1. "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith (1975)
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This classic from the Rolling Stone was actually inspired by the Mel Brooks film "Young Frankenstein," Rolling Stone reports. The title comes from a scene in the movie where Igor asks Dr. Frankenstein to "walk this way," and the doctor, played by Gene Wilder, complies by imitating Igor's iconic limp.
2. "Macarena" by Los del Rio (1994)
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You probably remember this catchy dance jam from the '90s, but did you ever listen closely to the lyrics? "Macarena" is actually a woman's name and the song details a tryst with multiple men while her boyfriend is out of town. Check out this Distractify video of millennials re-listening to the song to see some people having their childhood memories ruined by this discovery.
3. "Blackbird" by the Beatles (1968)
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Paul McCartney's iconic "Blackbird" shouldn't be interpreted literally.
"I wrote it in the '60s, when the civil rights movement was at its height," McCartney said in an interview with Diane Sawyer. "I liked to think of a blackbird as being a kind of symbol for a black woman."
4. "The A Team" by Ed Sheeran (2011)
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This ballad was inspired by women that Sheeran met at a homeless shelter, Rolling Stone reports. The "A" in the title is a reference to Class A drugs. Lines like "breathing in snowflakes" are actually references to drug use.
5. "Closing Time" by Semisonic (1998)
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Though the song has become a last-call anthem at many bars, "Closing Time" was actually inspired by the songwriter's pregnant wife.
"Part way into the writing of the song, I realized it was also about being born," Dan Wilson of Semisonic told American Songwriter. "My wife and I were expecting our first kid very soon after I wrote that song. I had birth on the brain, I was struck by what a funny pun it was to be bounced from the womb."
6. "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex (1995)
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While you might remember “Cotton Eye Joe” as a favorite middle school dance jam, the song (under its original name, "Cotton-Eyed Joe") actually has a more storied history. It’s based on a folk song that dates back to the Civil War, according to Wiki, and has also been recorded by artists like Nina Simone.
Some people swear that "Cotton Eye Joe" is also a euphemism for an STD, at least according to Urban Dictionary. Lines like "if it hadn't be for cotton eye Joe, I'd been married a long time ago," certainly take on a whole new meaning is you believe that interpretation.
7. "Waterfalls" by TLC (1994)
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With lines like "three letters took him to his final resting place," this popular R&B song is actually a commentary on the 1990s' HIV and AIDS epidemic.
"We used to have so many patients come up and say, 'Thanks for being our voice and getting the message out there to let people know how easily this is contracted,'" TLC member T-Boz told Fuse TV about the song.
8. "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind (1997)
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Though the drug references in this song are anything but subtle, the fast tempo obscures lyrics like "doing crystal meth will lift you up until you break." Not to mention, the words "crystal meth" are censored in the radio edited version of the track, Mental Floss notes.
9. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler (1983)
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Tyler's song, which topped the Billboard charts and earned her a Grammy nomination, was originally titled "Vampires in Love," Playbill reports. The 1980's anthem was inspired by famed vampire Nosferatu.
10. "Royals" by Lorde (2013)
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Most people associate "royals" with European royalty. But for her breakout single, Lorde was actually inspired by America's favorite pasttime.
"I had this image from the 'National Geographic' of this dude just signing baseballs,” Lorde told VH1 of the picture that helped inspire her lyrics. “He was a baseball player and his shirt said, 'Royals.' It was just that word. It’s really cool."
11. "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates (1977)
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This '70s classic might be titled "Rich Girl," but it's actually about a man, TMZ reports. Daryl Hall wrote the song about his then-girlfriend's wealthy ex-boyfriend.
"You can't write, 'you're a rich boy,' in a song, so I changed it to a girl," Hall explained to Rolling Stone.
12. "Good Riddance" by Green Day (1997)
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Though this Green Day track is often a popular choice for graduation celebrations, Billie Joe Armstrong actually wrote the song about an ex-girlfriend moving away to Ecuador, Mental Floss reports.
