clearly about a hostage situation that occured in London. It states "Spring light in a hazy May" of course stateing the time of year in which this happened. "A man with a gun at teh door" describes one of the six gunman as they enter the building. "Someone's crawling on the roof above-- all the media here for the show" is describing the SAS (similar to our SWAT or Green Beret) as they wait on the roof for orders. The media is clearly stated as the media...duh... "I've been waiting for our friends to come Like spiders down ropes to free-fall" also describing the SAS as there getting ready to move in on the gunman. "admit one to the embassy ball" which is where it happened (the Iranian embassy in Londan). "Caught in the crossfire on Princes Gate Avenue" Is the street on which the embassy was on. "In go the windows and out fo the lights" describe when the SAS break in threw the windows and gun fire goes off thus making light. "Everyone's tried to talk it through but they can't seem to get the deal right" is talking about a nagociation that neither the gunman nor the government was able to agree on. "Somewhere there are Brownings in a two-hand hold--- cocked and locked, one up the spout" describes the SAS and possible a sharp shooter on the roof waiting for the orders to fire. This is a very interesting store i suggest you look it up and listen to the song.
Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl"
This song is not about heroin. Van MOrrison wouldnt make a song like this about heroin. Its about a guy remembering old times with a girl who had brown eyes not every song is in code, alot of them are obvious, like this one, it is a beutiful song with a beutiful meaning not about drugs!
Rush's "The Trees"
This song is not about life/death or God as the other poster stated.  It's about proletariat uprisings.  "The maples want more sunlight but the oaks ingnore their pleas." "...The maples screamed OPRESSION!"  "...So the maples formed a union, and demanded equal rights."  The themes here pretty blatanly Marxist with the maples representing the working class and the oaks representing the aristocrats or upper classes.  The line about all being kept equal with hatchet, axe, and saw is an obvious reference to the tools of the working class, which become their weapons in a revolution. Much like the hammer and sickle are the representation of the Bolshevik revolution.
Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London"
This song is not about literal werewolves. It's about the good-looking men of London or anywhere else for that matter. You can spot a werewolf anywhere. (A goodlooking guy dressed to kill teeming with confidence with just one thing on his mind) Thus the verse, "I saw a werewolf drinking a pinacoloda at Tradervicks and his hair was perfect, hmm I'd like to meet his tailor." There are werewolves out there, you girls should know that.
Billy Joel's "Captain Jack"
This song is not about specifically heroin like most people think, but rather the drug dealer in Billy's old neighborhood. Everyone in the neghborhood called the drug dealer "Captain Jack".
Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight"
This song is not only about quickies for lunch.  It is also about an appetizer served at Clyde's of Georgetown (Washington, DC).
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
This song is often misunderstood.  The lyrics were written by Roger Waters who is a notorious racist.  This lyrics are misunderstood as comfortably numb when in fact the lyrics are comfortably dumb.  Waters is writing about the way a black lives and thinks in a sarcastic, comical sense.  "Hello.Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone home?" This line is talking about what goes on inside a black persons head, implying that black people do not think they simply act.  The other part of the song is about a dumb black person going to the doctor because he is in pain but is so dumb he cant explain to the doctor what is wrong. " Relax. I need some information first.Just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts?  There is no pain, you are receding."  In the end the doctor tells the dumb nigger hes not even hurt hence the last line.  In the ending of the song the doctor injects the nigger with some poison that kills him."Just a little pinprick.There'll be no more ...Aaaaaahhhhh! But you may feel a little sick." comment or email me on your reactions
The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes"
This song is part of Townshend's failed lifehouse project, and it's from the bad guy in the storys point of view to show that even they have emotions like the rest of us
Bob Marley And The Wailers's "Burnin' And Lootin"
This song is really about the segregation and hatred that was taking place in America during the 60's.  He wrote the song after he moved to Delaware and witnessed the violence against the blacks.  When Bob says "Could not recognize the faces standing over me, they were all dressed in uniforms of brutality" he is singing about the KKK.
Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life"
This song is really good emotional song itself and it revails a person's of life. Every heart it shines a bright light in you just if it does God will have a smile in heaven once more. You always light up my life.
Pink Floyd's "'Comfortably Numb'"
This song is talkin about how drugs bring you back to the feeling of being a small child and help adults cope with life and the harsh world.  The verses are the drug, heroin, talkin to "Pink" and the chorus is his response.  The verses describe how the drug will make him feel, "Well i can ease your pain, get you one your feet again."  "Just a little pinprick.  There'll be no more Ahhhhhh!  But you may feel a little sick,"  describes the effects of heroin on "Pink."
The Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
This song is talking about the halucinations while on LSD. Hence the name, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds(which spells out LSD). Such as distorted colors and the size of things. Which are also in the movie Alice in Wonderland.
Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama"
This song is, in part, the boys from the deep south getting stuck into Neil Young for urging the South to consider civil rights for blacks, in his song "Southern Man".  It is an extraordinary attack by one artist on another -- by name!   "I heard Mr Young sing about her (i.e. Alabama), I heard ole Neil put her down I hope Neil Young will remember A Southern Man don't need him round anyhow!"  The song goes on to show the band's political leanings to the right:  "Watergate, it does not bother me Does your conscience bother you? Tell me true."
Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London"
This song isn't really about "good looking men" as much as it's amking fun of the young men of London who, at the time the song was written were sporting a specific hair-do. The look was ridiculously similar to Lon Cheney's make-up in "The Werewolf" (combed back, feathered and parted in the middle). Since it was a trend of the times in London, every male of a certain age seemed to be wearing the 'do creating a clone-like atmosphere.   It's actually one of the greatest slams of all time in it's ability to make fun of the "stylish" Brits.
John Lennon's "Imagine"
This song portrays qualities similar to that of communism, but I have to say it was definitely NOT his intention.  John Lennon was simply throwing out an idea of how the world could be--IMAGINE. The part that some of you seem to take as supporting communism "Imagine there's no heaven its easy if you try, no hell below us above us only sky" is just the realization that religion (and Im not atheist) with its intricate beliefs systems and propensity toward ignorance and unacceptance has actual created a greater portion of all the wars ever fought.  The world might be better off if there was no religion at all, but just the idea of a higher power. The part about people sharing the world is a socialistic idea, but I believe it was meant to counter the culture in America with the large rift between rich and poor and especially the greatest rift between first and third world countries.  No this song is definitely not about communism. John Lennon was a dreamer and I respect him for that.  To diminish him as a pinko commie is just downright ignorant and retarded
Pink Floyd's "Time"
This song tells of how people can spend thier whole lives just wasting time when they are young. 'Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day.' Later on in the song, it says that these people who waste their lives can try to make up their wasted youth but you can't. "And you run adn you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking And racing around to come up behind you again The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.' The song is basically saying, in a way that you should cherish the time you have and make the most of it because when you're older and you realize that you have wasted most of your life, it's too late and there's nothing you can do about it.
