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"In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins is often thought to recount a dramatic encounter involving drowning but was, in reality, an improvised expression of his emotional turmoil stemming from his divorce.
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler, often seen as a love ballad, was actually written as a dark narrative inspired by the gothic themes of vampires.
The Distorted Understandings of Popular Songs
Shifting gears to more modern classics, "Royals" by Lorde, often viewed as a commentary on materialism, actually emerged from a nostalgic moment inspired by a picture of a baseball player. While the lyrics explore status, its origin story is less about social critique than one might assume.