You just don't get it, do you?

[Shawn Hopkins]

Have you ever heard a song, a catchphrase, a quote from a movie or a book repurposed in a way that's contradictory to its original meaning? A usage that shows ignorance, willful or not, of the creator's original intentions?

Advertising is probably the worst offender, here. They don't care about what the song actually means, just the hook. I guess they figure most people won't know the original meaning, but for the people that do it's jarring. Thanks to their use of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" in their ads I can't think of Carnival Cruise Line without thinking of heroin.

The one that always got my goat the worst, in fact the one that made me start noticing this years ago, was the Wrangler jeans ad that used John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son." What I noticed, though, was that to go along with the expected images of pretty people wearing their jeans they carefully only excerpted the patriotic sounding lyrics. The ad uses "Some folks are born, made to wave the flag, they're red white and blue." The next, conveniently absent, line is "But when the band plays hail to the chief, they point the cannon at you." So a song about the hypocrisy of rich chicken hawks who support a war in Vietnam, as long as only poor people and not their own sons have to hump the boonies and die in it, is twisted and turned until it becomes a vehicle to associate patriotism with blue jeans.

Bruce Springsteen seems to get this a lot, too. I think he has a whole subsection of casual fans who only listen to his stuff on the surface level and don't get the deeper meanings of things like "Born in the USA." I remember when people I knew, big fans of his and good guys, got upset about "41 Shots" because they didn't like the political statement he was making. What, was that the first time they had ever listened to his lyrics? "Johnny 99?" They should have been able to figure out where he lies on the political spectrum by now.

And of course you could make a list of song titles as long as your arm that have been used and misused by political campaigns, from Ronald Reagan's people failing to misunderstand "Born In the USA" to just this week when Heart complained about the McCain campaign using "Barracuda" as the theme song for Gov. Palin.

So share some examples with me and please include why you feel the people that used them just didn't get it.

[chdr]

As I remember, the "This Is Our Country" song used in those Chevy truck ads a while back was anything but patriotic.

[Silly McGooses]

I wish I could remember which politician I heard say he wanted to use "Born in the USA" as his campaign song, but it was hilariously ironic... you have to an incredible dullard to listen to that song and think it's some sort of patriotic ballad.

Maybe not in the same vein exactly, but it pisses me off how EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE about comics in a magazine in the newspaper or in a magazine has "Pow! Bam!" somewhere in the title.

[Hanshotfirst113]

I wish I could remember which politician I heard say he wanted to use "Born in the USA" as his campaign song, but it was hilariously ironic... you have to an incredible dullard to listen to that song and think it's some sort of patriotic ballad.

That would be Ronald Regan, if I'm not mistaken.


Maybe not in the same vein exactly, but it pisses me off how EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE about comics in a magazine in the newspaper or in a magazine has "Pow! Bam!" somewhere in the title.That I haven't noticed.

[carlaspirit]

Donald Trump using "For the Love of Money" as his theme song. The song is about how greed corupts people.

I know money is the root of all evil
Do funny things to some people
Give me a nickel, brother can you spare a dime
Money can drive some people out of their minds

[Tay the Cat]

I was quite ticked when Cartoon Network used Soul Coughing's "Rolling" for one of its Groovies.

The song contains quite blatant references to using ecstacy.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I was quite ticked when Cartoon Network used Soul Coughing's "Rolling" for one of its Groovies.

The song contains quite blatant references to using ecstacy.

I remember that Groovie, though. It was pretty awesome. But, yeah, the song doesn't sound like it's about racing to me.

[Storm Eagle]

I don't know if this counts, since only the melody of the song is used and not the vocals, but commercials for Garnier Fructic use "Diamonds and Guns" from The Transplants.

[Zorak Masaki]

How about the WWE using Tatu's "all the things she said" for victoria and stevie richards?

[Hobbes829]

born in the usa is patriotic in a sense. It's about the mistreatment of vietnam vets. I think it is patriotic as he's saying that they deserved better. People wonder why i hate hippies! As for a song, Iggy Pop's Lust for life. It's upbeat and has a great hook which is why the gap commercials and some cruise commercial use it despite i being about heroine addiction.

[Shawn Hopkins]

born in the usa is patriotic in a sense. It's about the mistreatment of vietnam vets. I think it is patriotic as he's saying that they deserved better. People wonder why i hate hippies! As for a song, Iggy Pop's Lust for life. It's upbeat and has a great hook which is why the gap commercials and some cruise commercial use it despite i being about heroine addiction.

But "Born in the USA" is a real patriotic statement that questions and criticizes the policies and the failures of our government and our people when it comes to vets. It's not the chest thumping "America is No. 1" anthem that Ronald Reagan and other people seemed to want it to be.

Don't even understand the rest of your comments. Yeah, it's a given that "Lust for Life" has a great hook and that's why the companies use it. I pretty much said that in my first post. But what are you trying to say about it? That you think it's okay and you don't care or even notice if say, The Dandy Warhols' song "Bohemian Like You" is used to sell cars and they use the "You've got a great car," line but not the immediately following "Yeah, what's wrong with it today" line?

