Songs you couldn't understand as a five year old...and why?

[Ms Grace]

A lot of songs made no sense to me as a five year old...

Horse With No Name - America... I think the premise of not giving a horse a name was bad enough and the idea of taking it through a desert seemed cruel, but when the desert turned to sea I was lost.

(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson... why would anyone promise someone a rose garden anyway?

American Pie - Don McLean... there was a lot in that song that went way over my head but "I drove the Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry" had me completely bamboozled!

You're So Vain - Carly Simon... "I bet you think this song is about you..."... what the fire truck?? It IS about him!!! If she despises this guy so much why is she singing about him!?!

MacArthur Park - Jimmy Webb... that was a really messed up guy, getting his cake wet and all. 

Do you have any songs (from any era) that confused you as a 5 year old and why?

[immortal gypsy]

More because I misheard the lyrics.  Our lips are sealed.

I could follow along to the song then the chorus would come up and I would hear Alex the Seal, and it would be like how does that make sense? There was no seal before where did it come from.  To this very day that I still refer to the song as Alex the Seal

[jname]

I only remember two songs in particular that were so popular at the time and i knew most of the words. Only i didn't understand what they were about.
My parents didn't say a word but needless to say they were pretty naughty lyrics.

'Boom, boom, boom!' - Out there brothers. (The dirty version was pure filth lol).
'Sweat (A La La Long)' - Inner Circle

Listening to them again now makes me want to cringe lol/

EDIT: i can't seem to drag myself away now from listening to old 90's tracks

[Lady_Oracle]

Light My Fire by The Doors - I thought it was so funny, every time I heard the line, "Cmon baby light my fire" I couldn't help but crack up, I didn't know why.

One time while on the way home the song came on the radio and I busted out laughing uncontrollably, eventually my whole family was laughing with me. It was a fun moment. I was a really happy go lucky kid until my trans stuff started happening. Thankfully I've recovered my old self 

[Ms Grace]

Now that you mention it, yes it was rather amusing!

A couple of others...

S-s-single bed by Fox... that whole thing just sounded utterly messed up! Plus she had such a whiney voice.

Sylvia's Mother by Dr Hook... couldn't work out why Sylvia's mother was being such a dick! Also, we didn't have pay phone operators in Australia, so the whole line about needing to keep feeding the phone more money made no sense at all.

[Cindy]

Goddess you youngsters!!

[Ms Grace]

I suppose you're going to tell us you didn't understand Wake Up Little Suzi!

[Hikari]

Well I was 9 when Closer by the Nine Inch Nails came out and I didn't get it, if I did that would have been a troubling sign.

[jamboe89]

Well I was 9 when Closer by the Nine Inch Nails came out and I didn't get it, if I did that would have been a troubling sign.

I looked up the lyrics to that song, wow, yes you are very right! I think I need to have a listen to this, I wonder how it'll sound...can't say I'm a big NIN fan you see (or at least at the moment anyway)

There is this song called Londinium by Archive (on the album of the same name which is very good), and I was about 7 when I heard it and it is pretty deep. The girl sings about 'dirty water', about 'energy from every pore', and that 'the force cannot be blamed' - a guy then raps 'in every direction you turn touch fire and burn', about 'inner senses'...this was pretty deep for a kid consumed by Playstation. All of these things were pretty new concepts for me at the time, certainly opened my eyes to an artistic perspective that was foreign to me beforehand. It's one of my favourite songs in adulthood now. (I'm 25)

[Felix]

I remember these songs being on the radio a lot when I was a kid. Like with Hikari and Closer, I was too young to notice even the bluntest of sexual references.

[Ms Grace]

Adults are always worried about these songs corrupting kids, except the kids haven't a clue what they mean half the time. Another one I had no idea about was "Only Women Bleed" by Alice Cooper. Now that was a heavy one for a kid to wrap their brain around!

[EllieM]

well... when I was in first grade, we would start each day with the Lord's Prayer, Address the flag, God Save the Queen, Oh Canada and then some random hymn. I recall one called "Keep Thou My Way" and there was this one line in it that had me thinking that we would all be safe because of a large ursine with visual problems...
"Kept by Thy tender care, Gladly the cross-eyed bear."

[Felix]

I missed this before, but I want to say that I love "What the fire truck?" and I intend to work it into my active lexicon by force if necessary.

[Misato]

I remember being terrified of the song maneater by Hall and Oates because I thought I was about cannibalism.

[Monkeymel]

Ian Dury and Blockheads - hit me with your rhythm stick; hit me slowly, hit me quick
Let's just say I loved the lyrics at the time... Has some major connotations now though. Ahem.

Some of Adam Ant's and Shakin Steven's songs were also a tad difficult to understand. Green doors? Stand and Deliver?

Those were the days when adults could easily use innocent words in devious ways

[Ms Grace]

I remember being terrified of the song maneater by Hall and Oates because I thought I was about cannibalism.

I can easily see why! "Watch out boy she'll chew you up, she's a man eater!" "A beast is in her heart" "She'll rip your world apart"... scary stuff! Even though I was about 14 at the time I was weirded out by the Blondie song Rapture that had the "man from Mars, who eats your head - and then your in the man from Mars, you go out at night and eat cars, bars, guitars etc" made no sense then and still doesn't!!

Ian Dury and Blockheads - hit me with your rhythm stick; hit me slowly, hit me quick

Yes, hilarious!

I missed this before, but I want to say that I love "What the fire truck?"

[Joan]

Ian Dury and Blockheads - hit me with your rhythm stick; hit me slowly, hit me quick
Let's just say I loved the lyrics at the time... Has some major connotations now though. Ahem.

The first record I bought, aged 9 I suppose.  My sister tried to discourage the purchase.

Didn't make any sense to me at all really, did it? Lol

[immortal gypsy]

How about the "The Jack" by AC/DC. As a young and innocent child I honestly belived this song was about cards

[jamboe89]

Thought of another, I was 11 years old, Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside, I misheard 'I don't believe it's bad', as: 'I don't believe in space'. I thought this was intriguing at the time, 'Why don't you believe in space!! Space is exciting!', also another song on the same album Californication is entitled 'Parallel Universe' which is probably why I veered towards hearing that incorrectly the way I did. Might as well add that Californication and By The Way are albums by the RHCP definitely ones to look out for, my personal favourites!

[Hikari]

I looked up the lyrics to that song, wow, yes you are very right! I think I need to have a listen to this, I wonder how it'll sound...can't say I'm a big NIN fan you see (or at least at the moment anyway)

I used to think there was nothing more dirty than the lyrics to "Closer". To this day I find it slightly shocking when I hear it come across the radio.