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How Drugs Inspired The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’

Matthew Trzcinski — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 04:58:49 +0000

Many classic rock songs are about drugs. The Beatles’ “Let It Be” seems more innocuous than most drug songs. Paul McCartney discussed how substances influenced the track.

Paul McCartney said he wrote The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ when people were ‘overdoing’ drugs

Drugs had a massive influence on the counterculture of the 1960s. If you weren’t doing drugs in 1966 or 1967, you weren’t cool. The Beatles were no exception to this rule. Because they embraced psychedelia, they became associated with LSD. Fans interpreted many Fab Four songs as being about drugs, whether that was the band’s intention or not. Some of The Beatles’ songs that supposedly include drug references include “With a Little Help From My Friends,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”

During a 2011 interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Paul discussed the origin of “Let It Be.” “‘Let It Be’ happened during a time when there was kind of a lot going on,” Paul said. “I think people were overdoing the use of substances. We certainly were.

“It was kind of common,” he added. “It was the fashion. And anyone who remembers that time will know that. And I think I was getting, like, a little bit over the top with the whole thing — getting pretty tired and pretty wasted. And I went to bed one night and had a kind of restless night.”

The dream that inspired 1 of The Beatles’ biggest songs

Paul’s restless night led to a fateful dream. “But I had a dream where my mother, who had been dead at that point for about 10 years, came to me in the dream and it was as if she could see that I was troubled,” he recalled. “And she sort of said to me, she said, ‘Let it be.’ And I remember quite clearly her saying, ‘Let it be,’ and ‘It’s going to be OK. Don’t worry.’ You know, ‘Let it be.'”

The tune was about Paul’s mother, Mary McCartney. Despite that, many people misunderstood it as being about the Virgin Mary, whom some Christians refer to as “Mother Mary.” Paul doesn’t have any issue with people who want to interpret “Let It Be” as a Marian hymn.

John Lennon said ‘Let It Be’ was a rewrite of a Simon & Garfunkel song

John Lennon had something different to say about the writing of “Let It Be.” During a 1980 interview found in the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John said Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” inspired “Let It Be.” He could not prove that. The two hits have some obvious similarities, as they both mimic the sounds of gospel music without promoting a Christian message.

While “Let It Be” is one of The Beatles’ most famous songs, John felt that track was Paul’s alone and that it had nothing to do with the band as a whole. The “Imagine” singer said “Let It Be” could have been a track by Paul McCartney & Wings. Sadly, Paul McCartney & Wings never produced a song as beloved as “Let It Be.”

“Let It Be” is perfect and it wouldn’t be the same without drugs.

Why People Misinterpret The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ as a Christian Song

Matthew Trzcinski — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 04:00:18 +0000

The Beatles were supposedly “more popular than Jesus,” and yet their song “Let It Be” took on a religious significance to many people. That was never what the song was supposed to be. The tune became a massive hit in the United States. Years after its release, even John Lennon himself bemoaned that the track was too popular for its own good.

Paul McCartney revealed who The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ is actually about

There’s a great tradition of pop songs that sound like gospel music without being religious per se. These tracks include Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” and Kesha’s “Praying.” The Beatles might have written the most famous pseudo-gospel song of all time: “Let It Be.”

It’s easy to mistake “Let It Be” for a Christian tune, considering it has a gospel soundscape. Furthermore, the tack mentions someone called “Mother Mary.” Some Christians refer to the Virgin Mary as “Mother Mary.” During a 2011 interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Paul said the tune was actually about his mother, Mary McCartney. Despite this, Paul’s words have not stopped some Christians from using “Let It Be” as a hymn.

Does it make sense to use a Beatles song for religious purposes?

So, is it wrong that people have recontextualized “Let It Be?” It all depends on your religious views. Some might see the Christian use of “Let It Be” as a positive form of reclamation. Others might feel that there’s something off about Christians using a song from a band that sometimes had an antagonistic attitude towards their faith.

What we cannot deny is that any controversies surrounding The Beatles and religion couldn’t stop them from producing hit after hit. “Let It Be” became a massive success in the United States. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, lasting on the chart for 14 weeks. It was the Fab Four’s penultimate No. 1 single, with the last being “The Long and Winding Road”/” For You Blue.” “Let It Be” became part of the album of the same name. The album Let It Be hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for four weeks. It lasted on the chart for 79 weeks.

