Ask Lemmy

Pretty much all Linkin Park songs.

Listened to it since elementary.

Around high school, I figured the lyrics were kinda dark.

Then the vocalist hung himself.

Richmen North of Richmond.

I love the sound, and at first it sounds like a pro worker union song (and it kinda is).

But there's way too much dog whistle.... An old soul in a new world.... Dude the south lost and slavery is bad. I'm sorry

And then he slips in some super disappointing language about fat people on welfare.

Running to the Sea - Royksopp. Now that I know it's about some sort of terrorist attack, I just feel weird listening to it now

Hey there Delilah

The dude who wrote it is a creep

I'm learning so much from these comments...

Mr Brightside by the Killers. The tune was good and felt energetic when it came about, but it's about a guy being cheated on. Having had someone cheat on me around the time it came out it hit really close to home and I just don't enjoy listening to the song.

The problem with being in the UK is that it's so overplayed and I just have to tune it out.

I don't know what the vast majority of songs I listen to are about. I have some genetic defect that makes it near impossible to hear lyrics. It all sounds like melody to me.

I think it's really interesting how people interpret music completely different than other forms of art. People sometimes assume the worst instead of realizing that the singer is speaking from another perspective. So for example if a writer has a first person perspective of a killer/rapist you wouldn't make an association that the author is anything of the sort. But if they wrote a song and sang it then people would question if they really felt that way. Polly is a great example. By many accounts (Kathleen Hanna , Kim Gordon) Cobain championed feminism and woman's rights but the lyrics of Polly are brutal and from the perpetrator view. Randy Newman's - Rednecks is a tough one to listen to. You can understand how it is trying to point out ignorance and racism like Blazing Saddles but it's sung in first person and should never be played in a public setting. Oingo Bongo's - Little Girs was always a bit creepy now seems to age poorly the more time has gone on. Minor Threat - Guilty of being white is a tough listen because you know racist people think this is a rallying cry instead of the emotionly reaction from a a teenage kid who was bullied in highschool for being white.

In my late teens one of my friend gave me thumb stick with some poorly tagged mp3 mess. It was mostly black metal which I kind of liked (still do, some of it, sometimes when the mood is right). Years later I found out it was compilation of some NSBM bullshit. Not that it mattered in lyrics, as it was allindistinguishable, impossible to hear in true black metal "recorded band jam on a tape in one go from room next door" style, but still... People producing that pretty good music were probably the most degenerate retards in their countries (from USA, through France to Russia).

Baby, It's Cold Outside. It's such a fun song as the guy and girl go back and forth. Until you realize that he's guilting her into sleeping with him. Eww!

"Freshmen" by the Verve Pipe

Jump by Van Halen when found out that it's about hanging yourself.

Well, I still like it but it's with a double feeling.

The period between hearing and knowing what the song was about was nearly instantaneous but "Smack my bitch up" has an incredibly catchy tune.

It'd be really nice if they released an instrumental version one day.

Semi-Charmed Life, by Third Eye Blind. Basically, it's a song about doing meth... Spent almost twenty years just singing the chorus with absolutely no idea what the rest of the lyrics were. Now, it kinda feels weird, ngl.

“All that she wants” by Ace of Base. I read a deep dive into the band and it seems like they may have been formed after a neo-nazi group and that song might be about Jews trying to dilute the bloodline… so yeah kinda weird now.

Well, one that maybe went full circle for me is "bring the pain" by mindless self indulgence. At first, it just seemed like a really fun song that I loved. Then one day, a black dude was in my car listening with me, and he was like "wtf is this song about?". That's when it hit me that the song actually sounds REALLY racist. I looked up the lyrics and that just confirmed it for me. And then years later, I found out it was actually a cover of a method man song, and not really racist at all, I guess. But thats a weird one, maybe best not for white guys to be singing it...