Born in the USA

After the latest version of the "dream Team" won the gold, they played Springsteen's "Born in the USA" over the PA system. That always cracks me up when that song is used as a nationalistic cheerleading pro-USA type song because it is anything but that.

I believe this is the most mis-used song out there. Geen Day's "Good Riddance (time of your life)" comes in at second on my list. It cracked me up when it was popular that it became a theme song for graduations and such as a way to say that something or someone had the time of their lives. Totally missing the point of that song too.

After that, I guess I'd have to go with R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" as a song that somehow people seem to miss the point of entirely.

What other songs get used to represent things that really have nothing to do with the song?

Better Man by Pearl Jam gets an honorable mention.

The Police "Every breath you take" Is not a sweet love song. It is a song from a stalkers perspective.

I am going to go with "It's a beautiful world" by Devo (I think it was Target), leaving out the "for you, but not for me"

All time though is using Little Red Corvette by Prince (not sure who, but Chevy?)...oh boy, listen to that song and it is NOT something a national company would want to be associated with (unless you are a major distributor of "adult" entertainment).

"Lust for life" was about Iggy Pop's life with Heroin and drug culture. Not about Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

T.J. wrote: After the latest version of the "dream Team" won the gold, they played Springsteen's "Born in the USA" over the PA system. That always cracks me up when that song is used as a nationalistic cheerleading pro-USA type song because it is anything but that.

Yeah, people hear a major key and "USA" in a song and automatically go into "America berkeley Yeah" mode. Reagan (well, Reagan's people) made that same mistake in '84.

In Drowning Pool - "Bodies" , the protagonist repeats many times that there is nothing wrong with him but after careful analysis it appears that might not be the case.

In fact, I might make a leap here - stop me if I am wrong... but when he says "hit the floor" he is using a dancing metaphor for something else I can't quite put my finger on.

I got a good one. Martina McBrides "Independence Day" is about a drunk beating his wife until she burns down the house in revenge sending the kids to an orphanage yet it is always played during 4th of July fireworks right after Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA".

T.J. wrote: I believe this is the most mis-used song out there. Geen Day's "Good Riddance (time of your life)" comes in at second on my list. It cracked me up when it was popular that it became a theme song for graduations and such as a way to say that something or someone had the time of their lives. Totally missing the point of that song too.

Arguably that makes it an even more appropriate song for graduating from high school.

I'm going to vote The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again" being used as the theme song for Army Recruitment commercials and political party rallies.

1812 Overture for the 4th of July.

It's about Napolen invading Russia for God's sake. Written by a Russian.

Alphaville's "Forever Young." About ending life early to remain young. We had it as our prom theme in '87!

"Little pink houses" comes to mind.

how about at MSG when they played pearl jam's "Jeremy" when jeremy lin was the next big flash in the NBA pan. unless jeremy lin actually gnashed his teeth and bit the recess lady's breast and all the other stuff in the song.

T.J. wrote: ..That always cracks me up when that song is used as a nationalistic cheerleading pro-USA type song because it is anything but that...

Had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong

They're still there he's all gone

I thought about this today , I came up with my own cunondrum for Pappa was a rolling stone . The song goes "when he left all he left us was a Loan "" . I am figuring son of a gun left the kids and wife with a mortgage at 12% on the home and they could not make the payments .

The Dandy Warhols' "Bohemian Like You" was used by GM for a commercial five or six years ago; kinda fits into the same category of "ad execs only hearing one line of the song".

Karl La Follette wrote: I thought about this today , I came up with my own cunondrum for Pappa was a rolling stone . The song goes "when he left all he left us was a Loan "" . I am figuring son of a gun left the kids and wife with a mortgage at 12% on the home and they could not make the payments .

I thought it was "all he left us was alone"

Great song btw

ditchdigger wrote: "Lust for life" was about Iggy Pop's life with Heroin and drug culture. Not about Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

I was thinking of this one too.

Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz used to sell Mercedes?

But this is America! The sound byte rules over real meaning. Plus, the artists are:

A: Trying to make $$$ with the music, regardless of the heartfelt lyrics.

B: Selling the rights to the music to be used inappropriately in commercials (Making $$$).

bastomatic wrote:

Karl La Follette wrote: I thought about this today , I came up with my own cunondrum for Pappa was a rolling stone . The song goes "when he left all he left us was a Loan "" . I am figuring son of a gun left the kids and wife with a mortgage at 12% on the home and they could not make the payments .

I thought it was "all he left us was alone" Great song btw

Yeah, it's "all he left us was alone".

Excuse me while I kiss this guy (different thread)

gamby wrote:

T.J. wrote: After the latest version of the "dream Team" won the gold, they played Springsteen's "Born in the USA" over the PA system. That always cracks me up when that song is used as a nationalistic cheerleading pro-USA type song because it is anything but that.

Yeah, people hear a major key and "USA" in a song and automatically go into "America berkeley Yeah" mode. Reagan (well, Reagan's people) made that same mistake in '84.

that would be a song i'd love to see them play, and it would be wonderously ironic in much the same way as "Born in the USA".. i'm sure Trey and Matt would approve..

jamscal wrote: But this is America! The sound byte rules over real meaning.

/thread

Mazda used 88 lines about 44 women for protoge commercials.

Chevy Van, by Sammy Johns was pretty much the theme song for the 1977 film, The Van.

The main character's van was a Dodge.

Its hard to take a film seriously when they make a mistake like that.

Rolling Stones "Brown Sugar" used for...well...anything. I'd say any use of this song was probably misused, because I've never seen an advertisement for raping slaves.

failboat wrote: Chevy Van, by Sammy Johns was pretty much the theme song for the 1977 film, The Van. The main character's van was a Dodge. Its hard to take a film seriously when they make a mistake like that.

In the same type of irony, there's a new stadium in town called the Ford Center (obviously sponsored by Ford Motor Company), complete with the big blue oval on the side of the building. Who played there opening night? None other than Bob Seger.