Say what? 25 popular songs that have truly bizarre lyrics

Many people don’t realize what this song is actually about—and I won’t spoil it for you. However, if you take the time to actually listen to the lyrics, you might be surprised. Nevertheless, “Semi-Charmed Life” is a classic rock anthem.

“The Last Great American Dynasty” is one of those songs that tells a story through its lyrics. Of course, the story behind this track is undeniably wild and outlandish. While the lyrics themselves may not be particularly strange, the inspiration behind the song certainly is.

This song pretty much speaks for itself, albeit in an absurd manner. The lyrics, “It's a non-stop disco, bet you it's Nabisco,” might have some eye-opening context, but it’s also a weird tidbit to include in a track. Still, “Violent Pornography” is actually brilliant for its societal callouts.

It’s clear that the Sex Pistols were going for shock factor with this song. “Friggin’ In The Riggin’” is a crude and explicit track, but it garnered a ton of attention from fans back in the day. If you’re not easily offended, take a listen for yourself.

The Beatles were lyrical geniuses, but you can’t have brilliance without a little madness. The lyrics of “I Am the Walrus” are some of the strangest the band has written. However, this was allegedly intentional and meant to confuse fans, after John Lennon learned that teachers were having their students analyze the band’s profound lyrics. 

Of course, some of The Beatles’ lyrics were actually preposterous in their own right—and not as a sort of inside joke. Take “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” for instance. “Tangerine trees and marmalade skies” describe the common hallucinations associated with psychedelics like LSD, which is essentially what the track is about.

Okay, so the song title is the strangest part about this popular Hot Mulligan track. However, the lyrics themselves, though deeply relatable, paint a vivid picture of an anxious individual trapped in a self-doubt spiral, seemingly obsessed with how he is being perceived by his partner. The lines, often delivered like a spoken-word/rap, highlight the narrator’s erratic, racing thoughts. 

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a ridiculously popular and highly requested song by fans worldwide. However, its lyrics are uniquely ambiguous and reference a variety of theatrical characters and religious entities. With lines like “Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?” and “(Galileo) Galileo, (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro, magnifico,” the song is widely up for interpretation.

Eiffel 65 is known for its catchy, strange track about the “little guy that lives in a blue world.” You’ve likely had their infamous lyrics, “I'm blue / Da ba dee da ba di,” trapped in your head at some point in your life. This entire track is bizarre yet deeply beloved by many, and if you take a closer look at the symbolism, it seems to describe how depression can overtake many aspects of one’s life. At least, that’s my interpretation of it.

“Champagne Supernova” has ambiguous, somewhat odd, and surreal lyrics. This deeply nostalgic, psychedelic song is one of Oasis’s most popular tracks. Many fans interpret it in their own ways, as you can draw a variety of meanings from the complex lines.

Oingo Boingo’s catchy tune “Dead Man’s Party” takes a lighthearted approach to the idea of our mortality. Many fans have different theories about this song, which makes it even more impactful for each person. However, its overall tone seems to poke fun at the randomness of death and tragedy, which is a threat we all face each day.

Written for Stephen King’s novel-turned-film, Pet Sematary, it’s no wonder this Ramones song has some strange and disturbing lyrics. Lines like “I don't want to be buried in a pet sematary / I don't want to live my life again” are sure to confuse anyone who hasn’t read or seen King’s work. However, the song perfectly encapsulates the novel’s plot and actually voices some profound sentiments. 

The Cramps’ famous track “Goo Goo Muck” paints a monstrous narrator on the prowl. The lyrics, “Well, when the sun goes down and the moon comes up / I turn into a teenage Goo Goo Muck / Yeah, I cruise through the city and I roam the streets / Looking for something that is nice to eat, mmm,” are iconically weird. Whether it’s meant to describe a fictional beast or merely a teenager with raging hormones blinded by desire is unclear. However, the song has been used in a variety of Halloween-themed movies and TV series.

