Sometimes bands like to be messy. Art is expression, and if a musician is mad at their fans, they might just use that form of expression to get back at them. The three rock songs below are all secretly pointed messages to their listeners. Did you realize these rock songs were meant to alienate fans?
Videos by American Songwriter
“My World” by Guns N’ Roses
Guns N’ Roses’ “My World” actually makes zero sense. This song has no place in the discography of this hard rock band, as far as fans are concerned. And yet, it somehow made its way into their lineup. Coming in hot on their iconic record, Use Your Illusion, this song feels like a smack in the face for Guns N’ Roses fans. Is it a joke? A mistake? A collaboration? All of these questions are good ones, yet none of them answer why the band decided to release “My World”. At any rate, it seems the band wanted to shake up their fan base a little.
“Unconsciousness Rules” by George Harrison
By the time George Harrison entered his solo career, you’d think no one would question his artistic direction. Nevertheless, his label dared to do just that while making Somewhere In England. When he first showed this album to the powers that be, they failed to see hit material. They made him go back and try again, which is not something many would expect a rock legend like Harrison to do.
He came up with a sonic jab to his label and fans who thought making pop hits was the only worthy measure of an artist. “Unconsciousness Rules” was his payback, poking fun at pop culture.
“In Bloom” by Nirvana
Nirvana attempted to alienate their mainstream fans with “In Bloom”. Ironically, this song became one of their biggest hits, furthering their mass-market appeal. But, at its core, this song is about fans who didn’t truly get grunge culture and thus weren’t welcomed with open arms by the genre trailblazers.
“He’s the one who likes all our pretty songs / and heLikes to sing along, and he likes to shoot his gun, but he / Knows not what it means,” Cobain sings in the chorus. The lyrics are deeply biting, but the melody is impossibly catchy, muddying the vitriol behind this hit.
(Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)
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