Psychedielic Furs's "Pretty In Pink"
This song was a minor "new wave" hit in the very early 80s. It later became the theme tune (re-worked and re-recorded) for a feelgood Hollywood movie of the same name. The band (and others) have laughed about the fact that the movie makers were totally unaware of the songs true meaning. It is not complementing a girl on how attractive she looks in her pink dress or outfit - it's about a girl who was routinely used by insincere lovers who obviously thought she loked "pretty in pink" (ie, in her birthday suit, totally naked).
Yes's "South Side Of The Sky"
This song was at least in part inspired by a documentary of BBC1 that was aired around 1970/1971. The documentary was about various attempts to climb the infamous north face of the Eiger mountain. It featured one particulary moving interview with the survivor of a pair of British climbers; the other was injured and died during the climb. The surviving climber described the hours he spent on the mountainside with his dying friend as his `proudest', and it had clearly been a devastaing yet at the same time spiritual experience for him.  This part of the documentary made a deep impression on me. The first time I heard this song a couple of years  later, I was certain that Jon had to have been inspired by that same interview. The initial and final sections convey the awesome loneliness and cold of the climb, while the gentle middle section is the night time vigil and the death of the climbing companion. The clue is also in the title:  the `south side of the sky', is an alternative way of describing the north side of the Eiger.  I was lucky enough to meet Jon a couple of years ago, and he confirmed that the song had indeed been inspired by the same interview that I recalled.
AC/DC's "Highway To Hell"
This song was not a devilish song it was mainly about the bands life on the road and what they went through
Paul Simon And Art Garfunkle's "Scarborough Fair"
This song was not written by Simon.He borrowed part of it from a poem that is in the Oxford Book of Poems pusblished in England and the author is anonymous. The poem is much longer than the song.
Bread's "Everything I Own"
This song was originally written by David Gates (lead singer) for his father who had just recently passed away. thank you. jay
Coven's "One Tin Soldier"
This song was the feature of the moive Billy Jack, about a school on a mountainside, which the people of the valley wanted to close down. (I think they were American Indians?) The valley folk are frightened of the people, and can get away with murder if its one of the Indian folk. Billy Jack, the main character, protects the school and its students because he thinks they are precious, and therefore the 'treasure'. There is a shootout, the 'mount your horses, draw your swords' and eventually, to protect the others, Billy gives himself up 'Then one tin soldier rides away'... Its a great movie - I reccomend watching it.
Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama"
This song was written because when the band were on the bus going through Alabama they though it was quite beautiful so they wrote a song about it.  Although they did write "a southern man don't need him around anyhow" in response to Neil Young's "southern man" but actually had no dislike toward Neil Young at all.  I saw this on a bio of Skynard.
Eagles's "Already Gone"
This song was written by Bob Strandlund and Jack Tempchin, who were friends of the band members. It is about ending a long term friendship/relationship on a happy note. Around the time that this song was written, Frey ended a long-term relationship with his girlfriend. He thought it would be a great song, because most people could relate to it. The song is also about not letting anyone control your life. "So often times it happens, that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the keys" That line means that sometimes people can take over our lives, but there is always a way to escape from it.
BTO's "You Aint Seen Nothing Yet"
This song was written by CF Turner to make fun of one of his brother or the manager or someone close to him who had a stuttering problem. It was never meant to be recorded and put on an album but later one became known as one of their best known songs
The Beatles's "Let It Be"
This song was written by Paul after a session of meditation.  While in his trance The Beatles road manager George Martin appeared before him stating the words "Let It Be".  This is what Paul has said about the song.
The Bouys's "Timothy"
This song was written by Rupert Holmes who had a hit with the Pina Colada song.  What follows is a blurb I'd found again just recently on another web site:  He found a group out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania named The Buoys, and somehow Scepter Records, which was the label of Dionne Warwick and BJ Thomas, agreed to release one single that they would record. Michael knew the label would not promote the song, but wanted to make the most of the opportunity. Rupert suggested they record a song that would get banned. That way, there would at least be some controversy about the group and another label might sign them and promote them. So Rupert tried to write a song that would get banned.  Holmes: "At the time, I was working on an arrangement of '16 Tons,' the Tennessee Ernie Ford hit from the '50s, for an artist named Andy Kim. While I was working on the arrangement, there was a cooking show on the TV in the kitchen. It was called The Galloping Gourmet with Graham Kerr. It's on in the background and I'm singing the lyrics to '16 Tons,' playing it to a kind of vamp sort of like 'Proud Mary,' and I sing 'Some people say a man is made out of mud, a coal man's made out of muscle and blood. Muscle and blood and skin and bones, a mind that's weak and a back that's...' and I think, you know, that almost sounds like a recipe - muscle and blood and skin and bones, bake in a moderate oven for 2 hours, top with Miracle Whip. I had seen the movie Suddenly Last Summer about a week earlier on TV, and it had a revelation about cannibalism in it, and I thought, If it's good enough for Tennessee Williams, it's good enough for The Buoys. So I thought, Cannibalism during a mining disaster, that'll get banned. It's not like I'm really telling people to go out and eat someone, this is just this dark, horrible thing that happened in this story. So I write this lyric: 'Timothy, Timothy, where on Earth did you go?' It's about three boys who are trapped in a mine with water but no food for maybe a week. When they're pulled free, they don't remember what happened, but they know they're not hungry. One of them is missing, and that's Timothy. We record this on the weekend and I don't think about it again."  When this was released, some little radio stations played it and kids would hear it and figure out what it was about. They would call and request the song, and the radio stations, surprised by the phone response, would then listen to the song to find out what it was about. Says Holmes: "They played the song originally because it had a nice rhythm, kind of like a Creedence Clearwater Revival feel. It was catchy enough, but then they'd hear what the song was about and say 'We can't be playing this, it's about cannibalism!' and they'd pull the song off the air. The kids would call in and say 'Why'd you pull the song off the air,' and they'd say, 'Because it's disgusting, you shouldn't be listening to stuff like that.' Well, all you have to do is tell a teenage kid that he shouldn't be listening to something because it's disgusting and vile and loathsome, and he'll demand it. So the record, unlike "Pina Colada," which vaulted up the charts, went up like one or two digits every week. It was on the charts forever. Stations were playing it, kids were clamoring for it, it would move up the charts, then the station would pull it, the kids would clamor more and some other station would go on it to satisfy that demand. It just kept going up the charts."  Holmes: "Scepter Records in the beginning did not even know it was on their label. The promotion men for Scepter Records, who were trying to break a Beverly Bremers single, would say, 'We couldn't get it on that station, they went with this stupid song called Timothy.' Finally, someone said, 'You idiot, it's on our label.' Now they have a problem, because now they're getting up towards the top 20, and they know there are some big stations that are simply not going to play this record. WABC-AM, the biggest station at the time, they never played it. Scepter Records started a rumor that Timothy was a mule to try to get the taint of cannibalism out of the picture and try to make it a Top-10 record. Someone called me and said, 'Was Timothy a mule? You wrote it.' And I said 'No, what can I tell you, they ate him.'  Holmes: "It did better than we intended it to do. It was supposed to just start the controversy, instead it actually was a hit. I was a 20 year old kid hungry not for human flesh, but hungry to do something successful in the music business. I think I diagnosed a dilemma that a friend of mine had and found an effective way of solving his problem."  This was the only Top 40 hit for the Buoys. They did get an LP deal from Scepter Records out of it, they had a couple of other records that placed in the Top-100.
Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls"
This song was written during the period where Freddie Mercury was confused about his sexuality.  He was infatuated with women with large buttoxes.  He was quoted with saying "I love women with a pear shaped figure."  They make his world go round...ie they rock his bed
Elvis Costello's "Veronica"
This song was written for Elvis' grandmother, who suffered from alshiemers9spellig sucks), and was in a nursing home.  Not sure if her name was really Veronica, but that's what the song is really about.
The Ramones's "I Don't Want to Live This Life (Anymore)"
This song was written in the early 80's or late 70's is talks about Sid Vicious and his girl friend Nancy Spungen, that he was accused of killing under the influence of heroine. Afther Visious was release from prison under bail he overdosed on heroine, and this was said to be a suicide. He wrote a poem for his beloved Nancy and it was "You were my little baby girl,  And I shared all your fears.  Such joy to hold you in my arms  and kiss away your tears.  But now you're gone, there's only pain  and nothing I can do.  And I don't want to live this life,  If I can't live for you.  To my beautiful baby girl.  Our love will never die..."  The Ramones had a bumpy relationship with the Sex Pitols but when Sid died they knew that they had to write a song about the great performer. This song is rare and few people have heard it. Alot of the line used in this song are realated to Sid's poem.
Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire"
This song wasn't written in the 70s but the late 80s and not just about WWII but just about the problems in America from 1940 something to 1980 something.
The Undertones's "Teenage Kicks"
This song, Im afraid, is about masturbation. The chorus was originally going to be "I wanna hold it, wanna hold it tight...", the teenage kicks in question. The song describes how the singer fancies the new girl in the neighbourhood, but cant bring himself to do anything about it, apart from getting teenage kicks right through the night.
The Beatles's "'let It Be'"
This song, the last song of the Beatles legend, was released in 1970.  The meaning is simple really, you need to learn to just let it be.
Billy Paul's "Me And Mrs. Jones"
This was a song about a steamy extramarital affair.
The Buoys's "Timothy"
Three boys are trapped in a cave after the entrance collapses. But only two of them are rescued. The third boy, named Timothy, was sacrificed as food for the survivors. Recently, The Bouys' members denied any cannibalism, insisting that a donkey was "Timothy".
Dawn's "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree"
"Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree is a song based on a true story. A man who had served three years in prison for writing bad checks was returning home on a bus headed South on U.S. 17 in Georgia.  He had written his wife a letter saying that he would understand if she didn't wait for him, but if she loved him, she could let him know by tying a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree in the city square of their hometown.  As the bus rolled in to White Oak, Georgia, the driver slowed down so the man, and all the passengers, could see if she had signalled her intentions.  When the yellow ribbon was spotted, the man broke down and cried as the passengers cheered.  Wire services picked up the inspiring story and song writers Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown fashioned it into "Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree."
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
To start off, this song can have many interpretations, my personal interpretation is that the Hotel California was once an Inn run by canibals. These cannibals would bring some guests in and invite them into their grotesque ways or simply eat them. "You can check out any time you like but you may never leave" can be once you are a cannibal you can never change and go back. Read the rest of the lyrics and you will notice it. Another thing, when the captain doesn't have wine means that they don't drink that anymore, they drink blood. This has been portrayed in the famous Xbox game "Jade Empire" as there is an Inn that is run by cannibals.
John Sebastian's "Darlin' Companion"
Two lovers are symbolic "horses." The lyric in question is "a little bridling down from you is what I need." A female friend of mine seems to think that there is something sinister or negative being expressed. I do not agree. Johnny Cash and June Carter sang this song once. Kindly advise.
Roling Stones's "Wild Horses"
Two songs for the price of one! The first stanza was written by Keith Richard in tribute to his son Marlon: "Childhood living is easy to do. The things you wanted, I bought them for you." But Keith couldn't think of any more lines, so Mick Jagger stepped in ,and turned it into a song about his ruptured relationship with Marianne Faithfull:"I watched you suffer, a dull, aching pain; now you've decided to show me the same." Ironically, when the albulm "Sticky Fingers" came out in 1971, featuring this song, Marianne sued Jagger, claiming she had written another cut on the LP, "Sister Morphine", without being credited.The whole mess was later settled out of court.Hell hath no fury like an ex-girlfriend junky!
Dimmu Borgir's "Indoctrination"
Uh. Another example of a metalband writing useless lyrics. or isn?t it?  Indoctrination, in my opinion, deals with the negative sides of religion, firmed in the view that people relinquished from any religious believe are more free concerning their mind, their attitude and their thoughts. Furthermore i see some pictures of the modern media society in front of me while reading the lyrics. The band simply spits out their anger against intolerance and stupidity in common.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
Um- has anyone else noticed Robert Plant's fixation with JRR Tolken? (ahem, "The Battle of Evermore" being a very direct referance to LOTR, and in "Ramblin'" Golem and Mordor are mentioned.)So listen to the song, and you'll notice a few referances to Tolken. Plus, Plant had, infact, been reading a book about Celtic Magic, as has already been mentioned. He said in an interveiw that he was hurt that people thought it ment nothing, because he really was feeling philisophical when writing it. Anyone who's ever wwritten a poem knows how criptic they can come out. I also think that if Plant ment us tho know the full meaning of this song, he wouldn't have been so cryptic!
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Unfortunately the second commentary is a widely-believed myth.  Taylor did meet Suzanne during one of his stays at Austin Riggs mental institution (though it is unclear which).  She committed suicide shortly after he left the institution and his friends did not tell him of her death until a time later because they did not wish to put a damper on his success.  The line refferring to the flyinh machine was an allusion to the name of his band that broke up before he went to england.  here are a couple sites supporting what i added:  http://www.james-taylor.com/albums/firerain.shtml http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm
Eagles's "Hotel California"
"Warm smell of colitas, rising up from the air." Often misinterpreted lyric, "colitas," is the technical term for the smell of fresh cannibis.  The song is indeed about death, more specifically purgatory.
Buffalo Springfield's "I Am A Child"
Well I will paste it here.    http://lyrics.rare-lyrics.com/B/Buffalo-Springfield.html  Hmmm....it wouldn't paste.  If you look it up, "the man" is the one I want to figure who it might be.  "you are a man" to me might mean big brother or the government, and is rhetorical in Neil Young's questioning of his relationship/involvement in his life.
