Songs that were ruined once you learned the meaning of it

Free Advice wrote:

The Last Train to Clarksville by the Monkees

This is an anti-war song protesting the Vietnam War and the draft. Songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were from Nashville, and when people from that area were drafted they were first sent to Ft. Campbell, KY just outside of Clarksville TN.

Draftees were given a train ticket to Clarksville , "Be there by 4:30, I've made your reservation". It was considered the last train because "I don't know if I'm ever coming home. Oh no no no."

Man, some of you are dense.

Yes, this is about a solider going to war (and now the parts you leave out) and calling his girlfried to take the last train the clarksville so they can spend one last night before he leaves.

It is neither pro war or anti war. It's the life of a solider - going away for what might be his (or her now) time and wanting to see his love one last time.

----------------

Take the last train to Clarksville (his GF should take the last train)

And I'll meet you at the station (he'll be waiting)

You can be there by four-thirty (no need to be early and buy a ticket, cuz)

'Cause I've made your reservation, don't be slow

Cause I'm leaving in the morning

And I must see you again

We'll have one more night together

Till the morning brings my train and I must go

-----------------

This is turning into a great thread about songs people hate because they completely misunderstand them:)

First Sweet Home Alabama, now Last Train to Clarksville. Maybe this thread can help some people:)

"Then all of the sudden comes a Presidential candidate who represents these exact same people. Who does Springsteen rally for? Hillary Clinton, the epitome of the corporate/bank owned candidate, the woman who has made a career of looking down on, and mocking, the every-day working class family."

What was the alternative? Some trust born baby billionaire (maybe a billionaire, who knows) who does not give a crap about you other than he can manipulate you into voting for him?

rebelyell wrote:

"Then all of the sudden comes a Presidential candidate who represents these exact same people. Who does Springsteen rally for? Hillary Clinton, the epitome of the corporate/bank owned candidate, the woman who has made a career of looking down on, and mocking, the every-day working class family."

What was the alternative? Some trust born baby billionaire (maybe a billionaire, who knows) who does not give a crap about you other than he can manipulate you into voting for him?

Springsteen songs are not protest songs, they're story songs, but I guess some protest-like themes come up.

I was disappointed when Springsteen rallied for John Kerry. Kinda shattered the illusion of being a man of the people, of the disenfranchised, for The Boss to do a cliched photo op to help one Ivy League blue-blood defeat another in a political campaign. I would have felt the same way if he had rallied for Bush. I didn't realize he rallied for Hilary, I pretty much checked out of the '16 campaign. I probably would have been more disappointed if he came out for Trump.

But these days Springsteen is a multi-millionaire who does $500 a ticket Broadway shows. A long ways from the Jersey Shore or Nebraska.

Neil Young wrote:

And Neil Young (a Canadian!) later apologized for writing Southern Man, saying it was arrogant and wrong for him to stake out a simplified position for such a complex and fraught issue.

Of course, because racism isn't as simple as black and white.

Star wrote:

Sweet Home Alabama

Catchy tune. Great guitar riff.

But...

Then they get political and support Nixon, who stepped down from the Watergate scandal. And support governor Wallace who was an obvious racist.

Nope, the reference to Wallace was non-supportive. "In Birmingham they love the governor...BOO BOO BOO." They were calling out Wallace's racism and push for segregation.

There was a story on NPR about it this morning, and apparently there is a whole documentary (on HBO?) breaking down this song and others.

Heard it on NPR wrote:

Star wrote:

Sweet Home Alabama

Catchy tune. Great guitar riff.

But...

Then they get political and support Nixon, who stepped down from the Watergate scandal. And support governor Wallace who was an obvious racist.

Nope, the reference to Wallace was non-supportive. "In Birmingham they love the governor...BOO BOO BOO." They were calling out Wallace's racism and push for segregation.

There was a story on NPR about it this morning, and apparently there is a whole documentary (on HBO?) breaking down this song and others.

Still not ruined.

Star, you have it wrong and others have it right. "Sweet Home Alabama" is like "Born in the USA" in that it was/is adopted by conservatives who don't realize that the song doesn't mean what they think it means.

Heard it on NPR wrote:

Star wrote:

Sweet Home Alabama

Catchy tune. Great guitar riff.

But...

Then they get political and support Nixon, who stepped down from the Watergate scandal. And support governor Wallace who was an obvious racist.

Nope, the reference to Wallace was non-supportive. "In Birmingham they love the governor...BOO BOO BOO." They were calling out Wallace's racism and push for segregation.

There was a story on NPR about it this morning, and apparently there is a whole documentary (on HBO?) breaking down this song and others.

Wonderin' to wrote:

Wonderin' wrote:

Everyone who responds with a song title should say what they now think the song is really about. Otherwise this is just a weird and not very informative list.

+1, I'm not googling all these songs, just include it in your post

Both of you need to stay away from this thread if you cannot deal with it as it is.

Cyprus Avenue

Ted Nugent - Stranglehold

The guy who wrote Sweet Home Alabama got his break in the music business as the guitarist for the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

Uptown Girl

You're So Vain

She lasso je je je.

Turns out it is not about a girl and a lasso but a man that thinks a girl loves you, what a disaster!!!

(Taught it when 5 years old, english is not my first language).

(She loves you by Beatles)

homerj wrote:

Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band

The meaning always seemed pretty obvious. What am I missing?

Heard it on NPR wrote:

Star wrote:

Sweet Home Alabama

Catchy tune. Great guitar riff.

But...

Then they get political and support Nixon, who stepped down from the Watergate scandal. And support governor Wallace who was an obvious racist.

Nope, the reference to Wallace was non-supportive. "In Birmingham they love the governor...BOO BOO BOO." They were calling out Wallace's racism and push for segregation.

There was a story on NPR about it this morning, and apparently there is a whole documentary (on HBO?) breaking down this song and others.

It's not clear to me whether they support Wallace or not, the boo's could be sarcastic or they could be imitating protestors. I think the main thing they're saying is that it's not their fault or their problem. That's why in the next line they say "Now we all did what we could do". Then the following line is basically saying, "If Watergate doesn't bother me, why should Wallace?" I think more than making a specific point it's just trying to be irreverent about politics while talking about how great the south is.

Timothy

are you sure it was only 10% ... according to history.com, the average was 32% and as high as 49% in Mississippi:

"The 1860 census shows that in the states that would soon secede from the Union, an average of more than 32 percent of white families owned slaves. Some states had far more slave owners (46 percent in South Carolina, 49 percent in Mississippi) while some had far less (20 percent in Arkansas)."

Oh geez....JB,? I took my seven-year-old to see him in concert last spring and he absolutely loved it. Don't even tell me....