Being the first one that springs to mind.

Springsteen's howl of anguish for the return of a Vietnam vet railing against the appalling and divisive Reaganomics that have left him in poverty and desolation = Recast by the Republican right as a chest thumping anthem almost on a par with the Star Spangled Banner.

The "80's" gated drum type production didn't help once removed from the original Nebraska settings.

Every breath you take - the Police...
NOT a sweet lovesong.

I Will Always Love You. I think most understand the tone of Dolly P's version (if they had heard it which plenty hadn't of course) but when Whitney did her "sing loudly and take no notice of the lyrics" version, people took it as a straight love song.

My cousin had it had her wedding. How lovely: "If I should stay, I'd only get in your way" sung three hours after exchange of vows.

Yes you. You are.

Where was I? Snogging couples at indie clubs and (in latter years) weddings bear testament to the fact that lyrics are generally irrelevant if the chorus is nice. Consequently Baby Bird's tale of a young girl persuaded by a lascivious photographer to pose for lewd photos is translated into 'I fancy you' and little more.

You got me to hitch my knees up and pulled my legs apart.
You took an instamatic camera and and pulled my sleeves around my heart

My ding a ling, I want you to play with my ding a ling."

Oh no, actually that one wasn't misunderstood.

As you were.

That very, very few 'so called' love songs are straightforward declarations of love as they might first appear. It must have something to do with the artist's fervent wish to not appear mawkish and sentimental that there is usually a twist or an undercurrent which makes them a questionable choice at a wedding.

eg Lou Reed 'It's such a Perfect Day, I'm glad I spent it with you' but later ... 'You're gonna reap just what you sow' - a tad threatening perhaps? In fairness, you would think twice about a love song from sweetheart Lou, wouldn't you. Perfect Day was probably about heroin anyway.

"Band of Gold" by Freda Payne has been played !

"It's about Julian Lennon" - that's what people will tell you.

I don't agree. I think it's a song to comfort a teenager who has failed to get the girl, and encouraging them to, ahem, "take comfort in their own company".

That certainly explains what "The movement you need is on your shoulder" means. And "you're waiting for someone to perform with".

I firmly believe it is one of the most subversive songs of all time. No wonder Lennon liked it so much.

playing The New Radicals You Get What You Give as Cameron walks out. Includes the following lyrics:

...Just don't be afraid to leave
Health insurance rip off lying
FDA big bankers buying
Fake computer crashes dining...

...You're all fakes...

...Run to your mansions
Come around
We'll kick your ass in.

The One I Love by R.E.M. Michael Stipe wanted it left off Document because it was such a nasty lyric ('a simple prop to occupy my time' indeed), but that didn't stop couples wanting it played.

Jolean's mention of the popular "sing loudly and take no notice of the lyrics" school of artistes reminds me of the shining example of stupidity foisted on the world by dead eyed Mary J Blige when she sang
"looking out on the morning rain,
I used to feel so inspired"

If you feel so inspired rather than, say, uninspired what in God's name are you complaining about, woman?

Here's someone who understands the words

I know it is regarded as sacred by many on here and as a declaration of devotion and love by the general public and DJs but as I posted here recently it has always come across as a passive/aggressive suicide note to me...

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it

God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me...

Yes you bloody well are.

ps - Not enough 10cc around here.

Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I could have
Maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have

If I made you feel second best
I'm so sorry I was blind ... (BUT)

You were always on my mind

(So that's ok then)

Adding to the theme of inappropriate wedding disco songs...we all know what it is about, but the spoken intro clearly states "Hey Baby! You go your way, and I'll go mine, but in the meantime...", so it's more of parting shag than a love song.

On Aerial, didn't Kate Bush have a song about a washing machine that was really all about sex? Indeed Ms Bush seems to have a predilection for such things (in my mind at least!) as I genuinely fall inot the camp that says Running Up The Hill is about rumpy-pumpy also - and her desire by to have her partner 'change places' to see how it feels for her. Even if it isn't, I'm going to continue thinking it is...ahem...

Meanwhile, Hey Jude was not written for Julian Lennon (see earlier post) as far as I understand it. It was for a (possibly lesbian?)female friend of Paul McCartney who was hesitating over a potential relationship.

Without properly listening to the lyrics, I used to think this Who track was a psychedelic song about expanding your mind, man.

It's nothing of the sort but actually about sexual jealousy in a relationship. Apparently, Townshend came up with the idea when his other half warned him not to play around on a world tour as she will find out. "I can see for miles, Pete, see for miles."