Covens's "One Tin Soldier"
Well someone stated earlier about this one saying that the war in this song would have never occured if the mountain people had just shared their treasure with the Valley people.  Problem with their thoughts on this song is the Mountain people WERE sharing their treasure.  They were a peaceful bunch who did not bother the valley people.  When they were given the message from the valley people that they wanted what treasure it was that was held under the stone in the mountain the mountain people agreed completely by saying "with our brothers we will share, all the secrets of the mountain, all the riches buried there"  They were correct in saying though that the valley people were greedy and could not settle with simply sharing but had to have it for their very own.  The song to sum it up as simply as possible is that the song is about irony first and foremost.  But ideally it's about peace.  Being patient and sharing what is offered.  If they had just accepted the offer the mountain people had given them, peace would have been obtained and the treasure would have belonged to everyone.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
What great imaginations you all have! I heard JT interviewed in NPR when they chose Fire and Rain as one of the "100."  He explained the first part of the song is about his close friend's suicide while he was recording over in England. They informed him of it a week later, once the albumn was a wrap, because they didn't want the news to interupt the studio sessions. The middle part is about when he hit bottom with his heroin habit and almost died. The last part is about his surviving the first two and moving forward with his life. So there you have it from the artist himself...
The Busboys / Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town"
When I was at The Citadel, I was in Tango Company.  We were called "The Boys"  We were told that "The Boys are Back in Town" was about "The Boys".  Cadets most popular bars were Dino's Bar and Grill and Big John's Place.  Friday nights "The Boys" would go drinking wearing their Friday Dress Parade uniform and it was not out of the norm for a fight to break out.  When "The Boys" were back in town from spring break it wasn't long until summer came.  The Citadel is The Military College of South Carolina, located in Charleston, SC.  It may be by chance that so many of the lyrics fit "The Boys".  I'd appreciate it if you would check into this story.  Thank you very much.  Matt - Jacksonville, FL
Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf"
When I was teen I naively thought this song from Masters of Reality was about a remarkable person who had helped open the writer's mind. After meeting a girl who did just that for me I referred to her as Sweet Leaf and was horribly embarrassed by being told that the song was merely about marijuana.
America's "Horse With No Name"
When this song was originally released, it was banned in several cities due to "drug references"; i.e., "horse" is a street name for heroin.  Surprisingly (?), it has been noted that the song accurately describes going on, and coming down off of, a drug binge.  I don't want to bore readers with details, but many college theses have been written about this song and it's accuracy in describing the psychological and physiological effects of heroin use.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Where do You folks get Your information from? Research people research, dont believe everthing You're told by Your worthless peers. Aids was unheard of in the mid 70's, at least in the UK and USA, and Freddy was from Pakistan anyway, wasn't aids there either... Bohemian Rhapsody by the rock band Queen is Freddy Mercury's take on an old classical opera... La bohème[1] is an opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de Bohème by Henri Murger. The world première of La bohème was performed in Turin on February 1, 1896 at the Teatro Regio (now the Teatro Regio Torino) and conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini. In 1946, fifty years after the opera's premiere, Toscanini conducted a performance of it on U.S. radio, and this performance was eventually released on records and on compact disc. It is the only recording of a Puccini opera led by its original conductor. La bohème is Puccini's most famous and popular opera as well as one of the most performed operas in the repertoire. Leoncavallo composed an opera of the same name and based on the same story, but with his own libretto. His La bohème, which was premiered in 1897, focuses more on the Musetta and Marcello relationship, rather than that of Mimì and Rodolfo as in Puccini's. Leoncavallo's La bohème is almost never played anymore, while Puccini's is, in North America, the second most performed opera, second only to Madama Butterfly, also a masterpiece by Puccini. I found this on Wikapedia the free online encyclopedia. It's called "RESEARCH". I knew it was there because I heard the original a long time ago. I'm so sick of mis-information on this site, sorry...venting, I'm ok now. Tank Stillton was here.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
While members of Pink Floyd were involved in the drug culture, the song actually refers to Roger Walter's experience before a concert (in Philadelphia) when he was ill and given treated by a physicain with an injection to "get you on your feet again".
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Whoever wrote the interpretation of this song to be about a girlfriend of Taylor's who died in a plane crash is just spreading an urban legend.  James taylor describes this song in a Rolling Stone Interview in 1972: "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it . . . And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs which lasted about five months.  When Taylor talks of "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" he is giving reference to a group called The Flying Machine that Taylor had formed with his friend Danny Kortchmar. The group disbanded in 1967 when Taylor's drug problems led him to leave New York and return to his parents' home in North Carolina. Taylor never spoke pubicly about "Suzanne", but it is fact that she was never a girlfriend who died tragically in a plane crash.
The Eagles's "Tequila Sunrise"
Written about a guy whose girl left him and wakes up every morning after heavy drinking without her. About drinking to try and forget about the one that got away but every time you awake, "this ol' world still looks the same...another frame".
John Lennon's "Imagine"
Yes this may be the best song in the world but that doesn't mean it can't be about communism. Thats not a bad thing to say about the song, John was an idealist and communism is an idealist order. It was Johns dream and it's brilliant.
Billy Joel's "Captain Jack"
You aren't entirely correct about your meaning.  I have read on several other sites that "Captain Jack" was the neighborhood drug dealer in the neighborshood where Billy grew up.  Yes he would 'get you high tonight', but not necessarily one particular drug.
Undertones's "Teenage Kicks"
You described the '70s punk song BEAUTIFULLY. You couldn't have made it sound any more better and convincing. Did you know that the Who's, "Pictures of Lily" is also about masturbation? ;)
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
You kids are giveing me a heart attack. One of the founders of the band had a serious drug adiction, and left before they were huge. It's about him. Take it from someone who's going through a similar predicament- the song describes it perfectly. You feel like you're in a whole different dimention from someone you used to know very well, and you wish that they were there with you.
Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle"
You mistakenly credit Cats in the Cradle to Cat Stevens, but this #1 hit was by Harry Chapin.  His wife, Sandy Chapin wrote the lyrics when he was on the road as a message to him to spend more time with his kids.  Harry Chapin played over 200 dates a year, most of them for charity.
Paul Mccartney And Wings's "Silly Love Songs"
"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs, but I look around me and I see it isn't so; some people want to fill the world with silly love songs, and what's wrong with that, I'd like to know, 'cause here I go again; " I Love You...". This 1976 quasi-disco smash hits' lyrics on the face of them were certainly innocent enough as well as ultra-catchy but apparently there was more to them than met the eye. Long a target for derision by rock critics, McCartney and Wings' music was dismissed as petty, lightweight, and trivial by the critics, with none of the social or artistic relevance of John Lennon's work at the time. Just about all of his solo excursions (with the exception of "Band On The Run") were harshy panned, so the lyrics to "Silly Love Songs" were seen by rock critics as a gesture of defiance toward themselves. Apparently, the seemingly lightweight, innocent lyrics bear a double-edged sword in that they communicate a message that Paul doesn't have to turn out super-sophisticated Beatle product , he can write lightweight pop if he chooses to. The above lyrics seem to reflect that.
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
You're wrong...I know the meaning of this song because someone in my family dated a member of the band and they themselves said this song is about an insane asylum. You can check out anytime you like, but you can't never leave...you can leave the asylum but not the sickness. They stab it with their steely knife, But they just can’t kill the beast, the beast are the voices within. "we are all just prisoners here, of our own device" Their own device again is the sickness within your head. Think about you'll see that I am right!
