The Real Stories Behind the Most Misunderstood Songs in Rock History

Famous songs get misunderstood all the time. Whether their melody is just too catchy to pay attention to their lyrics, or the song itself gets misconstrued, it’s easy for listeners to make assumptions about the meaning of a song. These four rock songs, in particular, have been misunderstood a lot through the years. Let’s explore five real stories behind famous misunderstood rock songs!

1. “Born In The U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen

“Born In The U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen is often taken at face value. However, this heartland rock hit isn’t really a celebration of the US of A and being a red-blooded American. This song is actually a criticism of post-Vietnam War America, where veterans faced serious economic hardships that clashed with the glorification of war and patriotism at the time.

2. “Crocodile Rock” by Elton John

This is one of Elton John’s most upbeat, catchy, and delightful tunes. It’s no wonder why people jam out to this 1973 without really listening to the lyrics. In reality, “Crocodile Rock” isn’t a very positive song. 

Rather, this tune is about a man who is going through a pretty intense midlife crisis. “Crocodile Rock” chronicles all the things the man in question went through, as well as his thoughts on how his life went so wrong. He would dance to the self-referential “Crocodile Rock” with his girlfriend before she inevitably left him, and he never quite recovered.

3. “Every Breath You Take” by Police

This is the ultimate misunderstood rock song of misunderstood rock songs. “Every Breath You Take” by Police is a solid piece of work, but listeners have continuously misunderstood what the song is about since its release in 1983. Sting isn’t crooning about a sweet, healthy love affair. This is not a heartfelt love song. Rather, he’s singing about a possessive stalker who simply won’t let his lover go. Even Sting himself knew that the song had a sinister meaning underneath the glittering, distracting soft rock vibe of the tune.

“It sounds like a comforting love song,” said Sting. “I didn’t realize at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control.”

4. “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

“Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival tends to get the same kind of treatment as Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.”. This 1968 jam is often used as an American, good ol’ boy anthem of sorts. 

However, the song itself is more or less a protest song about the Vietnam War. We get how this one could be misunderstood. John Fogerty does not explicitly criticize war itself. Instead, the song “speaks more to the unfairness of class than war itself” and the unfairness of wealthy people being able to avoid the draft, according to Fogerty.

Photo by Busacca/Mediapunch/Shutterstock

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.