Revealing the True Meanings Behind These Misunderstood Songs

Published on 09/19/2023
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‘American Girl’ – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

“American Girl” is one of Tom Petty’s most well-known songs. The song merged jangling 1960s guitars with late 1970s punk/new wave influences to become a classic, finishing Petty’s shows up until his untimely death. Despite its prominence as a rock classic, the song’s words are frequently misconstrued. For many years, the song was considered to be about a girl who committed suicide by jumping from a residential tower at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Petty’s hometown. However, in his 2005 book Conversations With Tom Petty, Petty flatly denied the story. “An urban legend.” It’s become a major urban legend in Florida. That is simply not true. That has nothing to do with the song. But that narrative spreads like wildfire. They truly know the entire tale. I’ve even read magazine articles on it. ‘Is it true? Is it not true?’ They could have just phoned me and discovered it wasn’t true.”

'American Girl' Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

‘American Girl’ Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

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‘Every Breath You Take’ – The Police

“Every Breath You Take” by The Police was one of the most successful singles of the 1980s, and it has probably been the first dance at hundreds of weddings since then. The song, however, is not a love song. The lyrics, on the other hand, convey a terrible scenario of infatuation and stalker. “One couple told me, ‘Oh, we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!'” Sting stated about the song. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, good luck.'” “I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly,” he’s stated, “and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it’s quite the opposite.”

'Every Breath You Take' The Police

‘Every Breath You Take’ The Police

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