One of the many staples of 1980s pop is the abundance of songs that utilize light and playful lyrics. Consequently, a lot of the songs from the decade are straightforward, simple, and intellectually undemanding. On the contrary, while many 1980s songs still utilize light and playful lyrics, they simultaneously utilize seemingly nonsensical ones as well. With that in mind, no matter how many times we listen, we cannot make out the meaning of these three pop songs from the 1980s.
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“Whip It” by Devo
Alright, this is an incredibly fun song, don’t get us wrong, but does it make any earthly sense to you? Maybe so, maybe we are missing something fairly evident, and haven’t done our thorough research. Nevertheless, this Devo track seems to be a series of meaningless verses all centered around the title.
One common reading is that “Whip It” articulates the sense of gaining control on ones personal issues. If that is true, great! Although we didn’t pick up on that the first time we read it, and consequently, are still curious to know if there is any other lyrical play transpiring between the lines of this song.
“Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles
Sometimes art is created purely for entertainment and aesthetic purposes. That is precisely what The Bangles seemingly did on their 1986 hit song, “Walk Like An Egyptian”. Does this song have a meaning? To certain people, surely. However, given the general and seemingly completely playful lyrics, it seems those meanings are crafted by personal experiences.
Long story short, we don’t believe this song has any purpose other than that it is an example of art for art’s sake. To us, there is nothing to read into this song, but then again, we are always wondering if there is some element we have yet to grasp.
“The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats
A common reading of this song is that it is a protest anthem about freedom of dance, particularly against bouncers who denounced the new wave pop music dance style. Then again, folks have also speculated that this song is about safe sex and or nuclear war. So, what is it?
Per the title of our article, we have yet to come to a conclusion on the lyrics written by Men Without Hats. Regardless, “The Safety Dance” is a 1980s staple, and the lyrics are not what have made it so. Rather, that is all thanks to the melody, tone, and rhythm.
Photo by Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images
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