Analyzing Some Songs

In this area I will analyze some popular songs of the 1990's

At First Glance = Titles only
Further Look = Lyrics As Well
Actual = WikiPedia entry (if available)

1.) New Radicals - You Only Get What You Give

At First Glance: One would think this song is about sexually transmitted diseases.

Further Look: Suicide Prevention?

Actual: The song itself is about remaining true to who you are and not being "a fake." You know, like a band that sold out it's real values to make it big in America.

2.) Alanis Morrisette - Ironic

At First Glance: How Alanis Morrisette managed to stay relevant after You Oughta Know

Further Look: This song seems to be extremely depressing and attempts to make people afraid of flying, and winning the lottery after turning 98.

Actual: This song is the definition of ironic because nothing in the song is ironic. I think she just blew my mind.

3.) Barenaked Ladies - One Week

At First Glance: This song must be about how long you can listen to it before wanting to slit your wrists.

Further Look: A possible white masochistic male that attempts to rap in a relationship that seems to be failing miserably. So basically a biographical song of Vanilla Ice, if he ever dates a girl.

Actual: Largely imrpovised rapping, which makes sense because you know, the first thing off the top of 99% of white males head's is "Chickety-China the Chinese Chicken."

4.) Shaggy - It Wasn't Me

At First Glance: It wasn't him.

Further Look: It probably was him, but at least they recorded it.

Actual: Shaggy would make a great criminal defense attorney, assuming his client could speak in fluent rhymes about his crimes over some beats made by the streets. (see what I did there?)

5.) L.F.O. - Summer Girls

At First Glance: This song tries to appear as a song that everyone can relate to about girls in the summer.

Further Look: This song just seems to compile a bunch of random facts pertinent to nobody except the singer and what he likes. But apparently William Shakespeare prefers the name Billy. Oh and Lead Singer is so cool, he'll steal your honey like he stole your bike. So if your bike has ever been stolen, I suggest calling the cops on his ass.

Actual: This song was actually a practical joke. That makes sense, and mad props to LFO on pranking America for over a year back in 1999 when this song was released.

6.) O-Town - Liquid Dream

At First Glance: This song sounds like it is going to be about a guy who dreams about water and possibly the theme song to Adam Sandler's hit movie Waterboy

Further Look: It's quite possible that this song initiated the most restraining orders ever from one song with creepy lyrics ranging from Madonna, Janet Jackson and Cindy Crawford. Now I don't think it is too much to ask, but was it not possible to reference people who have mattered after 1995.

Actual: This song was so bad it did not have it's own Wikipedia page. It woudln't shock me if I was able to say the same thing about it's band.

7.) Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me

At First Glance: This song sounds like a desperate plea from a 13 year old boy trying to get laid for the first time without using the proper word to express his true desperation. Or real love...

Further Look: The singer seems to be indifferent to anything about the girl's past, which means I guess he was in a relationship with a talker.

Actual: A.J. MacLean's vocals we're not used on this track as he was sick at the time they recorded this. Little known fact: anyone that listens to more than 7 tracks of the Backstreet Boys gets sick too.

8.) Matchbox 20 - Push

At First Glance: This song appears to be about a verb that is defined as:
Push -

1.	to press upon or against (a thing) with force in order to move it away.

2.	to move (something) in a specified way by exerting force; shove; drive: to push something aside; to push the door open.

3.	to effect or accomplish by thrusting obstacles aside: to push one's way through the crowd.

4.	to cause to extend or project; thrust. Doesn't seem to be a bad idea does it?

Further Look: Song appears to speak to the wife-beating population of America and just lets those wife's know they aren't loving their husbands nearly enough, and when he lies, he is doing it for your own good... God, why don't you get it you dumb bitch, see this is why I have to hit you.

Actual: It's not about "physical" abuse per se, it's about emotional abuse you stupid cunt.

9.) The Tony Rich Project - Nobody Knows

At First Glance: I'd have to guess this song is about Tony Rich's grievances about the lack of public knowledge about his "project"

Further Look: Tony Rich enjoys using the literary device of simile a little too much it's like. Sad.

Actual: In 1996 Kevin Sharp covered it and it was made the number 1 single at the time. What was really ironic was that nobody knew it was a cover.

10.) Tal Bachman - She's So High

At First Glance: This song sounds like it's about a girl who just smoked a couple joints back-to-back, or snorted some coke.

Further Look: It's about a woman who has not had any plastic surgery or image-enhancing procedures, so she's probably ugly. Also it has to be an insult to call someone all 5 senses. Lastly the most dated references ever? Aphrodite, Cleopatra and Joan of Arc? Nobody better?

Actual: According to Wikipedia it WAS a song.