Seven centuries is a long time for a love song to survive. Governments have fallen, languages have shifted, and whole musical fashions have come and gone. Yet “Chaap Tilak”, writtenContinue readingThe Meaning of the Song “Chaap Tilak”
Song Meanings
The Meaning of “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam could have built a career on swagger. In 1991 they had the voice, the riffs and the Seattle moment, and plenty of bands would have been content toContinue readingThe Meaning of “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam
The Meaning of “Heather” by Conan Gray
Some of the best pop songs come from the smallest, most embarrassing corners of the heart. Not the grand tragedies or the epic love affairs, but the quiet humiliation ofContinue readingThe Meaning of “Heather” by Conan Gray
The Meaning of “Moon River” (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
There are songs that belong to a movie, and then there are songs that swallow the movie whole. “Moon River” is the second kind. Audrey Hepburn sits on a fireContinue readingThe Meaning of “Moon River” (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
The Meaning of Rocket Man by Elton John
Space travel has never sounded this lonely. When Elton John’s “Rocket Man” drifted onto the radio in 1972, the world was still giddy about the moon landings, and pop musicContinue readingThe Meaning of Rocket Man by Elton John
The Meaning of “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson
Start with the bass line. Before the voice, before the hook, before the dancer in the white socks ever hit the stage, there’s that figure: tight, circling, a little menacing,Continue readingThe Meaning of “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson
The Meaning of “Sober” by Tool
When Tool released “Sober” in the early nineties, American rock was busy with plaid shirts and bedroom confessions. Here was a band that sounded like it had been summoned ratherContinue readingThe Meaning of “Sober” by Tool
The Meaning of “Ameno” by Era
Here’s a question that has bothered listeners since 1996: what in the world are they singing about? “Ameno” by Era arrived in the middle of the decade like a cathedralContinue readingThe Meaning of “Ameno” by Era
The Meaning of “Barracuda” by Heart
Some songs announce themselves with a riff. Others announce themselves with a grudge. “Barracuda” by Heart does both at the same time, and that’s why, nearly half a century afterContinue readingThe Meaning of “Barracuda” by Heart
The Meaning of “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender
Every so often a record shows up that nobody planned for. There’s no grand rollout, no manufactured dance craze, no committee deciding what the kids will want next Tuesday. ItContinue readingThe Meaning of “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender