Lyrical Mysteries Unveiled: Famous Songs That Aren't What You Think

4. Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet

The most often used vacation music would be Margaritaville. It just helps you to enter a calm condition; you feel as though you are on a tropical beach when Jimmy Buffet sings wherever you are. Though this song is light and pleasant, the lyrics carry a far darker connotation than simply lounging on a beach sipping a great margarita. We know, we know, it's unfortunate, but that's art! Actually, the song is about a man who is quite drunk and rarely able to operate. He is quite literally "wasting away," devoid of recall of what happened or whom he should attribute blame. Though it has come to be associated with laid-back beach culture, this Caribbean-flavored song reveals a moving tale of a guy drinking alcohol to escape his troubles. The bouncy music and apparently carefree lyrics deftly hide the protagonist's slide into drunkenness. From searching for his missing shaker of salt to cutting his heel on a pop-top and ultimately realizing that his own deeds are to blame for his circumstances, we see him degrade as the song goes on. Buffet's skill is in crafting a song that can be appreciated both functionally as a great party anthem and as a warning about the perils of too drunk escapism. It reminds us that occasionally paradise can be a prison we created.