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
Your write-up about Fire and Rain is incorrect. James Taylor's friend Suzanne died as a result of a suicide.   "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" refers not to a plane crash, but to the break-up of his original band, The Flying Machine, as a result of his former heroin addiction.  Suzanne did not die in a plane crash. James Taylor has explained the origins of the song a number of times.  First part: Learning about the death of his friend Suzanne after the fact (friends refrained from telling him, because he had just signed with Apple Records and they feared he wouldn't make his debut album if he learned of her death.)  Second part: Dealing with drug addiction and depression, and searching for the strength to carry on.  Third part: Beating his addiction and coming to grips with newfound success...putting it all in perspective.
John Lennon's "Imagine"
Yup, it sure sounds like communism. We read Orwell in the states! Were not total apes, lol. love Orwell. Read animal farm, then listen to the lyrics. I'd say, though, that what Lennon had in mind was a Utopia, no?
Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama"
` being from alabama myself might help....... Van Zant lived in alabama in his younger years. look at the connection with muscle shoals & the sturdio there he used so much. muscle shoals is called swampland. the muscle shoals studio band used so much then was called "the swampers". listen to the song. then try swamp music form second helpings..   ya'll come now . ya hear
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
The accual meaning of the song was discussed in an original interveiw with rodger waters. when the reporter asks the quetstion waters goes into an elaborate story of how the whole album was written while they were using many drugs and because of the drugs he could not discharge for weeks with the extra stree of the band not being a whole anymore and the album deadline he used more and more drugs and came to hallucinate and have conversations with his toilet the song was written in hopes the deadly constipation would go away and releif would come
Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black"
actually...the song if you listen to the words is about a soldier returning from Nam. How the soldier, having seen such terrible things, wants to "paint his memory "black". Listen to the words and how the man is going crazy...at least that's the way it was explained to me.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
The author of the description does realize Pink Floyd is the name of a band. Not a solo person itself. He refers to "Pink" as if its the first name of a person. Also many of the songs on this website where created far before 1970 such as White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane and Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water"
The band originally wrote the song as a filler for the album, the all thought it was a simple little ditty they didnt want it realeased and didnt think it would amount to much, they said on the radio that they watched aplaced burning down near water and that was that
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody "
bohemian rhapsody by queen is a suicide note left to a mans mother basically apologizing.
Don McClain's "American Pie"
the day the music dies when buddy holly, big bopper and richie vallens dies in a plane crash
Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water"
deep purple= puplre haze= weed. and if you are familiar with the configurations of a bong, the smoke collects on the water while the weed burns(fire) above in the piece(in the sky) SIMPLE.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
The entire aong is a huge metaphoe for AIDS.  Listen closely to the lyrics.  He refers to, :...just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled MY trigger now he's dead">  That is a direct reference to knowingly spreading the disease.  Many other references within the song.  "Spare him his life from this monstrocity"?!?! And. "We will not let him go!:, refers to the disease and how it grips you.  The list is too long to go into here
Eagles's "Doolin' Dalton"
The entry about this song mentioning Bill Dalton being part of the Dalton Gang has some severe errors -- that being one of them.  Having grown up in the town where the Dalton Gang died (Coffeyville, Kansas), I once wrote a very in-depth article about the Dalton Gang based on factual information gathered from the town's museum dedicated to the citizens killed during the Dalton Raid.  Here are the facts:  Bill Dalton was a brother of Bob, Grat and Emmett Dalton.  Bill was a laywer in California in the 1880's (reference line: "Lay down your law books now, they're no damn good").  Bill never rode with Bob, Grat and Emmett.  Bob, the oldest was a big fan of Jesse James (as well as the Daltons being cousins to Frank and Jesse).  It was Bob's ambition to "do one better" than Jesse.  He conceived the idea of robbing two banks in broad daylight in the same town at the same time.  There were five members of the Dalton Gang: Bob, Grat and Emmett Dalton, Dick Broadwell and Bill Power.  The robbery was planned for the town of Coffeyville because they had grown up around there and knew the town.  Since the Daltons grew up near Coffeyville, they wore disguises of facial hair and business suits, however, the disguises weren't good enough.  A local recognized Bob in the Condon Bank and alerted the people as to what was going on.  Also, the date in the original entry is wrong.  The raid occurred on October 5, 1892, not 1884.  Grat and Emmett went into the First National Bank and Dick, Bill and Bob were in the Condon Bank.  When the shooting started, none of the bandits were in the street.  When they tried to escape, all of the bandits except for Emmett were killed as were four citizens, including the town marshall, who had obtained long arms from a local hardware store.  Bob and Grat Dalton are buried in Coffeyville's Fairview Cemetery (reference line: "two brothers lying dead in Coffeyville") along with Bill Power.  All three graves are across the road from another Dalton brother, Frank, a lawman from Arkansas.  On the stone marking the graves, Bill Power's name is misspelled: it is listed as "Powers".  Dick Broadwell's body was taken to Hutchinson, Kansas and is buried there (although some accounts of the raid indicate that Dick Broadwell was not really his name).  Emmett Dalton survived the raid but was badly wounded.  He wasn't expected to make it through the night, but he did and was sentenced to Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, KS.  He was pardoned later by the governor of Kansas.  Emmett moved to Hollywood to try his hand at acting.  Bill Dalton left his law practice and did ride with Bill Doolin for a while (reference line: "'til Bill Doolin, met Bill Dalton").  It seemed that every Dalton boy with the exception of Frank eventually turned to thievery as a way of life (reference line: "Go down Bill Dalton, it must be God's will").  As a side note, every year around October 5, the town of Coffeyville, KS holds a festival to remember the four citizens who died in that raid and a re-enactment of the raid is performed in the town's plaza area, where the original Condon Bank building still stands to this day.
The Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
The final fact is: The song idea came from a drawing from his son (http://www.beatlesagain.com/bpix/lsdpic.jpg is the link to the actual picture). Obviously, the lyrics from the song are inspired by Lennon's drug use, but the idea for the song came from his son's picture.
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
The first 3 people that commented on what Dylan's song"Like a rolling stone" is about were on the right track...the 4th one is reading way  too much into it. It is based on the saying "A rolling stone gathers no moss" and it is, in fact, about Warhol "Superstar" Edie Sedgwick, and what Dylan thought about her at that time (though he seems to want to keep this a secret).  The secret is out now though, thanks to Jean Stein and everyone that she interviewed. Check out the URL below. It includes a photo of Warhol with the Siamese cat on his shoulder. The "finest school" is Harvard, The "chrome horse" is the limo that she always rode around in (before she blew her inheritance), He refers to Warhol as a "diplomat" because his studio was a 2 minute walk from the UN, The "Siamese cat" comment is explained w/ the photo (Warhol loved them), The "Go to him now he calls you, you can't refuse" is about how she wanted to get away from Warhol when she realized he was using her, but she had to go back because she had no more money... so she did, actually, go crawling back, but it was a disaster. Let's see, oh, and the "after he took from you everything he could steal" is because, for many years,  Warhol never paid anyone that was in his movies! He used people, which made Dylan sick enough to write this song. It seems that, when he wrote this at least, she annoyed him too. She was an interesting character, but somewhat oblivious...suffice it to say, she had a lot on her mind. Sorry Bob, the cat is out of the bag. :-I http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/ediesedgwick/ Too bad Sienna Miller is playing Edie in the upcoming movie, she's all wrong for that part.
