NWR: Song lyrics/meanings

Half of every pop song out now has something that's not appropriate for kids. I think that (most) kids are innocent enough not to get it until they are older.

Ben Fold Five - Brick is about an abortion. Never knew it until about a year ago...

Waterfalls by TLC. I was probably 12 years old when my cousin's boyfriend told me what it was about! I was shocked! Here is how wikipedia worded it.

"The song famously tackled issues of illegal drug trade, promiscuity and HIV/AIDS."

ETA: Also most of Melissa Ethridge songs are sad if you really listen. I didn't know until I read her biography. Mainly about all of the problems she was having with her wife.

Ok, this is really tame compared to what the rest of you mentioned, but I was about 14 or 15 when I realized the George Jones song He Stopped Loving Her Today was about a guy dying... well, at least that the reason he stopped loving her was that he died. I took it really literally and thought he just decided he was done.

FH really wants Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah to be played at our wedding. He posted it on his Facebook page and my mom commented about how much she loves that song. (She is super religious and we are not religious at all). Here's some lyrics she obviously ignored: Maybe there's a God above

But all I've ever learned from love

Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you

And it's not a cry that you hear at night

It's not somebody who's seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Official Video): http://youtu.be/y8AWFf7EAc4 ETA: It will not be played at our wedding because the second my mother thinks there's a chance we'll start going to church is the day she starts shoving her religion down our throats again. She's VERY pushy. About everything really....

Jess...that was, quite possibly, one of the most depressing songs I've ever heard (just youtubed it). I kind of remember the chorus from when I was a kid, but I thought it was typical country cheating song. So, it's really about a guy who wasted his entire life staring at his ex-girlfriend's photo and rereading her decades old love letters -- and then he dies? Ick.

@ angie, I didnt realize that is what Waterfalls was about. Oh man, there goes my childhood some more. No wonder they came out with Kids Bop and disney radio.

I LOVE Hallelujah, I get goosebumps when I hear it. I didn't know the lyrics though.

My friend wanted to do Johnny Cash- You are my sunshine, as her father daughter dance cause her dad loves that song but she couldnt because of this part

"You told me once dear, you really loved me

And no one else could come between

But now you've left me and love another

You have shattered all of my dreams"

Its not inappropriate lyrics wise but it is a song that everyone thinks is so happy and then we have this part. She ended up having the harpist play this song as she walked down the aisle so she could eliminate lyrics but still incorporate her dads favorite song.

This reminds me of one time my sister, my cousin and I were like 10 and 12 and we were at a bowling alley party (my other cousins 12th bday party) and there was karaoke and one of the guys running it was like "do a karaoke song with me girls" and then he chose "I'll make love to you" by boys 2 men. Someone came a grabbed the mic from us because we just froze up there from being horrified by the lyrics. I think it was a tactic to keep us from hogging the karaoke all night, but we were like scarred by it lol.

Hallelujah was written by Leonard Cohen about his wife who was having an affair. If you know Leonard Cohen's music, it's not the most relationship friendly. I always shake my head when it's played at weddings. It's basically an FU to his ex. (PS he has said that in interviews about the song).

I went to a wedding once where they did a father daughter dance to a song that talks about the father being deceased. Obviously he wasn't, he was dancing with her... I thought it was "weird".

I just looked it up... It's called "Dance with my father".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phgnmtc4gP4

I think the arrangement of songs and the beautiful melodies trick people into thinking a song is pure or just fun and it's actually about something totally opposite. Just like "afternoon delight" sounds so innocent but it's about an afternoon quickie lol

OP, I remember when I learned that about Semi-Charmed Kind of Life, as I, too, rocked it on full blast when I first started driving. It was pretty shocking.

Alanis Morisette- You oughta know

"An older version of me

Is she perverted like me?

Would she go down on you in a theater?

Does she speak eloquently?

And would she have your baby?

I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother"

ALSO- i can still rap every word to "whatta man" and "Shoop." I don't know what my mother was thinking.

@TrixieV I will let FH know so maybe he'll leave me alone about using it! He also wanted me to walk down the aisle to The Lumineers Ho-Hey, then I pointed out the lyrics are about a woman who's with another man and that he feels like she belongs with him. He gave that up. There's maybe 2 lines that are usable as long as the rest of the song isn't played.

I can think of a recent song every time I hear a little girl sing it I SMDH because I know they have no idea what it means. Beyonce Drunk in love. I been drinking watermelon.

@Jenn B, I love that song and sing those lyrics so loud haha, but yeah totally inappropriate when we were teenagers.

@Alexis, My cousin used Ho Hey at their wedding and I thought it was funny. Fh learned how to play it on guitar and whenever cousin would come over he would sing it to her and she never realized those lyrics about not being right for him.

@Angie LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Mom said I should use that song and I was like "Umm he is talking about his dead father mom!"