Reading meaning into song lyrics.
By John Woolard
@JAWwriting (298)
United States
May 10, 2018 3:30am CST
Do not make the mistake of "knowing" the meaning of a song. You can take away personl feelings or personal understanding from a song but to claim you know the meaning of a song especially if the writer has not stated what it is about can only result in misunderstanding.
I bring this up because recently I had an argument with someone who insisted on the meaning of a song. When I said cool this is what it means to you but it means something else they got a little mad and proceeded to quote lines from the song and what it means.
This had two flaws. First they got a few of the lyrics wrong. Second they forgot I'm the one who introduced them to the band. The second reason is where they forgot the most important fact of I also told them I wrote some of the songs.
Well the song they were mad about me not agreeing with them about the meaning was one of mine. I had a specific reason for writing it but tried to tell them I was glad they got something different from it.
9 people like this
8 responses
@xander6464 (43902)
• Wapello, Iowa
1 Sep 18
John Lennon wrote entire songs addressing this topic. "Hey, Bulldog," springs most to mind with, "You think you know me but you haven't got a clue."
I see another commenter has addressed the issue relating to literature, saying, "Every reader reads his or her own book," and I agree with that, too. Even though I think the final word lays with the author, it is only a partial final word. That probably doesn't make sense and just to increase the confusion, I wish to remind everyone of the scene from Back To School where Rodney Dangerfield hired Kurt Vonnegut to write a paper on his own novel and the English prof hated it and said the writer didn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut (Back to School - Dangerfield Cusses Out Kurt Vonnegut - (HD) 1986---
In this classic mashup from the 80s comedy classic, BACK TO SCHOOL, Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) cusses out acclaimed author Kurt Vonnegut.
1 person likes this
@JAWwriting (298)
• United States
3 Sep 18
That scene is one of my favorites and I can relate with my own writing; published and unpublished.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (43902)
• Wapello, Iowa
3 Sep 18
@JAWwriting It's a big problem. Fans and critics alike rarely understand what we really mean.
@MALUSE (69373)
• Germany
10 May 18
This is also true for literature. Every reader reads his or her own book.
Once I talked to an author who had come to our town on a reading tour to promote his latest novel. The topic is a German one based on the history of the country. The book has been translated into several languages one of them being Korean. To his great surprise, it's rather successful in Korea. He can't understand why because there is nothing remotely 'Korean' in it. But Korean readers think there is.
2 people like this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
10 May 18
I hope that you & your friend made up. You know what, I hear a song and understand that it is written with a different meaning, but upon hearing it, I make it to my own meaning. Like a very old song, "Today is Cindy's Birthday" by the actor in Rifleman, his son. I liked it. I found out it was written about a cow named Cindy.
Well, I thought, I still like it for my own meaning.
Well, I thought, I still like it for my own meaning.
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
10 May 18
Each person interprets the same song differently. There is no "right" or "Wrong" interpretation. Even the writer and/or recording artist has his/her own interpretation that only they can relate to. Your friend needs to detach from the concepts of right and wrong to accept the views and perceptions of others as different from his own. 
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (49344)
• Mojave, California
10 May 18
I do not mind that, just always have a feeling they being mean because it goes against what the believe. Some times its how they look, sound. Its maddening I was close, but with the better angels decided to make bad jokes.
