“Hallelujah” is religious. And sexual. And romantic. And broken. And hopeful. That’s why trying to explain it as simply: a song about God doesn’t really work. Leonard Cohen used biblical imagery to explore something much…
Tag: meaning
“Iris” is essentially about wanting another person to see who you really are, even if revealing yourself makes you vulnerable. Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik wrote it for the 1998 film City of Angels.…
“Everlong” is about experiencing a connection with somebody so intense that you desperately want the feeling to last forever. Dave Grohl wrote it during an emotionally chaotic period. His marriage had broken down. He was…
“Beat It” isn’t telling somebody to attack another person. It means the opposite. Leave. Walk away. Don’t let pride turn a confrontation into violence. Michael Jackson wrote the song around the idea of machismo: the…
One of 2026’s most fascinating viral songs isn’t from 2026. It isn’t from the 2010s. Or the 2000s. “Be Like a Woman” was recorded by Scottish musician Chris Rainbow and released on his album White…
“Young Hearts Run Free” sounds like pure celebration. Strings. Disco rhythm. A huge chorus. Candi Staton sounds almost euphoric. The story behind it is horrifying. Staton has explained that the song grew from conversations about…
“Dreams” is about falling in love for the first time. That’s really it. No complicated metaphor. No hidden political message. No devastating breakup. Dolores O’Riordan wrote it about the extraordinary emotional shift that happens when…
It sounds like one of the happiest records of the 1980s. The subject is considerably darker. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is about power. Who wants it. What people do to obtain it. And…
You could easily assume “Where Is My Mind?” is about: mental illnessdrugslosing controlexistential collapse The real inspiration is considerably funnier. Scuba diving. Pixies frontman Black Francis wrote the song after diving in the Caribbean and…
Lenny Kravitz wrote “It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over” while his marriage to actress Lisa Bonet was falling apart. The song isn’t about accepting the breakup. It’s about refusing to believe the relationship is finished.…
