Random Popular Songs That Aren't About What You Think They A (14 items)

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  (#8) 'Love Myself' (Hailee Steinfeld) Is About Self-Pleasure

  Who would have thought that the little girl from True Grit would produce the definitive wank anthem for the ages? And it’s not just everyone having dirty minds and reading into the lyrics; Steinfeld herself admits that the song is all about taking care of yourself. During an interview with Noisey, during which she was asked if fans can feel free to view the song as a solo-romp bop, Steinfeld answered “Yes, of course!”. Take a look at some of the lyrics: 

  "Pictures in my mind on replay

  I'm gonna touch the pain away

  I know how to scream my own name

  I'll take it nice and slow

  Feeling good on my own without you, yeah

  Got me speaking in tongues

  The beautiful, it comes without you, yeah."
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  (#14) Barbie Girl

  • Aqua

  Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” is actually a little more sinister and insidious than the cheery, bubblegum pop beat would have us believe. It’s not just a fun song about dolls and parties; it’s actually about the objectification of women. Whether or not this was Aqua’s intention upon releasing the song, the lyrics kind of paint a picture of a submissive woman allowing her “Ken” to reduce her to nothing but an object: 

  “Make me walk

  make me talk

  do whatever you please

  I can act like a star

  I can beg on my knees.”

  The lyrical content even promoted some think pieces and a thesis on the theory. 
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  (#12) Waterfalls

  • TLC

  TLC wanted to do more than let you know they don't want no scrubs; they also wanted to raise awareness about HIV and AIDs. The second verse of "Waterfalls" is all about a man whose vice is casual sex. He's cheating on his significant other because he has a “natural obsession for temptation” but “three letters took him to his final resting place," meaning he gets AIDs and dies. The first verse is about a mother worrying about her son “chasing waterfalls”, which in this case means he’s after cash from dealing drugs, so the subject matter is pretty bleak all round. 
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  (#6) 'The A Team' Is About A Crack Addict

  You probably associate Ed Sheeran with earnest acoustic songs about loving you forever, or why won't you love me, Taylor Swift? But one of Sheeran's tracks has a pretty dark subject matter, despite the soft acoustic strains that would normally prep you for an oral love in.  

  "The A Team" is about the not-so-romantic realities of being a crack addict in the streets of London. Sheeran explained that the inspiration for the song came from his time volunteering at homeless shelters, and that the song is specifically based on a woman named Angel.  
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  (#4) Paper Planes

  • M.I.A.

  You'd be totally forgiven for thinking that "Paper Planes" was about getting high and shooting guns and getting money. And as much fun as it is to mime the gun action along with the chorus's shots, it turns out that there's a far deeper and more interesting meaning behind M.I.A.'s hit. M.I.A. herself has said that the song is about the trouble she experienced with the US government during her attempts to enter the country:  

  "People don’t really feel like immigrants or refugees contribute to culture in any way. That they’re just leeches that suck from whatever, America is so obsessed with money. […] Yeah, they’re always giving me a hard time. When I wrote it, I’d just gotten in to New York after waiting a long time and that’s why I wrote it, just to have a dig." 
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  (#3) 'Macarena' Is About Cheating On Your Boyfriend

  Who'd have thought "The Macarena," a song that remains the quintessential end of the night pick for 'most likely to get everyone on the floor, regardless of dance ability,' was about anything more than touching your shoulders and hips? This school disco and wedding staple should be totally innocent, right? Wrong! "The Macarena" is actually about a woman whose boyfriend goes out of town, so she hooks up with his two friends. Take a look at these lyrics:   

  "Now come on, what was I supposed to do? 

  He was out of town and his two friends were so fine." 

  Get it, Macarena. 

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