Hot Chocolate's "Emma"
The first entry for Emma incorrectly cites a car accident causing Emma's death.  How someone weaves a "car" into this song is puzzling.  Anyone hearing/reading the actual lyrics knows that the singer finds Emma dead on her bed, presumably from suicide (depression).  The song also makes clear that Emma was expected by all who knew her to be a huge success.  When success in the movies (silver screen) did not arrive for her, depression set in and she took her own life (I would presume sleeping pills).  The lyrics aren't complicated on Emma.
Hot Chocolate's "Emma"
The first reviewer is confusing this song with Joe Walsh's "Song For Emma", which he wrote for his 3-year-old daughter Emma after she was killed in a car accident.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
The first verse of this song is about suzanne, the second verse is about his drug addiction and the third verse is about his rehab..."sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground' refers to a band he once was in called The Flying Machine in which the band was broken up due to James' drug addiction/rehab.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
follow this link and it will tell you the REAL story behind the lyrics.  It is basically a combo of the above mentioned meanings without the gossipy rubbish.  http://www.james-taylor.com/albums/firerain.shtml
Abba's "Voulez-vous"
A girl (perhaps with some of her friends) wants to have  good night after a little hangout in the bar/club. She likes one-night stands and she did it before; perhaps she's kinda tired of the whole thing, as she knows what's going to happen next.  She only asks him "voulez-vous", which means "do you want?"  and both of them know everything without farther words... (I actually thought before that they sang "we have no bathing suits" and "masters of the sea" ...oops)
James Taylor's "Fire & Rain"
The girl in the song is Suzanne, and she was his sister and they took her to a hospital and that's what he's referring to when he said they took her away.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody "
The has the feel of a mini opera with seven acts.  The play starts with an overture and then sings about the murder that changes the young man's life.  The next acts (verses) of the opera are the five stages of grief. I'll attempt The first is depression as shown by the lyrics as "Goodbye everybody-I've got to go" and "sometimes wish I'd never been born at all."  The second verse shows Denial/Isolation as he he slides into madness.  "Scaramouch, Scaramouch will you do the fandango?"  The next verse is Bargaining as seen by "I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me... spare him his life from this monstrosity".  Next comes anger with "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye.... Just gotta get right outta here!" and then the last verse/act is Acceptance with "Anyway the wind blows".  There are the five stages of grief and they seem to fit pretty well in the overall theme of the song.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm  I had always always assumed that the song was about some girl "Suzanne" that he had known who committed suicide. The above confirms that. Looks like precisely who Suzanne is, how they met, and what the plans made that put an end to her were. However, the account you have on your site is wrong. snopes.com is a site devoted to debunking urban legends, and I presume they did their homework.
Jimi Hendrix's "Hay Joe"
i dont know how no one else added this, i know its early than the 70,s but the song hay joe is about relationshiop problems and the wifer cheating on the husband so he ended it. "i heard you shot ure lady down, down to the ground" it says.
Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog"
i dont know why people just make stuff up about this song but the title has nothing to do with the song THE TITLE of the song refers to a black lab that walked into their studio while they were recording.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
i heard it was about whorehouse "she has a lot of pretty boys that she calls friends"refers to the regular customers. "some dance to remember , some dance to forget" . dance is a euphamism for sex. "you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave" means you will always come back.
Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky"
The innocent young boy at the begining is the start to the deeply chilling tale of losing tranquility to war.  "Did you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs?" means: did you notice that what your government was hiding from you?  "Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when thepromise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?" means: citizens must protect themselves even though the government is telling them that everthing is safe and alright.  "The flames are all gone but the pain lingers on" means: the war may end but the death, suffering, and family loss will remain.  It also being in a easy, soft tone adds to its subliminal, haunting nature.
Van Der Graaf Generator's "A House With No Door"
it is about lonelyness and how unbearable it is and the only thing to break the loneliness is someone to love
The Eagles's "My Man"
it was written by bernie leadon for tho on the border album 4th track on the 1st side i think it was written about gram parsons
james taylor's "Fire And Rain"
it wasnt because he was bi polar or anyhting like it. it was because his wife and kid died in a plane accidnet
Mark Lindsay's "Arizona"
it's a song that sang in the early 70's.It's all talking about Arizona.Arizona take off your rainbow shades, Arizona have another look at the world, Arizona cut off your Indian braids, Arizona hey won't you go my way.And that is the chorus.I really need this meaning of the song, i need it for my project that is do next week.So please can you send it to me
Eagles's "Hotel California"
its about addiction and also the fact it is a whore house.  We could through all the lyrics and the things.  THC is the active hallucinagenic in marijuana.  Refer to, stab it with steely knives but just can't kill the beast, we haven't had that spirit her since 1969 etc.  the whore house part - lots of pretty girls we call friends. some dance to remember and some dance to forget. Mirrors on the ceiling, pink champagne on ice Also, there are obviously two meanings when he says:  We are all just prisoners here of our own device.  So there has to be two meanings.
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
k, This song also has nothing to do with Rogers Waters expierences, on the album The Wall it is largley credited to Roger Waters since most of the album is about him n how he felt he was being excluded from everyone by building an imaginary "wall" around him, which he realized this in a 77 Animals tour when he spit on someone in the crowd...but this song was one of the 3 on the whole album that was written by David Gilmour, Comfortably Numb, Young Lust, and Run Like Hell, were all written by David Gilmour, and Comfortably Numb was originally going to be used in David Gilmours solo album, but this song fit right in with the topic of The Wall, so they used it for The Wall...enough said
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
The last entry is correct. The Hotel California is a metaphor for Southern California. I've heard either Henley or Frey describe the song as such. One other interesting aside, the "steely knives" line was a tip of the hat to Steely Dan, whose song "Everything You Did," a song about an arguing couple which includes the line "Turn up The Eagles, the neighbors are listening."
Don McLean's "American Pie"
The line "Oh, and as I watched him on the stage, My hands were clenched in fists of rage.No angel born in hell Could break that satan’s spell. And as the flames climbed high into the night To light the sacrificial rite, I saw satan laughing with delight The day the music died" talks about the Rolling stones concert at Altomont. The stones hired the Hells Angles for security. While the Stones were playing "Sympathy for the Devil" a man was beaten to death by the Hells Angles. The Stones had to be air lifted off the stage because of this. They made a huge mess.
James Taylor's "Fire & Rain"
The line about Susanne- she was Susanne Schnerr of Greenwich Village, NYC. Friends, don't think they were "involved". She committed suicide, don't know where JT was at the time.  Flying Machine- J.T.'s first band in Greenwich Village.    I guess that ruins your wonderful urban legend fodder.
