Music has a power unlike anything else- it can transform us back to places in time, make us feel things we haven’t felt in years, and even drive us to tears. Whether you’re jamming at a concert, streaming via a subscription service, or singing karaoke, you can experience a song totally different than someone else does- but what if we told you you’ve been misunderstanding some of your favorite lyrics? Check out which of your favorite songs have totally different meanings than what you thought.

Blackbird- The Beatles

Yet again, the Beatles have managed to mystify us with their lyrics. This time, it’s Blackbird, and the subject matter isn’t quite as lighthearted as Ticket To Ride. Upon listening to the song you may just think it’s about simply picking yourself up after hard times, thus the lyrics “take these broken wings and learn to fly”. It’s actually about the struggles black people faced in America during the civil rights movement.

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Through that lens, the lyrics make more sense and are even more meaningful. In England, the term “bird” refers to girls, so Blackbird was Paul McCartney’s way of telling black girls it was their time to fly, particularly after Little Rock.

Hallelujah- Leonard Cohen

This song has been totally, comically misconstrued. Possibly one of the greatest songs of all time, it’s been covered by just about everyone- from Celine Dion to Bono to the Shrek soundtrack, to just about every contestant on American Idol. Religious groups have also taken a special liking to the song as it has a lot of Biblical references like that of King David. But the song is really about- wait for it- SEX.

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Hallelujah! We’ve all been singing about getting down and dirty to some of the most beautiful lyricism of all time. Leonard Cohen was crooning about getting it on and it went straight over our heads because he made it so poetic- good on him.

Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana

This song hasn’t really been misunderstood by its audience, but by Kurt Cobain himself, and the story is just too funny to keep off the list. Back in the day, a friend of the band wrote  “Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit” on Cobain’s wall, referencing the popular deodorant brand that his then-girlfriend wore. This totally went over Kurt’s head, and he interpreted Teen Spirit to be more of an idea of a rebellious spirit than an actual smell or product.

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He went on to use the term to write Smells Like Teen Spirit which he wanted to be about his thoughts on his generation and what he felt about his surroundings. Thanks to this silly mistake, we got to experience an incredible song, and Teen Spirit deodorant saw a crazy increase in sales.

One- U2

Much like John Lennon’s Imagine, this song has come to be understood as being about unity, peace, and people coming together. It’s been used in political movements, in response to tragedies, and even weddings for years- but again, we got it all wrong. The song was actually written when the band was on the brink of a break-up and decided to put their differences aside to complete their album. It was about having no choice but to stick it out with each other.

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Bono has expressed that it drives him a bit crazy how misconstrued the song gets. He once said “The song is a bit twisted, which is why I could never figure out why people wanted it at their weddings. I tell them, ‘Are you mad? It’s a song about splitting up.’”

Pink Houses- John Mellencamp

“Ain’t that America?”- this catchy chorus has been misconstrued time and time again as another patriotic rock song- but you must’ve learned by now that most “patriotic” sounding songs are usually quite the opposite, haven’t you? This John Mellencamp hit is no different. The fun song is actually a commentary on how he felt that the American Dream was no longer working. Mellencamp told Rolling Stone “it’s really an Anti-American song”.

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Because the song has been seen as a pro-America song, it’s been used as a rallying song for usually conservative political events- which Mellencamp, an outspoken liberal, has publicly admonished each time.

Wake Me Up When September Ends- Green Day

It’s clear that this is a sad song about a loss of some sort. But based on the time it was released, everyone came to think of it as being about the war in Iraq, or about 9/11 specifically. It does make sense, as Green Day has never shied away from political statements or anti-war sentiments, but this one has a much deeper meaning for lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong. He wrote the song about his father who died in September when he was only a child.

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With that knowledge, you have to feel a bit bad for Billy Joe- he wrote the song about a traumatic death in his family and it’s turned into a bit of a joke, as every October fans reach out to “wake him up”. The artist takes it all in stride and has even joked about writing a song called Shut the F*ck Up When October Begins. We say go for it!

There She Goes- The La’s

This song sounds just like a whimsical love story of a man chasing a girl who just keeps slipping from his grasp. Lovely, right? Wrong! The “she” being referenced in this love story is actually heroin. With that in mind, we suggest giving this song another listen. the lyrics “pulsing through my veins” and “no one else can heal my pain” suddenly make a lot more sense, and feel a lot darker.

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This song is another example of how the lightest, cheeriest songs can hide dark meanings. This song has found its way into so many pop-culture moments, from The Parent Trap to being played heavily on the radio when Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, that it’s weird to think it has such tragic roots.

Crash Into Me- Dave Matthews Band

Crash Into Me has been hailed as a classic love song, with Dave Matthews himself saying it’s about the worship of a woman. Sounds nice enough, and Dave Matthews is known as such a good guy you’d never suspect him of something darker, but he continued to explain that this is from the point of view of a creepy guy, the “kind of man you’d call the police on”. Okay, some red flags… now let’s take another look at those lyrics.

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“I watch you there through the window and I stare at you”… okay now we get it, we need no convincing. We do not want to crash into this person. We’ll never hear this song the same again!