3 Famous 1970s Classic Rock Songs That Everyone Knows, but No One Listens to Closely Enough

Audiences can be passive. Many times, we don’t actively listen to the music we hear. Instead, it’s used for background noise or blithe sing-alongs, obscuring the song’s original intent. The three rock songs from the 1970s below all fall victim to this kind of listening. We all know them, but rarely do we sit down and take them in for all they are worth. We forget to give them their proper due.

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“Dream On” — Aerosmith

“Dream On” is all about the high-flying vocals of Steven Tyler. No one really dissects the lyrics to this rock anthem. If they did, they’d find a more robust song than meets the eye. “It’s about the hunger to be somebody: Dream until your dreams come true,” Tyler once said. “This song sums up the s**t you put up with when you’re in a new band.”

“Every time that I look in the mirror / All these lines on my face getting clearer / The past is gone,” the lyrics read. Tyler emotionally sums up the fear of time and existentialism in this high-powered 1970s rock track. He obscures the song’s meaning slightly with his vocals, but an attentive listener will be able to see past that and take this song for what it truly is.

“Life In The Fast Lane” — The Eagles

The Eagles’ “Life In The Fast Lane” is tailor-made for blithely driving down the highway. But, underneath the surface, there is a much more consequential message in this song. “They went rushin’ down that freeway, messed around and got lost / They didn’t care, they were just dyin’ to get off,” the lyrics read, setting up this story of drug use in 1970s Los Angeles.

The genius of this song is that it can function as both a cautionary tale and a no-brainer listen. But, every so often, it might be good for the latter group to take the time to really listen to “Life In The Fast Lane,” and its strong message of living life too fast for one’s good.

“We Will Rock You” — Queen

Similarly, Queen’s “We Will Rock You” is usually listened to with our brains switched off. This song has one purpose only, and that’s to rev up a crowd at a sporting event. But, underneath all the energy this song provides is a storyline about youthful ambition and the reality of aging.

“Buddy, you’re an old man, poor man / Pleading with your eyes, gonna make you some peace someday / You got mud on your face, big disgrace / Somebody better put you back into your place,” the final verse reads, giving this song a weight many likely thought it didn’t have.

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