I did entertain the idea that the song was about a guide dog who's owner is called Miles and was pre owned by four other men all called Miles. Oh yeah.

The amount of times I've seen a stampede to the dance floor when this comes on, but the lyrics are unbelievably sad

First three lines:

What's the sense in sharing this one and only life
Ending up, just another lost and lonely wife
You count up the years, and they will be filled with tears

Strummer's tongue-in-cheek story about (am I right in saying?) the fall of the Shah of Iran became a US forces favourite during both Iraq wars, much to his disgust.

Nice song about a little brother misty-eyed at big bruv heading off to Spain, "the best place he's ever seen"?

No, Daniel's going to VIETNAM! He's just saying he's going to Spain so little brother doesn't get upset! And it's not even his first tour of duty ("he should know, he's been there enough"), no wonder his "eyes have died"...

[Apparently there was an extra verse that made this obvious, but Elt dumped it as the song was too long anyway.]

Easy by Lionel Richie/The Commodores. As the bride and groom gaze lovingly into each others eyes Lionel's first words are...

W I know it sounds funny but I just can't stand the pain, Girl
So I'm leaving you tomorrow."

And it goes on...

"You know I've done all I can
You see I begged, stole, and I borrowed!
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning!

Why in the world would anybody put chains on me?
I've paid my dues to make it
Everybody wants me to be
What they want me to be
I'm not happy when I try to fake it!

I wanna be high, so high
I wanna be free to know
The things I do are right
I wanna be free
Just me!"

by The Housemartins. In reality a sneery critique of boozed-up idiots. Became a floor filler in the late 80s for boozed-up idiots.

One.

be interpreted as a really romantic weddingy song, too, which seems remarkably...well, odd.

Held up as a great love song.

It's a bloke begging for a quick shag.

A tender, gentle song asking for forgiveness and pleading for the love of his life to return? Not really:

"In the twist of separation, you excelled at being free"

in other words - "you *whore!*"

"Whatever - I'm wrong - just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood"

in other words - "I can't be bothered grappling with whatever it is you are upset about. Washing's piling up."

"I guess it's time you came back for good."

in other words - "I control you. You have no say in this. I hereby summon you back. And don't do it again".

We have to assume that every song is about shagging apart from the ones from murderous/creepy/controlling exes.

Another stalky song, this time co-opted as one of the most requested tunes to be played at funerals. Odd.

Every dad's favourite tune back in the day.

*whispers*

It was about drugs! Honest!

(sorry)

by the La's - isn't that also about the heroin? Or do I just really want it to be?

Sarah Palin appropriated Gretchen Peters's song Independence Day (as performed by Martina McBride) much to Gretchen's initial dismay.

This song has nothng to do with American freedom from British rule but is all about domestic abuse, being a young girl's view of her mother revenging herself on her abusive husband.

Gretchen said "The fact that the McCain/Palin campaign is using a song about an abused woman as a rallying cry for their Vice Presidential candidate, a woman who would ban abortion even in cases of rape and incest, is beyond irony,"

So Gretchen decided the best thing to do was to take the royalties she was earning via Palin and donate them to pro-choice organisation Planned Parenthood.

A few years ago, a friend of mine had just made an acquaintance of Neil Hannon and persuaded him to play Songs Of Love at his wedding, dedicated to the bride. Before he started the song, Hannon remarked, "I'm not sure why you want this performed at your nuptials as it's really not a love ballad."

They were sadly separated a mere three years later. So it was quite apt after all.

Lauren Laverne played this on 6Music a few months ago proclaiming it the best song about reminiscing about one's youth ever. Listen beyond the first few lines and it reveals something far more personal.

Just heard Tom Jones doing an acoustic version of this on NPR, and realised for the first time that it is sung by a condemned man the day before his execution. Obviously I've not been listening for the past 40 years.

at a friend's wedding - and dedicated it to the 2 mother-in-laws, Fortunately, the guests got the joke.

By The Beautiful South sometimes crops up on 'Love' compilations.

Really? Isn't even the title a giveaway?

For our own wedding video, I suggested Mojave 3's 'You're beautiful' would be nice for a section of it. The bloke who edited it got the wrong track off the album...Where Is The Love?!!!*

*NOT the Black Eyed Peas one

but Jersusalem has gone from being a chartist call to arms to a public school anthem. Also, can someone please explain why England rugby crowds have adopted Swing Low Sweet chariot ?

often mistakenly thought to be about a woman's curves and charms, is actually about Will I Am's time as a road layer pre-fame.

"Your life's a mess, you've been cut adrift"
Still, chin up and all that.