Much like Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A” was a completely misunderstood criticism of the U.S., so was John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses.” Mellencamp actually wrote the song as a protest to Reagan’s America and the whole “greedy capitalist” culture of the times.
Still, due to the upbeat music and chorus, many people thought the song was actually a nationalistic, pro-American tune. Especially conservative politicians who used the song to their benefit, to which Mellencamp always angrily protested.
"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind
This Third Eye Blind 1997 hit was all the rage when it came out. The song's upbeat sounds made it an instant success on the 90's pop charts, and it seemed to almost play on repeat on every radio station. But contrary to what many people thought was a bright and cheerful song, "Semi-Charmed Life" was actually about substance addiction.
As the band's lead singer and songwriter, Stephan Jenkins, explained that it was about a time in his life when he and all of his friends were consuming way too many substances. Jenkins also claims he chose the "bright and shiny sound" of the song to indicate how these substances made you feel on the outside like you were leading a 'semi-charmed life,' but in reality, everything was an ugly mess.
"Royals" by Lorde
After first listening to Lorde's hit song "Royals," you would think she's referring to actual royalty (as in Queen Elizabeth II) or maybe "celebrity royals," like the Kardashians. But in reality, Lorde wrote the song's title and lyrics after seeing a 1976 photo of the Kansas City Royal's hall of fame, George Brett, signing autographs in his uniform.
According to the famous singer, she thought the word "Royals" just looked really cool written across the baseball player's uniform: "It was just that word. It’s really cool.”
"Blackbird" by The Beatles
There has been much debate over the years about the true meaning behind the Beatles' classic song, "Blackbird." Many believed it to be a typical love song; others thought it carried a deeper, hidden meaning behind it.
However, as the song's main writer, Paul McCartney, has explained many times over the years, Blackbird's lyrics refer to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement that was happening at the time the song was released.
"American Woman" by The Guess Who
To anybody who's only listened to Lenny Kravitz's famous 1999 cover of this song, it might seem that "American Woman" is mainly about sex appeal. However, as its original co-writer Randy Bachman, from The Guess Who, explained, the song has little to do with sex and is actually about U.S. politics in the 60s and 70s and the Vietnam War.
Bachman said that they "had been touring the States in the late ’60s. One time at the U.S./Canada border in North Dakota, they tried to draft us and send us to Vietnam. We were back in Canada, playing in the safety of Canada where the dance is full of draft dodgers who’ve all left the States.” Then, the song's co-writer, Burton Cummings, further explained that “When I said ‘American woman, stay away from me,’ I really meant ‘Canadian woman, I prefer you.’ It was all a happy accident.”