Across musical genres, lyrics are how songwriters tell stories. And some of those stories are real doozies. Is Phil Collins' anthem "In The Air Tonight" really about a drowning he secretly witnessed and decided to reveal in song? Is it true The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields" is about a sad orphanage? Why does Miley Cyrus' song "Flowers" sound so eerily similar to Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man"? And who, once and for all, is the mystery man Carly Simon's dissing in "You're So Vain"? In one fun, entertaining collection, we gather the very best of these stories, and show you the secrets hiding in plain sight inside your favorite songs.
“Where words fail, music speaks.”
Music: The World’s Greatest Storyteller • Uncover the secrets hiding inside your favorite tunes
Wild Cherry’s Play That Funky Music • The impact of one audience member’s request
Chic’s Le Freak • How a rude doorman inspired the greatest disco anthem of all time
Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit • From supermarket shelves to vandalism scrawled on Kurt Cobain’s wall: the unlikely spark that ignited the grunge era
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Green River • The fond childhood memories—and delicious soft drink—that inspired John Fogerty to write this late ’60s swamp rock classic
Elton John’s I’m Still Standing • The iconic singer’s revelation that knocked him off the top of the charts—and the hit that revived him
Lady Gaga’s Poker Face • How Lady Gaga’s sexuality led to this chart-topping single
Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody • The intensely personal story cloaked in a strange, baroque singalong
Bob Marley’s I Shot the Sheriff • From injustice to…birth control? Decoding a reggae masterpiece
Coldplay’s Viva La Vida • The inspiration behind Coldplay’s revolutionary hit
Flo Rida’s I Cry • What is making Flo Rida weep?
Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. • What America got wrong about Springsteen’s flag-draped anthem
The Eagles’ Hotel California • A lovely tune…about greed, excess, and addiction
Johnny Cash’s A Boy Named Sue • One of Johnny Cash’s most rousing performances came from the pen of beloved children’s poet Shel Silverstein
Soulful Songs About Kids • The musical mosaic of parenthood
Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart • The immortal beasts hiding inside this ultimate breakup song
James Taylor’s Fire and Rain • The emotional heartbreak James Taylor laid bare on his breakthrough hit
TLC’s Waterfalls • An emotional listing of dangerous mistakes that begs us to make better choices
Third Eye Blind’s Semi-Charmed Life • A hook-laden late-90s classic…that warns you to not get hooked on meth
Sia’s Chandelier • Drinking, drugs, and deep depression: much more than just a catchy hit
The Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life • Is this an inspiration for girl-powered fun or…meth making?
The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face • Is the song’s toxic yet alluring lady really a metaphor for drugs?
Secrets Hidden in Beatles Songs • As much fun to interpret as they are to listen to, here’s what the Fab Four’s songs were really about.
Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way
Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams
The Police’s Every Breath You Take • The unhealthy obsession of a broken heart that’s become an unlikely wedding favorite
Blondie’s One Way or Another • Debbie Harry’s advice for evading a stalker
Green Day’s Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) • The unhealthy obsession of a broken heart that became a graduation staple
Eric Clapton’s Layla • A song involving The Beatles, unrequited love, and stealing your best friend’s...