AC/DC's "Highway To Hell"
a lot of people think highway to hell is a satin worship song but it not. teh band jsut made the song because it had a good rythem. a lot of the other bands at this time like the song because of the cords the angus used. most people like teh song for the ythem anyways. so all the parents that think they are satin worshipers tehre not
Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water"
The lyrics actually tell the story of the recording of Machine Head . Deep Purple were originally all set to record the album at the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. They were just awaiting a Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention concert to be held before the recording could begin. But the Casino burnt down during the concert, after some stupid had fired a flare gun into the Casino's ceiling. (Purple were in the audience. The actual Zappa concert has turned up on one of the Beat the Boots discs, I think.)  They ended up at the Grand Hotel, closed for the winter season, where the recording eventually commenced during December 1971. They recorded the album with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, also mentioned in the lyrics.  Who's "Funky Claude" ? Funky Claude in the lyrics is Claude Nobs, who helped them out. He's still involved in the Montreux Jazz Festival, and seems to be a very important man in the music business in the Swiss town.  As stated in the lyrics, he helped saving some kids during the fire at the Casino. He was also the man who found the Grand Hotel for them. There's a picture on him on the gatefold sleeve on the original LP release of the album.  "Break a leg , Frank!" Actually, these were troubled times for Frank Zappa, who first lost all of his gear in the fire in Montreux. A couple of days later, when he played in London, a fan tore him off stage, and Zappa broke his leg as he fell into the orchestra pit.  This, again, led to Ian Gillan dropping the comment "Break a leg, Frank!" near the ending of Smoke on the Water at a March 1972 concert recorded for the BBC, available on the excellent EMI 2CD set Deep Purple in Concert.  The song itself was created more or less spontaneously; Roger Glover had the picture of the smoke spreading over the Lake Geneva in his head, and the line Smoke on the Water eventually stuck. He suggested to Ian Gillan that they should use it as a song title, but Ian shrugged it off, saying people would believe it was a drug song. Then Ritchie suddenly came up with the later hierostratically famous (and notorious!) riff, and things fell into place.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"
The lyrics, written by Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant next to an evening log fire, were inspired by his search for spiritual perfection. A seminal influence was the book Magic Arts in Celtic Britain by Lewis Spence, which Plant had recently read; it contained references to May Queens, pipers, and "bustling hedgerows." The line, "In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees," could be a reference to William Wordsworth's poem Tintern Abbey: "...and wreaths of smoke / Sent up, in silence, from among the trees!" The line "There's a feeling I get when I look to the west / And my spirit is crying for leaving" may be a reference to the Elves in the works of Tolkien The May Queen is also known as The Maiden, the goddess of spring, flower bride, queen of the faeries, and the lady of the flowers. The May Queen is a symbol of the stillness of nature around which everything revolves. She embodies purity, strength and the potential for growth, as the plants grow in May. She is one of many personifications of the energy of the earth. She was once also known as Maid Marian in the medieval plays of Robin Hood and of the May Games - she is the young village girl, crowned with blossom, attended by children with garlands and white dresses. Some folklorists have drawn parallels between her and Maia, the Roman Goddess of Springtime, of Growth and Increase whose very name may be the root of "May". Also Jimmy Page Bought Allister Crowley's Castle and The May Queen is a poem written by Allister Crowley. I saw a documentary on the band and it said they were in to the occult which is the reason for their individual symbols, which I'm not going to get into because of the many different opinions on those symbols, some say they are of evil and some say they are of divinity, samething if You ask Me, symbolism is evil anyway You slice it, and so is divinity of self, if You're a Christian. Page won't even fly on a plane anymore because he's afraid of his past in the occult, not My opinion, it was documented. Sad though...John Bohnom was the one that died and He in My opinion was the lesser of the 4 evil's, other than being a drunken doper He was just a sheep hearder and farmer. Anyway the band would not go on after His death because they were afraid of the very thing that made them..."Evil". (Let Us not forget about them ripping of all those old blues songs from Howlin Wolf and others, and then crediting themselves for the work, I believe that is plajorism.) To sacrifice the band was to save them from death so to speak... at least for now. Lyric> "Yes there are two paths you can go by but in the long run There's still time to change the road you're on Your head is humming and it won't go because you don't know The piper's calling you to join him Dear lady can't you hear the wind blow and did you know Your stairway lies on the whispering wind" The two paths I believe are Gods Path and Satans path, The Piper led the rats to their death because of their lemminghood and free will,The whispering wind might be her faith, because You can't buy Your way into Heaven. Ancient people's (Mayan's and Egyptian's) believed that the great pyramid is the stairway to heaven as well as any pyramid with stairs(Most Mexican Pyramid's have stair's). Some of this is opinion and some documentation, nevertheless I think it was a great song till people started picking it apart... it's just poetry to Me, Poetry can mean what ever the reader or listener wants it to mean...So there. What are You gonna annalize next? Freebird?
Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone"
The main theme behind the song is about those on the outside of society  being ignored or not taken seriously by main society and being looked down on for their views and way of life by those who don’t questions and just go along with what the Government tells them what is best for them. Now some of these people begin to realise that have been duped by the Govt. and that they don't have to act like sheep. So now they are on the outside - and know they now how if feels to be on your own like a rolling stone i.e. a thinker some who is active and not just going along with popular view and apathy but it's lonly when your against the popular view that's why most people go along with the flow. Dylan uses people around him at the time as a conduit for his metaphors.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
A man in santa barbera, california who once worked at the California Hotel told me to tru meaning behing "hotel california" It was a half-way house for post rehab, post prision parolees. A cheap place to stay while on parole and a pit stop before returning to "civiisation". Eventually, because of cut backs, all "half-way" houses where abolished. But the "California Hotel", through donations managed to keep it's doors open for a few lost souls that didn't have anywhere else to go. "You can check out anytime...but you can never leave", is refering to the theory that "once an addict always an addict", and "you can take the man out of prison..but you can never take prision(or the experience of being in prision) out of the man."
Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog"
The name black dog refers to a jackel...the jackel refers to Anubis who is the Egyptian God Of the Dead. The song is about a woman who makes Robert Plant very happy, and a big legged woman has no soul.
Vicki Lawrence's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia"
The narrator is the sister of a hard luck man. She tells about how her brother was told by his best friend that his wife was cheating on him, and the friend was one of her paramours. Outraged, the brother purchases a gun and plans to kill his now ex-friend. He finds his friend already slain. When the police arrive, the man is arrested, tried by a kangaroo court, and hanged. We find out towards the end that the real killer is the man's  sister, who has also killed his wife and claims "that's one body that'll never be found".
Hot Chocolate's "Emma"
The narrator pines for his only love named Emma. At the end of the song, we find out that Emma was killed in a car accident.
The Boomtown Rats's "I Don't Like Mondays"
oh my god the Song from Boomtown Rats from I Don't Like Mondays is a reality Song. The Boomtown rats singing over the girls school is shooting dead from a school personality. The Murder say "I Don't Like Mondays" and i shoot a massaka.  great greencar of Germany
The Boomtown rats's "I Don't Like Mondays"
oh my god the Song from Boomtown Rats from I Don't Like Mondays is a reality Song. The Boomtown rats singing over the girls school is shooting dead from a school personality. The Murder say "I Don't Like Mondays" and i shoot a massaka.  great greencar of Germany
Led Zepplin's "Stairway To Heaven"
ok firstly why is it that when a song writer mentions jesus, god, angels or anything that vaguely resembles satanism people immediately think that the poor writer is religious... why dont you all stop usingperfectly decent songs to justify your own beliefs believe it and leave the artist alone.i believe stairway to heaven is about a drug induced vision its nothing to do with satanism, or going to heaven its just a beautiful song its not really about anything just beauty, wonder at small things being able to just experiance things in a new way.
