In 1981,
Bruce Springsteen
He sat with his legs resting atop a coffee table inside his house located in Colts Neck, New Jersey, contemplating a tune partly motivated by a manuscript provided to him by screenwriter Paul Schrader. While strumming his guitar, The Boss flipped through his notepad searching for scrawled lyrics detailing the struggles faced by soldiers who had come back from serving in the Vietnam War. He utilized as the refrain, the provisional title of the script beside him. That temporary title was “Born In The USA.”
As Springsteen would subsequently pen in his memoir,
Born To Run
From 2016, ” Born In The USA” continues to be among my finest yet most misinterpreted musical works. This song juxtaposes melancholic bluesy verses with upbeat, assertive choruses, simultaneously calling for a ‘critical’ patriotic stance alongside national pride—a seeming contradiction that proved bothersome for some audiences who were less reflective and more inclined towards casual listening. Music albums frequently serve as auditory inkblot tests; people interpret them based on their own perspectives.
Surely, we can relate. There have definitely been numerous times when I’ve found myself stumbling.
fall victim to misinterpreting lyrics of songs I encounter
For several years — let’s say about three decades — I genuinely thought that the lyric “I was invited in for coffee and I gave the dog a bone” from Squeeze’s hit “Cool_for_Cats,” implied that the singer actually fed bones to a dog. At least I wasn’t as clueless as the guy at the Hammersmith Odeon during the late ’70s when he watched Tom Robinson perform “Glad_To_Be_Gay.” The lyrics go: “Sing_if_you’re_glad_to_be-gay,_sing_if_you’re_happy_that_way._Hey!” He turned to his friends and wondered aloud, “Do you think he’s queer?”
Occasionally, it can happen that a songwriter might misinterpret their own work. Actually, just this week, Victor Willis, the creator of the song often hailed as the gay anthem “YMCA,” has threatened legal action against those who refer to the Village People hit as — let me check — a gay anthem.
“Starting from January 2025, my spouse plans to initiate legal action against every single news outlet that inaccurately portrays YMCA as some sort of gay anthem—whether in their titles or mentioned within the body of articles,” Willis penned earlier this week, somewhat unclearly. He argues that this perception stems exclusively from certain suggestive references in the song’s lyrics without direct substantiation.
wife
Still, she’ll be the one filing the lawsuit. Doesn’t get much more definitive than that, does it?
However, I’m certain we’ve all faced challenges in different aspects, even so. My dear old dad comes to mind; he had an extraordinary knack for misinterpreting song lyrics. He used to tell me countless times—probably over forty—that “Livin’ Thing” by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) talked about a guy going bald (it definitely does not). Even more bizarre was his belief that the narrative of “Mrs. Robinson,” performed by Simon & Garfunkel, mirrored the plot of *The Graduate*, where the song originally featured. Despite my efforts, I could never convince him that the introductory lines—which include the couplet “We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files / We’d like to help you learn to help yourself”—indicated something else entirely.
clearly
“About a lady stepping into a mental health center. ‘Don’t act silly,’ he would respond, ‘why would anyone compose tunes about
that
?”
When discussing “Born in the USA,” it’s interesting to think about how this quintessential song might have been perceived if it had taken on a bleak tone similar to the tracks found on the album “Nebraska.” Issued in 1982, Springsteen’s hauntingly sparse acoustic work presents individuals caught in desperate circumstances within a nation largely indifferent towards those less fortunate. A protagonist struggling endlessly stateside or an individual tormented by memories from the Vietnam War battlefields could easily fit into such a collection.
Supported by the powerful E Street Band during its release in 1984 on an album bearing the same title, this song quickly turned into a prime example of how easily tunes with clear-cut lyrics could be misinterpreted. For instance, the trade publication Cash Box characterized it as “an unambiguous anthem praising America’s core principles,” whereas libertarian commentator George Will opined, “I haven’t a clue regarding Springsteen’s political stance” — quite ironic indeed — yet he believed the Born In The U.S.A.’s refrain served as “a jubilant endorsement.” He went so far as to propose to Reagan’s team that they invite “The Boss” to endorse their candidate for reelection in the presidential race scheduled for November 1984. His suggestion met with rejection.
It seems to demonstrate the strength of popular music that even the most rebellious or complex lyrical content can occasionally be conveyed with such ease. They remain there, concealed in broad daylight, enduring through the years.
Sometimes, however, overlooking things can have advantages. “Pills And Soap,” a song by
Elvis Costello
& The Attractions released under “The Imposter” was pulled from shelves just 72 hours following its debut, coinciding with the 1983 general election. Despite being clearly politically charged—lines like “the sugar-coated pill is getting more bitter, though you believe your nation requires you, deep down you understand it won’t,” among others—are sharp critiques—Costello managed to bypass broadcasting restrictions for shows such as Top Of The Pops by persuading their executives that this ominous-sounding tune actually championed animal welfare. In fairness,
had
turned into a vegetarian that very same year following a documentary on factory farming.