John Lennon felt ‘Let It Be’ was 1 of the Fab Four songs that got too much attention

During a 1980 interview found in the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the “Imagine” singer seemed to say that “Let It Be” had become overexposed. “Well, I heard some Beatles stuff on the radio the other day and I heard ‘Green Onion’ — no, ‘Glass Onion’ —I don’t even know my own songs!” he recalled. “I listened to it because it was a rare track. It’s a song they usually don’t play.

“When a radio station has a Beatles weekend, they usually play the same ten songs — ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ ‘Help!’ ‘Yesterday,’ ‘Something,’ ‘Let It Be’ — you know, there’s all that wealth of material, but we hear only ten songs,” he added. “So the DJ says, ‘I want to thank John, Paul, George, and Ringo for not getting back together and spoiling a good thing.’ I thought it was a good sign. Maybe people are catching on.”

“Let It Be” is a great song even if it radio programmers play it on the oldies stations a little bit too much.

1 Fall Out Boy Seems to Have an LGBTQ Meaning

Matthew Trzcinski — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 19:16:11 +0000

LGBTQ themes are more common in rock music than a lot of people seem to think. For example, Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks fr th Mmrs” appears to have a bisexual undercurrent. Pete Wentz had quite a bit to say about the song in question. He didn’t exactly deny LGBTQ interpretations of the song.

1 Fall Out Boy song seems to be about a man who has relationships with men and women

Every Fall Out Boy song is oblique. The band goes out of its way to use unusual metaphors. That means that Fall Out Boy songs tend to stand out but it can be difficult to parse out what they mean.

“Thnks fr the Mmrs” seems to be a song about casual sex. In the song, Pete Wentz brags about his sexual prowess to a woman. He also tells her “He tastes like you only sweeter.” For that reason, I interpret the track as being about someone who has had relationships with men and women.

What makes the song stand out

That makes “Thnks fr th Mmrs” unusual for multiple reasons. Aside from Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” very few pop hits from the late 2000s had overtly LGBTQ themes. On top of that, Fall Out Boy was part of the emo scene. Many of the men in that scene were considered androgynous, but few of them sang about male-male relationships.

Even to this day, that’s not a common subject in popular music. For example, Troye Sivan doesn’t have the same reach as Justin Bieber. Fall Out Boy deserve some credit for being progressive by putting out “Thnks fr th Mmrs” — and they haven’t received that credit yet.

Pete Wentz discussed the meaning of ‘Thnks fr th Mmrs’

During an interview with Genius, Wentz discussed the song’s theme. “To me, it’s the whole idea of FOMO [fear of missing out],” he said. “You know, when you’re not out, and you’re looking at people’s Instagram, and you’re like, ‘Aw man I should be there! That would be so amazing.’ And then you’re there, and it’s like kind of amazing. It looks more amazing on Instagram, though. I have that about literally everything I do. Like looking at Coachella? I’m like, ‘Coachella looks so amazing.’ But then I’m like, ‘Dude I’d be sitting in a hot dusty line, right now.'”

He revealed that the line “he tastes like you / only sweeter” was lifted from the film adaptation of the play Closer. “That film walks a really human line between the way romance and sex and all that exists,” he said. “In a way that you don’t always see in film. In that specific moment, I don’t really need to go into it, but it’s that thing where you’re really wanting somebody to tell you everything about a situation, and then they do, and you’re like, ‘I didn’t really actually want to know that much.'”

Wentz didn’t comment on whether or not the song is about a relationship is between two men. He didn’t exactly deny it either. As always, it’s up to fans to decide what they think of Wentz’s lyrics.

“Thnks fr th Mmrs” is one of Fall Out Boys’ most ambiguous singles and that’s what makes it so fascinating.

Why The Killers’ ‘Human’ Was So Controversial

Matthew Trzcinski — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Some classic rock songs were controversial on purpose and others became controversial by accident. For example, Brandon Flowers revealed that an unusual line from The Killers’ “Human” had a line that was widely misunderstood. The track is a lot more moralistic than most dance tunes — which might have something to do with the band’s background.

Fans misheard a word from The Killers’ ‘Human’

“Human” includes the unusual line “Are we human or are we dancer?” According to a 2008 Gigwise article, Flowers discussed the lyrics with MTV News and how fans misheard “dancer” as “denser.” “I guess it bothers people that it’s not grammatically correct, but I think I’m allowed to do whatever I want,” Flowers said. “‘Denser?’ I hadn’t heard that one. I don’t like ‘denser.'”

Flowers hoped his music wasn’t getting too didactic. “I don’t want to be too much of a preacher,” the “Mr. Brightside” singer said. “I say that it’s a mild social statement, and that’s all I’m gonna say. We’re still trying to write the best pop songs we can write.”

A famous author inspired The Killers to write the song

During a 2013 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Flowers said “Human” wasn’t meant to be as divisive as it was. “I didn’t know the line ‘Are we human or are we dancer?’ was going to be so controversial!” he said, laughing. “I had seen a Hunter S. Thompson interview where he talks about America and says he fears that we’re raising a generation of dancers. And I adapted that, basically.

“The verse is about the decline in our values and our morals, but everyone just picked up on the chorus,” the “All These Things That I’ve Done” star added. “It just became a stumbling block for people, but it’s still a great song. I still love it.”

“Human” certainly sticks out for being one of the rare dance songs that is concerned with morality rather than dancing, finding love, or doing drugs. It replaces the hedonism of most dance music with a more plaintive tone. Flowers is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and many of The Killers’ songs have a Christian undercurrent. It’s easy to see “Human” as a Christian song about the supposed sinfulness of the modern world.

‘Human’ was a minor hit in the United States and a big hit in the United Kingdom

“Human” became a minor hit in the grand scheme of things but it was one of the biggest songs of The Killers’ career. The tune reached No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. The track was the lead single off of the album Day & Age. That record climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the Billboard 200 for 42 weeks.

The Official Charts Company reports that “Human” was more popular in the United Kingdom. There, “Human” reached No. 3 and charted for 55 weeks in total. Perhaps British audiences embraced the song because it was reminiscent of the Pet Shop Boys and other new wave artists from the U.K. Meanwhile, Day & Age was No. 1 for one of its 70 weeks on the U.K. chart.

“Human” is one of the most memorable dance songs of the 2000s even if it has some oblique lyrics.

The Killers Revealed Why ‘When You Were Young’ Is Their Most Important Song

Matthew Trzcinski — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Some classic rock songs become their band’s signature tracks. The lead singer of The Killers said “When You Were Young” might be the most important song of the band’s career. The tune in question has some ambiguous spiritual lyrics that make the song intriguing all these years later.

The Killers wrote ‘When You Were Young’ at an impasse

The Killers were part of the post-punk revival of the 2000s. With their first album, Hot Fuss, the band was slick and the timbre of Brandon Flower’s singing sounded more British than American. The Killers could have regurgitated their first album over and over. Instead, their sophomore record, Sam’s Town, was a heartland rock album that sounded like an arch Bruce Springsteen. The first single from that record was the dark, spiritual hard rock smash “When You Were Young.”

During a 2013 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Flowers discussed the impact of “When You Were Young.” “It was an important song for us, maybe the most important song, because a lot of bands come and go,” he said. “We knew that Hot Fuss put us all over the world and it was a great ride, but who knows what’s gonna happen next? So yeah, when we got back, we didn’t waste any time after the tour.”

What The Killers were saying with the song

Flowers said “When You Were Young” was a collaborative song. “When we got back together and started to sort of pursue this next chapter, it’s incredible — this was one of those moments when we were just all four of us were on the same page,” he recalled. “‘He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus / But he talks like a gentleman,’ that came instantly to me. I remember driving home, and this load just lifted off my shoulders. I knew everything was gonna be all right.”

The song’s line about Jesus is fascinating. One could interpret that line as being about someone consciously rejecting Christianity. On the other hand, it could be about someone who is falling for a man who is not as Christlike as he initially appeared. “When You Were Young” has the sort of ambiguity that lends itself to deep thought. Hopefully, the song’s shades of grey will help it to remain popular for years to come.

‘When You Were Young’ was almost a No. 1 hit

“When You Were Young” became The Killers’ highest-charting single besides “Mr. Brightside.” “When You Were Young” reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. The tune’s parent album, Sam’s Town, was the band’s highest-charting album. Sam’s Town peaked at No. 2 and remained on the chart for 42 weeks.

The Official Charts Company reports that “When You Were Young” was far more popular in the United Kingdom. There, the single reached No. 2 and charted for 20 weeks. Meanwhile, Sam’s Town hit No. 1 for three of its 126 weeks on the U.K. chart. It’s interesting that an album inspired by the sounds of the American heartland was so popular across the pond.

“When You Were Young” is a great song and it showed that The Killers were not a one-trick pony.

How The Killers Wrote ‘Mr. Brightside’

Matthew Trzcinski — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 04:38:55 +0000

Some of the classic rock songs never seemed to go away. The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” has been part of our collective musical memory since it debuted in 2003. The lead singer of The Killers revealed what he was thinking when he first penned the song. Interestingly, the band released a sequel to “Mr. Brightside.”

‘Mr. Brightside’ was The Killers’ 1st song ever

During a 2013 interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers discussed the origin of “Mr. Brightside.” “This was literally the first song that me and Dave [Keuning], our guitar player, wrote,” he recalled. “We didn’t have a drummer yet but he gave me a cassette, and it had a few demos with complete songs of him singing, and then there would just be these riffs that he had — so he basically had the guitar for ‘Mr. Brightside,’ and the pre-chorus.

“I had an idea already of this sort of monotone, linear delivery, and it just fit so well over his guitar line,” he said. “So I slapped a chorus on it, and it was written pretty quickly.” Perhaps that’s why “Mr. Brightside” is one of those rare songs that’s brilliant in its simplicity.

How The Strokes inspired The Killers

Another band changed everything for The Killers after “Mr. Brightside.” “I remember the first time I heard it [set] to a beat, it was a monumental experience,” he said. “We wrote a lot of songs after that, but then The Strokes’ first record came out and we ditched everything we wrote except for that song and started again. [Laughs] Because that record’s so good, you know? It was just … we realized that they raised the bar.” Flowers said he didn’t know if The Strokes were aware of their influence on The Killers.

The album in question was Is This It. That record is seen as one of the defining moments in the post-punk revival of the early 2000s. The Killers’ debut album, Hot Fuss, is probably more remembered today than Is This It.

‘Mr. Brightside’ was a hit for a shockingly long amount of time

“Mr. Brightside” reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 38 weeks. The tune became the band’s first, and still only, top 10 single in the United States. The song appeared on the album Hot Fuss. That record climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for 98 weeks.

The Official Charts Company reports that “Mr. Brightside” became a much bigger hit in the United Kingdom. That tune peaked at No. 10 and lasted on the chart for a staggering 437 weeks. “Mr. Brightside” was so popular in the U.K. that The Killers would have been successful even if they never released another song afterward. Meanwhile, Hot Fuss reached No. 1 in the U.K. for two weeks and lasted on the chart for 256 weeks in total.

“Mr. Brightside” is so popular that it inspired a sequel titled “Miss Atomic Bomb.” The sequel isn’t quite as good. However, it provides more detail about the relationship in the original song.

“Mr. Brightside” is a great song and it managed to survive after The Strokes raised the bar for 2000s rock ‘n’ roll.

Drake’s Record Label Called His ‘Not Like Us’ Legal Action ‘Offensive’ and ‘Absurd’

Emma McKee — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:22:00 +0000

After stepping back from his feud with Kendrick Lamar over the summer, Drake has accused his record label of artificially boosting the success of the song “Not Like Us.” The diss track soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and, according to many who followed the feud between the rappers, gave Lamar a definitive victory over Drake. Months after its release, lawyers for Drake have filed legal papers accusing Universal Music Group of defamation and illegally boosting Lamar’s track.

Drake accused his record label of artificially boosting ‘Not Like Us’

On Nov. 25 and 26, Drake’s lawyers filed two motions against UMG, the label for both Drake and Lamar. The filings are “pre-action” petitions which aim to gather information necessary for an eventual lawsuit.

“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” Drake’s attorneys wrote in the first filing, per Billboard. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”

Drake | Prince Williams/Wireimage

In a second filing to a Texas court, his attorneys claimed UMG paid iHeartRadio to promote “Not Like Us” on the radio. It also claimed the label knew Lamar’s accusation that Drake was a “certified pedophile” was false, but they chose to release it regardless.

“UMG … could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed,” Drake’s lawyers wrote, per a separate Billboard article. “But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed, and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”

The label called Drake’s filing over ‘Not Like Us’ ‘offensive’

While UMG and iHeartRadio did not immediately respond to the second filing, they pushed back against the claims of the first. In a statement, the label denied engaging in illegal promotion tactics.

“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” the company said. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”

He addressed the feud in 2013

The feud between Drake and Lamar began long before this summer. In 2013, Lamar took aim at Drake on the Big Sean song “Control.” Drake responded with the song “The Language.”

Kendrick Lamar | Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

“Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing. What am I supposed to say? Nah, we’ll be buddy-buddy?” Drake told Vibe Magazine in 2014. “Mind you, I never once said he’s a bad guy [or] I don’t like him. I think he’s a f***ing genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should. And with that came another step, which then I have to realize I’m being baited and I’m not gonna fall. Jordan doesn’t have to play pickup to prove that he could play ball, no offense. But I’m not gonna give you the chance to shake me necessarily, ’cause I feel great. There’s no real issue.”

Lamar recently released the song “Wacced Out Murals,” which seemingly shut down any possibility of a truce between the two.

Bruce Springsteen’s‘ Only No. 1 Song’ Was a Cover That the Band ‘Completely Screwed Up’

Emma McKee — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:48:00 +0000

While Bruce Springsteen has enjoyed decades of success, he has never had a No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. He has come close, with “Dancing in the Dark” reaching No. 2, but he has yet to reach the top spot. A cover of one of his songs has hit No. 1, though. Springsteen thought that a changed line helped push it to the top.

Bruce Springsteen has never gotten a No. 1 hit, but a cover of his song has

Springsteen’s 1973 debut album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. opens with the song “Blinded by the Light.” Four years later, the band Manfred Mann’s Earth Band covered the song. Their version, unlike Springsteen’s, made it to No. 1. In the song, Springsteen sings the line “Oh cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night.” Manfred Mann’s version tweaked the wording.

“This song is my only number one song,” Springsteen said on VH1’s Storytellers (per Far Out Magazine). “I’ve never had another number one song. Except this one wasn’t done by me, it was done by Manfred Mann, which I appreciate. But, they changed this line. My line says, ‘cut loose like a deuce’, and theirs said, ‘cut loose like a douche’”

He believed the change in the wording made the other version of the song more successful.

“I have a feeling that is why the song skyrocketed to number one, but it worked y’know,” Springsteen said. “Deuce was like Little Deuce Coupe, as in a two-seater hot rod, and a douche is a feminine hygienic procedure. So they are different. What can I say? The public spoke, and they were right, you know.”

Manfred Mann acknowledged that Bruce Springsteen wasn’t a fan of the song

Manfred Mann said the change was not intentional.

“I don’t think Springsteen liked our ‘Blinded By The Light’, ’cos we sang ‘wrapped up like a douche’, and it wasn’t written like that and I screwed it up completely,” he told Record Collector. “It sounded like ‘douche’ instead of ‘deuce’, ’cos of the technical process – a faulty azimuth due to tape-head angles, and it meant we couldn’t remix it.”

He said he found the mix-up embarrassing, but he believed it helped them reach No. 1.

“Warners in America said, ‘You’ve got to change ‘douche’, ’cos the Southern Bible belt radio stations think it’s about a vaginal douche, and they have problems with body parts down there.’ We tried to change it to ‘deuce’ but then the rest of the track sounded horrible, so we had to leave it,” he explained. “We just said, ‘If it’s not a hit, it’s not.’ But in the end, it was No. 1 in America, and so many people came up to us after and said, ‘You know why it made No. 1? … Everyone was talking about whether it was deuce or douche.’ Apparently, Springsteen thought we’d done it deliberately, which we hadn’t, so if I ever saw him I’d avoid him and cringe away like a frightened little boy.”

