4 Iconic Songs That Have Music and Lyrics That Really Don’t Match

The phenomenon of popular artists releasing songs that sound like they’re talking about one thing (but really are talking about the opposite) is directly responsible for “Every Breath You Take” landing on wedding playlists and “Born In The U.S.A.” being played at patriotic Fourth of July celebrations. When the music and lyrics don’t match, it can be easy to form an understanding of the track with the most dominant element—in most cases, the music.

While most English-speaking rock lovers will recognize the lyrical content of these songs just by sheer frequency of listens, if a non-English-speaking music aficionado heard these iconic songs, they might assume they’re talking about something totally different.

“After Forever” by Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath painted themselves into a dark, Satanic corner when they decided to name themselves after a gathering of witches. But some of their songs sounded like they came straight from the mouth of a Christian preacher, like the final verse in “After Forever” from Master Of Reality. “Perhaps you’ll think before you say, ‘God is dead and gone’ / Open your eyes, just realize that he is the one / The only one who can save you now from all this sin and hate / Or will you jeer at all you hear? / Yes, I think it’s too late.”

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” by The Beatles

Despite how much The Beatles publicly opined about having to record this darkly whimsical Paul McCartney track, “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” remains one of this humble writer’s favorite Fab Four tracks. Perhaps one of the biggest attractions of this song is just how much the lyrics and music don’t match. If you can’t understand that McCartney is singing about a hammer-wielding serial killer, the song could pass for a jaunty little ditty about railroad workers (you know, because of all the anvil hits). Plus, who doesn’t love a good drop-in at halftime? McCartney was at peak eccentricity.

“Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Again, most English-speaking people probably know the words to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising”. But if you don’t, the song sounds more like an upbeat country rock tune than a warning about the impending apocalypse. The jumpy, uptempo guitar riff doesn’t exactly match lines like “Hope you got your things together / hope you are quite prepared to die / Looks like we’re in for nasty weather / One eye is taken for an eye.” Nevertheless, the contrast works. Who knew that someone could write a song about global annihilation and make it such a toe-tapper?

“Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears for Fears

There is a definite moodiness to Tears For Fears’ 1985 hit single, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”. Still, the driving rhythm and bright synth tones mask some of the song’s darker lines. Take a closer look at the lyrics, and it’s incredibly obvious just how much they don’t match the music. “Most of freedom and of pleasure / Nothing ever lasts forever / Everybody wants to rule the world.” Darker still: “There’s a room where the light won’t find you / holding hands while the walls come tumbling down / When they do, I’ll be right behind you.”

Photo by Roger Morton/Cleopatra Records/Getty Images

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