[Master Moron]

So share some examples with me and please include why you feel the people that used them just didn't get it.

Sorry, but I pretty much disagree with everything you said. I never pay any attention to the lyrics when I listen to music. I just listen to the melody. I couldn't care less what the original artist intended the song to mean.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Sorry, but I pretty much disagree with everything you said. I never pay any attention to the lyrics when I listen to music. I just listen to the melody. I couldn't care less what the original artist intended the song to mean.

Really? You're the only person I've ever heard say that. I'm a big lyrics guy. I like them to be clearly sung, clever and meaningful. It's why I like oldschool country storytellers like Tom T. Hall so much. " "It Sure Can Get Cold In Des Moines" wouldn't make me want to cry if he hummed it or if it was in a language I didn't understand.

[Master Moron]

Really? You're the only person I've ever heard say that. I'm a big lyrics guy. I like them to be clearly sung, clever and meaningful.

I often have a hard time understanding what the lyrics to a song are even when I really try to listen carefully. Even when I do understand what the lyrics are I never really understand what they mean. They never really make any sense to me. I'm sure I could go online and find lyrics and explanations as to what they mean, but for me that's way too much work. I'd rather just enjoy the music.

Plus, I sometimes listen to music in other languages, in which case, it's impossible for me to understand what the lyrics mean unless I look up a translation.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I often have a hard time understanding what the lyrics to a song are even when I really try to listen carefully. Even when I do understand what the lyrics are I never really understand what they mean. They never really make any sense to me. I'm sure I could go online and find lyrics and explanations as to what they mean, but for me that's way too much work. I'd rather just enjoy the music.

Plus, I sometimes listen to music in other languages, in which case, it's impossible for me to understand what the lyrics mean unless I look up a translation.

Huh. Why don't you understand what they mean? The stories and the metaphors, even the meaningless lyrics in some songs that nevertheless paint a word picture, are an important part of it for me. They heighten the experience and the emotions.

Go to YouTube and listen to Tom T. Hall's "Who's Gonna Feed Them Hogs?" That's the kind of story song I'm talking about, the kind that has a meaningful observation about the human spirit to go along with the music.

[Master Moron]

Huh. Why don't you understand what they mean? The stories and the metaphors, even the meaningless lyrics in some songs that nevertheless paint a word picture, are an important part of it for me. They heighten the experience and the emotions.


Well, one song I love is "Blue and Yellow" by The Used. But, everytime I try to listen to the lyrics I get confused. I'll try to listen to them right now and indicate where I can't understand where I can't decipher them:

"It's all in how you mix the two and to ...(undecipherable)...to feel (undecipherable)...you can not miss it burns a hole through everyone that feels it well you're never gonna find it if you're looking for it...(undecipherable)...well you're never gonna find it if you're looking for it. Shoulda done something but I've done it enough. By the way your hands were shaking...(undecipherable)...waste some time with you. And you never what I thought in the end. How amazing it feels just to live again. To feel (undecipherable)...you can not miss it burns a hole..."

It goes on for a while like that. Even though I can understand most of the lyrics that are said I have absolutely no idea what the song is about. Mixing two things and it burns a hole through everyone? What the hell is it talking about? I don't really care. I just like to listen to the song. This is pretty typical of just about every song I listen to. There are several lyrics that I can't understand and where I do understand the lyrics I don't know what the hell they're talking about.

[G. Wen]

I would say the ultimate example of misusing something would come out of literature, specifically Frankenstein. Frankenstein was the doctor, the monster remained nameless throughout the whole novel.

[jph139]

I would say the ultimate example of misusing something would come out of literature, specifically Frankenstein. Frankenstein was the doctor, the monster remained nameless throughout the whole novel.

Not to mention that the Monster was really quite intelligent, and Dr. Frankenstein wasn't really a "mad scientist" in the way we think of them today. So the common "Frankenstein's Monster" scenario people use is NOTHING like the original novel.

In fact, a BUNCH of Universal Horror movies from that era completely changed the books and stories they were based on. Kinda sad, when you think about it.

[Tay the Cat]

Sorry, but I pretty much disagree with everything you said. I never pay any attention to the lyrics when I listen to music. I just listen to the melody. I couldn't care less what the original artist intended the song to mean.
I could understand if you were talking about instrumental songs, but song with lyrics? It's hard to not pay attention to them.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Well, one song I love is "Blue and Yellow" by The Used. But, everytime I try to listen to the lyrics I get confused. I'll try to listen to them right now and indicate where I can't understand where I can't decipher them:

"It's all in how you mix the two and to ...(undecipherable)...to feel (undecipherable)...you can not miss it burns a hole through everyone that feels it well you're never gonna find it if you're looking for it...(undecipherable)...well you're never gonna find it if you're looking for it. Shoulda done something but I've done it enough. By the way your hands were shaking...(undecipherable)...waste some time with you. And you never what I thought in the end. How amazing it feels just to live again. To feel (undecipherable)...you can not miss it burns a hole..."

