By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Is ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Nirvana’s best-known song and the anthem of the short-lived grunge movement, a song about revolution, music, or losing one’s virginity? How can we pin down the meaning of this iconic song with its suggestive but rather opaque lyrics? The […]
Tag: Song Meanings
The Curious Meaning of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi’
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ is probably Joni Mitchell’s best-known song. In many ways a song about not taking things for granted until it’s too late and we’ve lost them, it’s also an example of an environmental protest song. Mitchell wrote the song in 1970.
‘Happier Than Ever’ by Billie Eilish: Meaning and Analysis
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Happier Than Ever’, the title track from Billie Eilish’s second studio album released in 2021, has rapidly become one of her most talked-about tracks. But what is the meaning of this song, and whom is Eilish addressing in the lyrics?
The Meaning of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ by Tears for Fears
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ is one of the most famous songs by Tears for Fears. But what is the meaning of this anthemic mid-80s song? Written by one of the band’s founding members Roland Orzabal, along with Ian Stanley, and producer Chris […]
The Real Meaning of ‘Both Sides Now’ by Joni Mitchell
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Both Sides Now’ is one of Joni Mitchell’s best-known songs. But the meaning of the song is less universally understood. Is it a coming-of-age celebration of learning wisdom, a lament for lost innocence, or a song about being unable to part with one’s illusions, […]