Top 10 Ambiguous Songs

I did a list not long ago, but I felt inspired so I started writing this shee. Here we have it, in descending order, my all-time top-ten ambiguous songs. Although I'm sure there's some I've missed.

10. Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks

“The tax-man’s taken all my dough, and left me in my stately home, lazing on a sunny afternoon.”

Ok, so it's quite an explicit song in terms of meaning, there’s not really anything ambiguous about the lyrics except the fact that it’s a ‘sunny afternoon’, but the tone of the song is quite happy I think, happy and relaxed and the singer’s not particularly worried that his girlfriend’s stolen his car and is telling her parents that he’s an abusive alcoholic.

9. Mamma Mia - ABBA

“I’ve been cheated by you since I don’t know when”

… the ABBA girls chirp happily, whilst dancing around in white mini-dresses. A bit weird? I think so. Keep an eye on Cissy’s blog for a nice big rant about ABBA.


8. Every Breath You Take - The Police

“Every smile you fake, every claim you stake I’ll be watching you.”

Pretty much the ultimate in ambiguous songs. Everyone knows it’s about a stalker, but I felt like I had to put it in here because, to be honest, I wanted to listen to it again.

7. Who Loves The Sun - Velvet Underground

“Who loves the sun, who cares that it makes grass grow? Who cares what it does since you broke my heart? Who loves the sun? Not everyone.”

Supposedly this is a rhetorical question, “Who loves the sun?" “Why, everyone loves the sun of course!” But oh no, contraire my dears, not the Velvets! They’re far too cool for all that! They don’t even hate it! They just don’t give a flying fig’s hoot... Now, let’s all go do some heroin.

6. Getting Better - The Beatles

“It’s getting better all the time... I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved.”

WTF? Ok then. So Heather was right then was she Paul?! This otherwise happy little song has the most bizarre line plonked right in the middle that makes me wonder if it was there to shock people, or to give the whole song a bit of a sinister undertone… or maybe just for lolz.


5. Shiver - Coldplay

“Did you want me to change? Well I’ll change for good, and I want you to know that you’ll always get your way.”

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to decide whether or not this song is lovely or a bit creepy. I think considering it’s sung by Chris Martin, I’ll take it as a lovely song, but if someone like Vincent Price was to read it, it would certainly seem very creepy… but then most things would (the Thriller speech still terrifies me).


4. Rules - Shakira

“Don’t forget that you’re condemned to me. Can’t you see? You always were.”

This starts off as a nice song, some slightly odd but I suppose reasonable requests, (or ‘rules’) but then goes a bit strange at the end of the chorus. But then again I know a few people who wouldn’t see being condemned to Shakira as a bad thing…


3. China Girl - David Bowie

“I’ll give you television. I’ll give you eyes of blue.”

I’d like to go for another WTF if possible. WTF? This song was recorded by both David Bowie and Iggy Pop (I think Iggy’s is possibly better). I honestly can’t tell what this song is about. I’ve had a look about – some people say it’s about Hitler, some people say it’s about drugs, some people say it’s just a song about someone warning about western culture’s influence over eastern culture. All I know is, Bowie’s video to it is pretty darn freaky.



2. Funny Little Frog - Belle & Sebastian

“You are my girl and you don’t even know it. I am living out the life of a poet. I am the jester in the ancient court, and you’re the funny little frog in my throat.”

“I don’t dare to touch your hand, I don’t dare to think of you in a physical way and I don’t know how you smell. You are the cover of my magazine. You are my fashion tip, a living museum. I paid a visit to you on rainy Sundays, I’ll maybe tell you all about it someday.”

I still don’t even know what the hell this song’s about. I thought I did but the last bit’s a right pain. Some people say it’s about God, some people say it’s about being in love with someone famous or someone they’ve never met. I don’t know, but I bloody love the song, and I love the fact that it doesn’t have an obvious, fixed meaning.


1. Perfect Day - Lou Reed

“It’s such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you. Oh such a perfect day, you just keep me hanging on.”

“Such a perfect day, you made me forget myself, I thought I was someone else, someone good.”

I’ll always be in two minds about this song. Realistically (and statistically) Lou Reed song’s generally aren’t about nice things like going to the zoo. Unless all the animals are transvestites or addicts. Let’s face it, this song is about heroin addiction. Especially that last bit - “You’re going to reap, just what you sow.”