It goes on for a while like that. Even though I can understand most of the lyrics that are said I have absolutely no idea what the song is about. Mixing two things and it burns a hole through everyone? What the hell is it talking about? I don't really care. I just like to listen to the song. This is pretty typical of just about every song I listen to. There are several lyrics that I can't understand and where I do understand the lyrics I don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Some songs are so personal that you'll never really decipher the meaning to them unless the artist tells you. I had to look on songmeanings to find out that the guy who wrote this said it is a song about wanting to have a really deep connection with a person but not being able to because that person is too different.

http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=126126

But even in these cases, the lyrics are still important because you can find personal meaning in it or at least enjoy the emotional landscape the words and images create. To each his own, though. I don't want to give you the impression that I think there's anything wrong with the way you enjoy music. It's just interesting because I've never heard it before.

[Desensitized]

The Clash's Rock The Casbah. If you listen to the lyrics, it's pretty easy to tell what the song is about, but people usually just pass it off as nothing but a pop song.

The Clash frequently had very powerful lyrics that only require about a single listen to understand where they're coming from.

[Tay the Cat]

The Clash's Rock The Casbah. If you listen to the lyrics, it's pretty easy to tell what the song is about, but people usually just pass it off as nothing but a pop song.

The Clash frequently had very powerful lyrics that only require about a single listen to understand where they're coming from.
With that said, people pass off "Should I Stay or Should I Go" as a pop song too, when it was actually written about Mick Jones' rocky relationship with Ellen Foley.

[Master Moron]

I could understand if you were talking about instrumental songs, but song with lyrics? It's hard to not pay attention to them.

Well, it's not like I avoid listening to the words. I listen to the words because I like the way they sound, I just don't try to find any particular meaning in them.


But even in these cases, the lyrics are still important because you can find personal meaning in it or at least enjoy the emotional landscape the words and images create.

Well, I do, I guess. I mean, I listen to the words and it creates images in my mind, but it doesn't mean that I actually understand what the song is about.

[Hobbes829]

But "Born in the USA" is a real patriotic statement that questions and criticizes the policies and the failures of our government and our people when it comes to vets. It's not the chest thumping "America is No. 1" anthem that Ronald Reagan and other people seemed to want it to be.

Don't even understand the rest of your comments. Yeah, it's a given that "Lust for Life" has a great hook and that's why the companies use it. I pretty much said that in my first post. But what are you trying to say about it? That you think it's okay and you don't care or even notice if say, The Dandy Warhols' song "Bohemian Like You" is used to sell cars and they use the "You've got a great car," line but not the immediately following "Yeah, what's wrong with it today" line?

Not sure what you didn't get. I'm saying that i think it's dumb that they use a song that's obviously about drug addiction to pimp gap clothes.

[Zorak Masaki]

"Down Under" by Men at Work. People just think its some happy celebration of Australia (and the goofy video didnt really help matters) but its really about greedy land developers coming to Australia and "plundering" the country.

[Fone Bone]

Songs are always misused in ads from their original intention but I think the best and funniest examples of what you are talking about involve street slang (which advertisers use to connect with young kids without bothering to learn what the words mean). The example that hilariously comes to mind for me first is McDonald's tagline "I'm hittin' that". For some reason that didn't last too long.:p

[Patchwork]

The Clash's Rock The Casbah. If you listen to the lyrics, it's pretty easy to tell what the song is about, but people usually just pass it off as nothing but a pop song.

The Clash frequently had very powerful lyrics that only require about a single listen to understand where they're coming from.

Not to mention the huge misunderstanding of the lyrics when it was used as an unofficial anthem in the Gulf War. Plenty of people still think that it's a conservative-themed song.

Naturally, Joe Strummer was quite distraught over it.

[Tash]

Puffy AmiYumi once did a cover of "Joining a Fan Club", a song that claims Christianity is a cult designed to con money out of people, because they misunderstood the sarcastic nature of the lyrics. (and appearently none of their managers understood the lyrics, either) To make matters worse, the song was used in a lot of promotional material for their cartoon.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Not to mention the huge misunderstanding of the lyrics when it was used as an unofficial anthem in the Gulf War. Plenty of people still think that it's a conservative-themed song.

Naturally, Joe Strummer was quite distraught over it.

Seriously. The theme song for the the Gulf War was actually Milo Tremley's "Kick Ass USA."

[R-Taco]

Songs are always misused in ads from their original intention but I think the best and funniest examples of what you are talking about involve street slang (which advertisers use to connect with young kids without bothering to learn what the words mean). The example that hilariously comes to mind for me first is McDonald's tagline "I'm hittin' that". For some reason that didn't last too long.:p

The PSP used that too. XD

[MonkeyFunk]

I saw a trailer for a talk show a while back which used an instrumental version of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation".

Although I suppose that's a bit OT, since whoever picked that bit of music must have realised the implication...