Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” got its title because French composer Pierre Boulez forgot Simon’s name. At a party hosted by Simon and his then-wife Peggy Harper, Boulez accidentally called them Al and…
Tag: meaning
Deep Blue Something’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is about a relationship that has almost nothing left holding it together. The narrator desperately looks for one shared interest. He finally remembers that both people liked the same…
Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun” is not celebrating how wonderful adulthood is. It’s making fun of how difficult adulthood can be. Hayley Williams wrote the song partly as a sarcastic message to herself after leaving the…
Tate McRae’s “Housewife” is about wanting love without surrendering independence. Rather than presenting a traditional housewife as somebody financially dependent on a partner, McRae flips the idea around. She wants to make her own money.…
If you love Olivia Rodrigo’s “Honeybee”, start with Gracie Abrams, Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, Clairo and Holly Humberstone. Those artists capture different parts of the song’s appeal. Some specialise in emotional acoustic songwriting. Others combine…
Lil Wayne’s “How to Love” is about people who struggle to accept love because of painful experiences earlier in their lives. And it’s having another unexpected moment in popular culture. The 2011 recording is appearing…
KATSEYE’s “Unloveu” is about the moment you realise that you’re finally beginning to stop loving somebody who once meant everything to you. But there’s something particularly interesting about the song. Member Lara Raj helped write…
Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is in the Heart” is built from an extraordinary collection of musical influences and samples. The most famous is a bassline taken from “Bring Down the Birds” by Herbie Hancock. But that’s only…
Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” is about somebody who experiences the entire world through one colour. Blue. Everything surrounding the narrator appears connected with that colour. His home. His clothes. His possessions. Even his…
Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say” samples “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap. And the original recording sounds almost nothing like a conventional pop hit. Heap released “Hide and Seek” in 2005. The song is built almost…
