8 Popular Songs That You Heard A Million Times And Never Realized Were Super Dark

Usually, you hear a song, you love the tune, but you completely disregard the lyrics. You just try to channel your inner rock star and sing along to the chorus, right? Well, what if I told you some of your favorite songs have some really messed up lyrics?

1. Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends

This song became a meme about remembering to wake up Billy Joe on the last day of September. The music video made it seem like the song has a military theme; however, it is actually dedicated to Billy Joe’s father, who died when the Green Day frontman was a child.

“Like my father’s come to pass

Twenty years has gone so fast

Wake me up when September ends.”

2. Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks

While the tune is very catchy and upbeat, the song lyrics tell us a whole different story. You don’t even have to analyze the whole text, just the chorus is plenty. More and more American schoolchildren suffer from mental disorders caused, among other things, by bullying from their classmates. And sometimes, the situation rapidly spins out of control. The band wanted to spotlight this issue, but the message flew right over most people’s heads.

“All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run, outrun my gun.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run faster than my bullet.”

3. Eagles – Hotel California

The most famous Eagles song is not an advertisement for a certain hotel and does not tell about weary travelers who decided to stay overnight. Don Henley admitted that it is about the self-destruction and greed that are inherent in many representatives of the music industry. He also noted that the song is dedicated to the notorious American dream. Now the lyrics about never being able to leave the hotel make a lot more sense.

“You can check out any time you like,

But you can never leave.”