Eagles's "Hotel California"
ok geniouses you are all wrong.  the person who cane the closest is the guy who was talking about a half way house.  but the truth is there use to be an insame asylum where the current Cal state univercity chanell islands is. the song was written about that place.  the line "you can check out anytime but you canot leave"  means you can metally check out anytime but you can never leave the place.  if you ever get a chance to drive by it you will see the old spanish style of the place which has "corridores and church bells".   the part which they say "And in the master’s chambers, They gathered for the feast The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can’t kill the beast"  they are talking about in their cells or rooms they try and fight of their dreams and and insane hullicinasions but they cannot.  so there ya go.  do all the research you want this is right.
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"
The person Carly is referring to is...Mick Jagger...If you listen to Janet Jackson's song...Son of A Gun (I Betcha Think This song...)which Carly Simon collaborated with Janet on this track..Carly says it in the song..."the apricot scarf is worn by Mick..."
Rolling Stones's "Angie"
The person who said this song was about Mick Jagger and David Bowie's wife. It wasn't even written by Mick. Keith Richards wrote it about Anita Pallenberg. HE said meant "Anita I Need Ya".
The Steve Miller Band's "The Joker"
The "pompatus of love" actually means.......Nothing. He needed a 3 syllable word to fit into that line of the song, and that was the first thing that came to his mind. That is straight out of an interview with him.
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
A quote from James Taylor himself, to set the record straight: THE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW: JAMES TAYLOR AND CARLY SIMON by STUART WERBIN Rolling Stone #125 January 4, 1973 ... CARLY: I am wondering what connotation Jesus had for you. JAMES: Rhymes with cheeses, Jesus, pieces actually, in "Fire and Rain" - "look down upon me, Jesus." "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it. Jesus was just something that you say when you're in pain. I wasn't actually looking to the savior. Some people look at it as a confirmation of belief in Christ as the one true path and the one sole way, which I don't believe in, although he can certainly be a useful vehicle. And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs [a Massachusetts hospital] which lasted about five months. ...
The Who's "Behing Blue Eyes"
The real meaning behind the song is because they were in a war and their drill sargent had blue eyes and it was the vieatnam war
Drupi's "Vado Via"
a really slow but with a stong rock back beat.sung in italian and i would like the lyrics in both english and italian and the meaning
Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
The reason I think this song has to do with LSD is because of a couple of reasons. First off, the excuse that some little kids drawing inspired all those wierd lyrices is very curious. 2- When you listen to the song and it says - 'pastercian(sp) porters, with looking glass eyes'., this is not a child's imagination, but this is something you would see if you were halucinating on some drug.   Also, everyone knows, beatles were experimenting with diff. drugs. Now the reason they had to give this song an 'innocent' excuse, was because earlier they said they were more popular than Jesus Christ. They obviously did not want to create another negative stir.
The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes"
A recent radio station gave this "fact" before playing this song.  The song is about the Nazi regime of WWII and how Hitler desired and blonde hair blue eyed society but at what cost? This song was about the anguish that the Nazi soldiers felt about the death/concentration camps "no one knows what it's like to be the bad man to be the sad man behind blue eyes".  Knowone could know how badly the soldiers felt that were carying out these orders given to them by a ruler trying to create a blonde hair blue eyed perfect society.
Simon & Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
The rumor about the song being about drug use appeared in a book by Brian Wilson Key titled Subliminal Suduction. This book and its sequel Media Sexploitation where pop culture icons in the early 70's   The book talks about various songs and there hidden messages. The "sail on silver girl" line was specifically mentioned.
Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne"
some posters have said that this is based on Ken Kesey.  Good guess, since he was a good friend of Bear (Stanley Owsley III).  According to the web Site: http://www.steelydan.com/bbc.html, it was as follows: Question: was "Kid Charlemagne" based on a real person? Walter: "I would say it was very loosely inspired by a character named Owsley. His name was actually Augustus Stanley Owsley. He was a well-known psychedelic chef of the day. Later a sound man for the Grateful Dead. I believe he's still alive." Bear did not dissappear, he moved to Australia.  He is an incredible genius, and one day more will be written about his influence on modern culture and modern Music.  Until then, you can find out more about Bear at http://www.thebear.org/
Black Sabbath's "The Writ"
The song "Hard Road" was off Black Sabbath's "Sabotage" album.  The song was about the band's trouble with record management.  They had switched management 2 or 3 times when this album was recorded.  They were handed lawsuits on stage and in the studio for breech of contract.  One of the lines of the song says "Just who do you think we are?  Just another rock and roll star for you, just for you?"  Eventually Black Sabbath would get out of the trouble and switch to much better management, but by that time, only Tony Iommi would remain of the orginal lineup.
Don Henley's "The End Of The Innocence"
The song Talked about the war & government in a meathaphor
England Dan & John Coley's "'it's Sad To Belong '"
a song about finding the right one when you are already taken
James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"
The song actually had 3 parts in the verses: the first verse was about the death of a girl he knew during his stay at McLean Hospital in the 60s, the 2nd was about his battle w/depression, the 3rd was about the goings-on around him during his stay at Austin Riggs, most notably the breakup of his former band, The Flying Machines ("...sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground").
Don Mclean's "American Pie"
the song american pie was about Buddy holland,Big bopper and Richie vallens.. "But february made me shiver" buddy holland,big bopper and richie vallens were on a plane that crashed on february 3 1959.   With every paper I’d deliver. "Bad news on the doorstep;I couldn’t take one more step" the only other full time job Don had was a paper boy. "I can’t remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride" Buddy's wife was pregnant when he died, and had a miscarriage not long after he died.  "But something touched me deep inside the day the music died" after the plane crash febuary 3 1959 was called "The day the music died". "So bye-bye, miss american pie" rumour had it that the plane that had Buddy holland on it was called American pie.
Jackson Browne's "Shape Of A Heart"
The song describes Browne's relationship with Daryl Hannah
Led Zeppelin's "Four Sticks"
The song foursticks was named four sticks because John Bonham the drummer of led Zeppelin would play this song with four sticks.
Cream's "White Room"
the song has a lot of lines that lead me to believe they are talking about jail or "the nut house" white room, with black curtains, they prisoner colors...in the station, police station. where the sun never shines, another way to show jail. you said no strings could secure you...meaning you said you wouldnt be held back. good bye windows, you dont have many windows in jail, now do you?with the lonly crowd means your icolated from everyone else.if you ask me...its aboutjail and solotary confinement
The Eagles's "Hotel California"
The song has nothing to do with Satanism and in fact discuses the decadence of the music industry in California during the 70s - Don McLean actually discussed this in an interview in the mid 90s.
Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson"