So you want to write a hit record. Do you concentrate on music or lyrics? You might think having meaningful lyrics would carry a lot of weight. Apparently not. According to a song info blog some of the greatest songs of all time are completely mis-understood. I'm not talking about lyrics that are inaudible or heard wrong. I'm talking about knowing exactly what the singer is singing but you have no idea what he/she means or in most cases you just don't care. In lots of cases the song becomes a hit and most people will admit "I've never really paid attention to the lyrics".
Here are a couple of quick ones that were pretty big hits the last few decades. The Beatles classic 'Let it Be' was actually about a dream Paul McCartney had about his mother. Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John was actually a tribute to pro tennis player Billie Jean King. Did you ever realize the 1982 dance classic Beat It by Michael Jackson was actually about gang wars or that 1987s 'Sister Christian' by Night Ranger was actually about one of the band members sister? In 1997 mmmBob was a catchy tune by Hanson. It actually had a strong philosophical message to it, hold on to your relationships because before you know it they'll be gone (in an mmmbop). In 1988 a one-hit-wonder by Midnight Oil called Beds are Burning was actually a staunch political statement about giving Austalian people their land back. Who Knew?.
Very interesting stuff. The list goes on and on. I'm not sure if it's funny or sad that groups go to great lengths to get their message out only to find it has fallen on deaf ears (no pun intended). It makes you realize there is no magic formula for writing a popular song. Although looking at it from this angle it really makes you think. You can always find people that like the song without knowing what it's about but when is the last time you heard someone say "I don't care for the music or arrangement on that song, I just listen to it for the lyrics!"?
For more in depth information on the songs mentioned and a bunch of others visit http://www.SongSense.info
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