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The Meaning Behind “Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran (and Many More)
Some songs take on lives of their own in the hands of different artists. “Summertime Blues” is a teenage national anthem. It came from a California teenager writing about a character who is repressed,...
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The Powerful Revelations Behind the Meaning of Pat Benatar’s “Hell Is for...
By the time she was working on her sophomore album Crimes of Passion, Pat Benatar was already a rising star. She and her musical partner/guitarist Neil Giraldo had created a stir with her debut In The...
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How a Painfully Changing World Inspired the Meaning Behind Seal’s “Crazy”
When he first emerged on the international stage in late 1990 with the song “Crazy,” Seal cut a dramatic figure with his 6-foot-4-inch frame, dreads, leather outfits, and facial scarring from lupus...
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Decoding the Dark Imagery Behind the Meaning of Childish Gambino’s “This Is...
When it debuted in 2018 around the same time as Donald Glover’s portrayal of pansexual Lando Calrissian in the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story, his video for “This Is America” caused a huge stir, racking...
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The Meaning of “New York Minute” by Don Henley
There are songs that don’t have much meaning. Other songs have meaning, but it’s difficult to tease out from the lyrics. Don Henley’s fifth and final single from his 1989 album The End of the Innocence...
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Behind the Meaning of the Joyous Nursery Rhyme “To Market, to Market”
Commerce can be a wonderful thing. Not only is the ability to purchase something an indication that you’ve done good work and have something to trade, it’s also fun (and necessary) to receive goods. In...
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The Meaning of “Pon de Replay” by Rihanna
Before we get to the meaning of “Pon de Replay” by Rihanna, a little RiRi background: Evan Rogers discovered Rihanna in Barbados while vacationing with his wife Jackie in 2003. His wife’s friend had a...
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The Meaning Behind “Learning to Fly” by Pink Floyd
The meaning behind “Learning to Fly” by Pink Floyd is well worth delving into. The group released many iconic songs in their history, but this one stands among their most important. Its success showed...
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The Meaning of “Bust a Move” by Young MC
If you’ve ever heard Young MC’s 1989 hit “Bust a Move” (and chances are good that you have), you know he’s talking about a particular kind of move. Just like Reel 2 Real’s “I Like to Move It” is not...
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Behind the Introspective Meaning of “Hey Driver” by Zach Bryan (Feat. The War...
Zach Bryan tapped The War and Treaty for one of his most raw songs to date, “Hey Driver.” The song sees Bryan reckon with life out on the road. Uncover the meaning behind this song, below. [RELATED:...
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It’s a Musical Travelogue of ‘80s Midtown Manhattan: The Meaning Behind Glenn...
The meaning behind Glenn Frey’s “You Belong to the City” has to do with an iconic TV show. And an epic era of Midtown Manhattan, as well. The Ultimate ’80s Style and Song Tastemaker Back in the mid...
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The Meaning of “Fourth of July” by Sufjan Stevens
To say Sufjan Stevens’ 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell, is his best might be an invitation for argument. But the opposing argument would lose. And the standout song on that record collapses the album’s...
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The Meaning Behind Van Halen’s “5150”
If you’re looking for the meaning behind Van Halen’s “5150,” the title track of their 5150 album, don’t look for it in the title. It’s a reference to the late Edward Van Halen’s 5150 Studios (now owned...
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The Meaning Behind “Dear Prudence” by The Beatles
The Beatles’ 1968 self-titled release, known by most as The White Album, contains two LPs’ worth of greatness. It’s all the more amazing because of the incredible diversity from song to song. None of...
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The Nostalgia Behind the Meaning of “Cherry Bomb” by John Mellencamp
Before John Cougar Mellencamp (he kept the “Cougar” through the ’80s) recorded Scarecrow, he ordered his band to learn dozens of ’60s classics. Going through the process brought a certain color to the...
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Divorces, New Beginnings, and the Meaning Behind the 1983 Journey hit...
By 1982, Journey was still riding the waves of their No. 1 album Escape, released a year earlier, but all was not well within the band. Guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory were both in the...
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The Meaning of “La Isla Bonita” by Madonna
Madonna defines reinvention, not the other way around. She’s a pop star and a performance artist whose radical changes are a way to self-expression and freedom. She invented the game Lady Gaga plays,...
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The Operatic Meaning Behind “Pinball Wizard” by The Who
Like so many ’60s pop bands, The Who was a singles band. Albums were often an afterthought, and the rest of the songs on the records were nothing more than filler. Radio play drove the sales....
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Behind the Meaning of the Elusive Nursery Rhyme, “The Gingerbread Man”
One of the glories about being a child is the eye-opening days when confections like cookies enter our world. Sometimes industrious parents even introduce their children to life-like pastries like the...
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The Meaning of “Champagne Problems” by Taylor Swift
The title of Taylor Swift’s song “Champagne Problems” seemingly alludes to someone whose troubles are not all that dire. Yet Swift is not making a commentary about the seriousness of the problems...
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