Written like a chaotic stream of consciousness, the lyrics to “Not Allowed” by TV Girl describe a jealous man longing for a girl who’s already taken. The narrator also references the risks of dating or messing with an artist, as they often turn their love and hatred into content. For instance, consider the bizarre lines: “You should hear when you're not around / When it's just us horny poets / Who can't wait to write it down / And swear we were only being honest” and “Do you like these little sonnets? / 'Cause I wrote them just for you / But how quickly they turn sour / So be careful who you screw / And never call.”

“God of Wine” by Third Eye Blind is one of the most lyrically profound songs I’ve heard in a while. As Edgar Allan Poe once put it, “There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion,” and this stunningly heartbreaking track is proof of that. I am especially partial to the lines: “Every glamorous sunrise / Throws the planets out of line / A star sign out of whack / A fraudulent zodiac / And the God of Wine / Is crouched down in my room / You let me down, I said it / Now I'm going down / And you're not even around.”

Tom DeLonge from Blink-182 is adamant about the existence of aliens. In fact, he even founded/launched UFO research and media company To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science (TTSA). Blink-182’s “Aliens Exist” echoes DeLonge's beliefs, telling the story of an alien abduction and how it feels to be surrounded by skeptics who claim you’re lying.

It’s no question what “Every Other Freckle” by Alt-J is about: strong sexual desire. However, the lyrics are equal parts descriptive and bizarre. With lines like, “I'm gonna bed into you like a cat beds into a bean bag” and “Turn you inside out and lick you like a crisp packet,” it’s hard to take the song seriously. Still, many fans find it to be alluring.

Miley Cyrus is well-known for her wide range of music and intriguing lyrics, but 4x4 takes the cake. “Driving so fast 'bout to pıss on myself / The police wanna get him and put him in jail / I'm a do whatever to get him his bail / Hooked on donuts and rooster tails.” Enough said.

“Hotel California” by The Eagles is a legendary classic. However, many fans haven’t stopped to absorb the song’s actual meaning. The ambiguous, strange lyrics seemingly describe the Los Angeles lifestyle of excessive drugs and sex. 

Okay, so this song isn’t necessarily “bizarre.” It describes the deeply relatable experience of living parallel lives with a partner. However, the line, “Don't send me photos, you're makin' it worse / 'Cause you're so hot, it's hurtin' my feelings” is a comical yet familiar notion of aching for someone’s presence and feeling even worse when seeing what you’re missing out on.

I didn’t include the full title of this track for good reason. This vulgar, profanity-laden Christmas song is not a cheery, family-friendly classic—but it is pretty hilarious. Apparently, singer Tom DeLonge wrote the lyrics on Christmas Eve, when he grew tired of wrapping presents at the last minute. Instead, he channeled his anger into the song.

This song feels like a copout, as we all know and remember the widely popular and annoyingly catchy tune of our teenage years. (That is, if you’re as old as I am.) However, I’d be remiss not to recall this track and its weird, elementary lyrics, like “Hey, I just met you / And this is crazy / But here's my number / So call me maybe.”

“At the Bottom of Everything” is actually a deeply clever and introspective song. The intro is delivered like a clumsy yet vulnerable spoken word poem/story about the fatal plunge of an airplane and two passengers in conversation as they face their mortality. The lyrics are definitely a bit strange, if not wholesome and thought-provoking. 

This entire song is like a fever dream. It’s hard to believe the same band that wrote “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” also sings the lyrics, “Girlfriend in a coma, I know / I know it's really serious.” Of course, The Smiths had a more profound intention with the track, but at face value, it certainly makes you scratch your head. 

“Merry Happy” is a great post-breakup tell-off song, but its lyrics are a bit strange. “Watching me like you never watched no one / Don't tell me that you didn't try and check out my bum / 'Cause I know that you did / 'Cause your friend told me that you liked it” and “Dancing at discos, eating cheese on toast / Yeah, you make me merry, make me very, very happy” are just two examples of the bizarre lyrics you can’t help but love. The pettiness is iconic.