3 One-Hit Wonders That Mean Something Totally Different Than You Think

These stellar one-hit wonders might seem like they mean one thing on the surface. However, when you read between the lines (and maybe get some much-needed context from their songwriters), these songs actually have very different meanings from what you might think. Let’s dive in!

“Turning Japanese” by The Vapors

Admittedly, this 1980 new wave one-hit wonder hasn’t aged particularly well. Coupled with the music video for “Turning Japanese”, many listeners thought this song was literally about culture vultures and wanting to literally be Japanese. However, according to songwriter David Fenton, there’s actually a much deeper meaning to this tune. Apparently, this song is about being angsty, young, full of heartbreak, and ending up like someone you didn’t expect to become.

“I was interested in Japanese culture and we had a song called ‘Letter From Hiro’, named after a photographer we met in Japan,” said Fenton. “But the words and the song’s title [‘Turning Japanese’] didn’t really mean much. It was intended purely as a love song. The protagonist is sitting in his bedroom, which has become like a prison cell, pining over a photograph of his ex-girlfriend. I drew on my own experiences of being dumped.”

“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People

This indie pop song from the genre’s golden era of the early 2010s was hugely popular. Those glittery vocal tracks, that addictive melody, that gorgeous bass track. It’s a genuinely good song. I’m surprised it was the band’s only Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

It took mainstream audiences a while to really pick apart the lyrics of this song and understand what it was really about. Despite its upbeat melody, “Pumped Up Kicks” is actually about a young man who is contemplating committing a school shooting. It’s a dark tale. Frontman Mark Foster has defended the song, noting that the track is “an amazing platform to have a conversation with your kids about something that shouldn’t be ignored.”

“Who Let The Dogs Out” by Baha Men

Millennials around the world know this 2000 pop song all too well. The accompanying music video featured many furry friends. The vocal track’s barking made a lot of people think this playful junkanoo track was about literal canines.

“Who Let The Dogs Out” by Baha Men is actually a cover of an older song by Trinidadian singer Anslem Douglas, and the lyrics of the OG version are a bit clearer in their meaning. The “dogs” in question are actually human men who catcall women. Baha Men became one-hit wonders with this song in part because kids loved it so much. But the deeper meaning of the song is anything but kid-friendly.

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