The Curious Meaning of Annie Lennox’s ‘No More “I Love You”s’

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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘No More “I Love You”s’ is one of those songs which few people probably realise is actually a cover version. The most famous rendition of this 1980s song was actually released slap bang in the middle of the 1990s, by the Scottish singer and former Eurythmic, Annie Lennox.

Let’s take a closer listen to ‘No More “I Love You”s’ and discover the song’s true meaning, and its curious origins in the work of a band you’ve probably never heard of. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of Annie Lennox’s ‘No More “I Love You”s’” →

The Curious Meaning of ‘22’ by Taylor Swift

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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘22’ is a classic example of a pop song whose meaning appears straightforward but is, in fact, slightly more complex and ambiguous once we probe under the surface. Taken from her fourth album Red (2012), ‘22’ is in some ways a quintessential Taylor Swift song, combining poppy and uptempo music with seemingly breezy and carefree lyrics. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘22’ by Taylor Swift” →

The Curious Meaning of ‘Video Games’ by Lana Del Rey

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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Video Games’ is one of Lana Del Rey’s best-known songs. But what is the meaning of this downtempo ballad? The lyrics, which were written by Del Rey and Justin Parker, invite two possible, somewhat conflicting, interpretations. Let’s take a closer look at the song’s lyrics and analyse their ambiguous meaning. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘Video Games’ by Lana Del Rey” →

The Curious Meaning of ‘True’ by Spandau Ballet

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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘True’ is Spandau Ballet’s signature song. But what is the actual meaning of this pop-soul ballad which topped the UK charts in 1983? The song has its roots in Gary Kemp’s feelings about the lead singer of another 80s band, while aspects of the lyrics and melody pay tribute to some of the greatest names in soul and pop music. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘True’ by Spandau Ballet” →

The Curious Meaning of ‘Gonna Get Along Without You Now’ by Viola Wills

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‘Gonna Get Along Without You Now’ is one of those songs which few people realise is a cover version because one (later) recording in particular has come to be viewed as the definitive version. Indeed, to many people, the only version of ‘Gonna Get Along Without You Now’ is the one recorded by Viola Wills and released in 1979. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘Gonna Get Along Without You Now’ by Viola Wills” →

The Curious Meaning of ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ by Kelly Clarkson

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‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ is one of Kelly Clarkson’s greatest songs. It appeared on her second album, Breakaway, and Clarkson has commented that the song is her favourite track on the album. Indeed, the album was very nearly named after ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ rather than ‘Breakaway’. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ by Kelly Clarkson” →

The Curious Meaning of ‘Computer Love’ by Kraftwerk

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In the field of prophetic works of art, Kraftwerk occupies the same space in music as the novelist J. G. Ballard (1930-2009) occupies in science fiction. Ballard’s short stories of the late 1970s and early 1980s, most notably ‘The Intensive Care Unit’ and ‘Motel Architecture’, foresaw our own world of videocalls, online meetings, internet dating, and much else, several decades before those things became a reality. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘Computer Love’ by Kraftwerk” →

The Curious Meaning of ‘Mad World’ by Tears for Fears

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Two extremely popular musical acts who emerged in Britain in the 1980s owed their names to the work of the American psychologist Arthur Janov (1924-2017). Janov’s 1970 book The Primal Scream gave its name to a Glasgow band formed in 1982, while a band formed down in Bath in southern England a year earlier named themselves Tears for Fears in honour of Janov’s method of psychotherapy. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘Mad World’ by Tears for Fears” →