3 Folk Songs That Sound Like They Should Have a Deeper Meaning (But Apparently Don’t)

Sometimes it’s fun to make up your own meanings for songs. Other times, though, we want to be in on the secret. Here are a few folk songs that leave us frustrated, simply because they make it sound like there should be more to the story.

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“Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan

This will always be one of those folk tunes that leaves me at a loss for words. Sure, it’s a clever enough song, but it’s also super confusing. Mainly because Bob Dylan refuses to admit that “Mr. Tambourine Man” is about the one thing that everyone thinks it’s about: drugs.

Although we know that guitarist Bruce Langhorne was used as a source of inspiration for the song, that still fails to explain the “magic swirling ship” line and all the other strange phrases that feel like references to something bigger than themselves.

“Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard” by Paul Simon

When you listen to this Paul Simon track, questions are bound to arise. Something is against the law, but what? Who is Julio, and what is he doing with Simon down by the schoolyard that’s got everyone so riled up? When asked in a Rolling Stone interview what he thinks Momma saw in the song, Simon gave this answer:

 “I have no idea what it is. Something sexual is what I imagine, but when I say ‘something,’ I never bothered to figure out what it was. Didn’t make any difference to me.”

Simon also shared that he just thought the phrase “Me And Julio” was funny to sing. Honestly, I get it. Half the fun of this song, too, is that you get to create your own theories about it.

“The House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals

Although this song contains references to a rather ominous “house,” it’s still undetermined what the deeper meaning of this song actually is. According to Songfacts, the traditional English folk ballad has a couple of fan theories. Some suspect that “the house” is really just a New Orleans brothel; others think it could be a reference to a women’s prison.

Regardless of what “The House Of The Rising Sun” is supposed to be about, the mystery surrounding the song almost gives it more of an appeal.

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