Last week, during a bus tour around Belfast, I was reminded that Costello’s politically charged tunes often begin with concepts enhanced through grandiose wordplay and imaginative flair. While cruising through the northside neighborhoods, our guide highlighted “Murder Mile,” an area infamous as a perilous Protestant stronghold featured in one of the artist’s most popular tracks. However, Oliver’s Army does not reference Belfast at all. Composed following his performance in the city in 1978, this hit song initially served merely as a B-side until pianist Steve Nieve incorporated the melodic flourish from Dancing Queen into the track.
However, even though I enjoy picturing Elvis Costello being completely satisfied that the magnificent tunes of “Oliver’s Army” distract listeners from catching terms like “Palestine,” “Johannesburg,” and “white n*****” unless they pay close attention to the lyrics, some musicians become quite upset when their song’s message goes unappreciated.
At first glance, the choice made by New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, to utilize “Tubthumping,” by
Chumbawamba
As a theme song, this example is quite straightforward. After all, it’s not as though this working-class national anthem, which celebrates the indomitable spirit of marginalized communities in overlooked parts of England, bears much resemblance to a populist politician whose forceful views on social and economic issues would make Liz Truss seem mild compared to Pete Seeger.
However, when using a chart-topping song from a group that previously criticized
John Prescott
— from the left, no less — by pouring water from a bucket holding bottles of champagne over the deputy prime minister during the Brit Awards in 1998, Winston Peters attracted unavoidable backlash that could have been sidestepped with some basic research on Chumbawamba. If he had taken the time to look into them, he would have realized that using their most well-known song for a politician who formerly opposed the decriminalization of homosexuality was an absurd notion.
Allow me to clarify: ‘Tubthumping’ was penned to honor the resilience and determination of the working class, people who continue to fight despite tough times,” wrote Boff Whalley, the band’s lead guitarist, in an article for The Guardian released last month. “The song shares absolutely no connection with rich politicians advocating extreme anti-liberal platforms.
Whalley proceeded to criticize “this new generation of populist politicians who believe they can mask their millionaire ‘champion of the common man’ paradoxes with widely beloved tunes.” Expanding his critique, he pointed out that Donald Trump specifically has shown remarkable ignorance regarding his selection of rally anthems; as a result, he was compelled to halt the usage of music from various artists like Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, and Elton John. Additionally, Chumbawamba had to issue their own ‘stop and desist’ order when an aspirant President Trump attempted to utilize ‘Tubthumping,’ unaware that this move would prompt strong objections from them.
Boff Whalley believes that the real problem here is that “the right doesn’t have any good songs [which is] why they keep trying to nick ours”.
Who am I to claim he’s missing the point? Undeniably, when conservative politicians, particularly, declare their support for political adversaries, they often tread on hidden dangers that are glaringly obvious. Following David Cameron identifying “The Eton Rifles” by The Jam as one of his favorite tunes, the song’s creator, Paul Weller, reacted by questioning, “Which part did you fail to understand… It wasn’t meant to be some cheerful anthem for military training groups.” Similarly, Johnny Marr expressed little enthusiasm about the ex-Prime Minister’s approval.
his
The old band, again. “Quit claiming you enjoy The Smiths,” the guitarist stated. “You really don’t. I prohibit you from liking them.”
Over time, tracks that can be flexibly adopted by various political factions tend to complicate matters. The undeniably stirring “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by construction workers-turned-glam-metal band Twisted Sister, has served as an anthem for a wide range of groups—from protesting educators and supporters of gun control measures to Republicans over the years. However, when members of the extreme right started using this song during their marches, frontman Dee Snider voiced strong disapproval publicly. He took to Twitter saying, “ATTENTION QAnon, MAGA [sic] fascists: Each time you belt out ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It,’ recall it was penned by someone with progressive views—a transgender individual who loves nature and is part Jewish—and despises everything you represent.” He continued, “Your anger fueled each enraged line of that song! GET LOST!”
Keep in mind, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” has often been misinterpreted since the beginning. Following years of performing in Long Island’s clubs throughout the ’70s and early ‘80s, Twisted Sister found themselves thrust into controversy when they were included among 15 rock and pop tracks flagged by the politically connected censoring organization PMRC [Parents Music Resource Center]. In what could only be described as looking like chaos erupted inside a Bette Midler production facility, Dee Snider had to appear before this group during a Senate hearing where he aimed to debunk the idea that his music corrupted youthful minds.
I want to share some information about myself with the committee,” he stated. “I am 30 years old, married, and have a three-year-old son. I was brought up as a Christian and continue to follow those beliefs. Surprisingly enough, I neither consume alcohol nor tobacco products, and I abstain from using drugs.
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