The messages in music? real or not?

I wanted to know what you guys think of messages in songs? How often do you think they are really there or just people looking into it to much. 'Meanings' I guess could be another way of putting.

I thought of this when someone thought creep was a song about low self esteem in the eyes of someone you love. I explained to her that the way it was told to me, it was about the moments we kind of fallow people around in a starkerish kind of way with out knowing it (I believe this is what the band said about the song). She said "No way! Its way to beautiful of a song to mean that."

What do you think? People put their own meanings in all the time, most of the time, or some of the time? Do bands have meanings in all there works, or just some? Lets talk it out.

Here are the lyrics to creep if you need them.

When you were here before,
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel,
Your skin makes me cry

You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so **in' special

But I'm a creep,
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here

I don't care if it hurts,
I wanna have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul

I want you to notice
when I'm not around
You're so **in' special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here, ohhhh, ohhhh

She's running out again
She's running out
She run run run run...
run... run...

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so **in' special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep,
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here

I don't belong here...

I think you have to ask the artist. People listen to music backwords and interpret all kinds of things. Like stairway to heavan for example.

That's the beauty of poetry, you can interpret it any way you want and it wouldn't be wrong. That's why its never completely clear. like sometimes ill wright lyrics and I'll make them very vague and purposely give it multiple meanings. if an artist wanted to make a point clear, they wouldn't hide it in metaphors, symbolism and similes.

Besides, it would be boring if every artist just came out and told everyone exactly what each of there songs is about. It can be fun to try and interperet a meaning.

Yeah, I like trying to find the hidden meaning in Hendrix songs. I have found so many about Bold as Love but none straight from Jimi's mouth. Of course he's dead but in an interview or something. It's definetly my favorite song, lyrically, of all. He's also my favorite artist lyrically.

Anger he smiles tow'ring shiny metallic purple armour.
Queen jealousy, envy waits behind him.
Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground.
Blue are the life giving waters taking for granted,
They quietly understand.

Once happy turquoise armies lay opposite ready,
But wonder why the fight is on.
But they're all, bold as love.
Yeah, they're all bold as love.
Yeah, they're all bold as love.
Just ask the Axis.

My red is so confident he flashes trophies of war
And ribbons of euphoria.
Orange is young, full of daring but very unsteady for the first go 'round.
My yellow in this case is no so mellow.
In fact I'm trying to say it's frightened like me.
And all of these emotions of mine keep holding me
From giving my life to a rainbow like you.
But I'm a yeah, I'm bold as love,
Yeah yeah.

Well, I'm bold, bold as love.
Hear me talkin', girl.
I'm bold as love.
Just ask the Axis.
He knows everything. Yeah, yeah.

I think Rob Thomas put it great, when he was talking about his song 3AM, which is about his Mother's cancer days when he was younger:

"Nobody ever picked up [on the meaning of the song] which is like I say, just as good; cause it would lose something universal about a song that makes it is special to everyone because you're supposed to be able to take it into your own and use it for whatever you want."

I agree and also disagree. It doesn't have to be clear, it could be vague, you are correct there imo. However, it can have a very specific meaning for the writer and he/she can still use metaphors and similes. Maynard does that all the time for example.

@btimm,

True. Some are subject to interpretation and others are literal.

When metallica was asked about Trapped Under Ice, they said "it's about a guy trapped under ice!"

I don't know how to live trough this hell
Woken up, I'm still locked in this shell
Frozen soul, frozen down to the core
Break the ice, I can't take anymore

Freezing
Can't move at all
Screaming
Can't hear my call
I am dying to live
Cry out
I'm trapped under ice

Crystallized, as I lay here and rest
Eyes of glass stare directly at death
From deep sleep I have broken away
No one knows, no one hears what I say

Freezing
Can't move at all
Screaming
Can't hear my call
I am dying to live
Cry out
I'm trapped under ice

Scream from my soul
Fate, mystified
Hell, forever more

Scream from my soul
Fate, mystified
Hell, forever more

No release from my cryonic state
what is this? I've been stricken by fate
Wrapped up tight, cannot move, can't break free
Hand of doom has a tight grip on me

Freezing
Can't move at all
Screaming
Can't hear my call
I am dying to live
Cry out
I'm trapped under ice

Freezing
can�t move at all
Screaming
Can't hear my call
I am dying to live
Cry out
I'm trapped under ice

I like when you just can't get just right, you trying to put the song together as a whole but its really hard because song is all over the place. Because when you do get, or are are told about it you like "OHHHHHHHH, I get it now!" I like the realization of it all.

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody was one that did it for me.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality
Open your eyes, Look up to the skies and see,
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go, Little high, little low
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me

Mama, just killed a man, Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooh, Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters

Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time
Goodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooh, I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all

I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me
(Galileo.) Galileo. (Galileo.) Galileo, Galileo figaro
Magnifico. I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let me go.) Will not let you go
(Let me go.) Will not let you go. (Let me go.) Ah
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
(Oh mama mia, mama mia.) Mama mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here

Nothing really matters, Anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me

Any way the wind blows

He was inspired by living and battling AIDS.

Good ole Carl said once in one post that "I dont write fiction, that is".

So... every word have a meaning. If someone do not get it, he could "create" his own meaning to those words... Jeff pretty much sum it up.