The ‘Born to Run’ singer worried about being too successful

While Springsteen hasn’t had a song reach No. 1, he is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He admitted that he once worried about reaching a high level of success.

“I was always of two minds about big records and the chance involved in engaging a mass audience,” he wrote in his book Born to Run. “You should be. There’s risk.”

Bruce Springsteen | Steve Rapport/Getty Images

He worried about the impact it could have on his life and his music.

“Was the effort of seeking that audience worth the exposure, the discomfort of the spotlight, and the amount of life that’d be handed over?” he wrote. “What was the danger of dilution of your core message, your purpose, the reduction of your best intentions to empty symbolism or worse?”

Gwen Stefani Admitted the Low Success of ‘The Voice’ Contestants Makes Her Feel ‘Amazed’ About Her Own Career

Emma McKee — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 21:50:00 +0000

Gwen Stefani has been a coach on The Voice for years. In this time, she hasn’t seen many contestants on the show reach high levels of success. Stefani said that this can be explained by the challenge of navigating the music industry. After watching the contestants struggle, Stefani said she feels even more grateful for her own success.

Gwen Stefani spoke about how ‘The Voice’ makes her feel about her own career

The Voice has been running for 26 seasons, but it has not produced a major star in the way a show like American Idol has. Stefani believes this has nothing to do with the talent of the show’s contestants. She explained that the industry is difficult to break into.

“The winners have all been remarkable performers with amazing voices, but the music world is so complex. It’s tough to break through,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “The benefit of this show is that audiences love to watch ordinary people have the national opportunity to showcase their talent. As a culture, we’re constantly rooting for the underdog, so that’s the real appeal of the show.”

Gwen Stefani | Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

When she sees the challenge the contestants face, she feels amazed that she has been able to reach and sustain success.

“I watched people that went through that without seeing their faces, without knowing what color they are,” she told Paper Magazine. “And I chose the ones that pulled my heartstrings. And even though they were so talented, none of them have had careers. It’s made me look at myself and even feel even more amazed by the fact that anyone cared or cares.”

Gwen Stefani’s fellow coaches have spoken about the careers of contestants on ‘The Voice’

Other coaches are more frustrated with the contestants’ lack of success. Blake Shelton, Stefani’s husband, believes the record labels are failing the contestants.

“One of the frustrating things for me as a coach on this show year after year is they win this record deal with Universal, and so many times the ball’s been dropped,” Shelton said, per The New York Post.

Former coach Adam Levine agreed with him.

“We do so much great s*** for these singers, and then they go to a record label … that f***s it up,” Levine said.

She spoke about adjusting to fame

Stefani rocketed to success with No Doubt when they released the song “Don’t Speak.” She hadn’t expected it to be such a hit.

“The original version was written by my brother [Eric, keyboards], who lived at my grandparents’ house; after they passed away, it became the band house,” she told The Guardian. “He’d stay up all night eating peanut butter sandwiches, drinking milk, and smoking cigarettes and go: ‘Oh, I wrote this last night.’ Then I ended up rewriting the lyrics and changing the whole song because Tony [Kanal, bass] broke up with me.”

Gwen Stefani and No Doubt | Paul Natkin/Getty Images

She said it felt like her life changed overnight.

“It’s crazy, but that song really is the heartbeat of who I am and changed everything,” she said. “After it came out, we were driving through Israel and these guards came up to the van with guns, which I’d never seen anywhere before. One of them looked in the van and started singing ‘Don’t Speak’ to me. That soon became normal.”

What Is The Killers’ ‘Somebody Told Me’ About?

Matthew Trzcinski — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:50:30 +0000

A lot of classic rock songs have gained attention for highlighting androgyny. For example, there’s some ambiguous gender club action going on in The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me.” Listeners could interpret the song in many different ways, but it appears to have a transgender theme. Despite this, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers didn’t seem to want to comment on the tune’s LGBTQ overtones.

The Killers’ ‘Somebody Told Me’ was pretty edgy for a song that came out in the 2000s

“Somebody Told Me” has a lot going for it. The song’s drums and synthesizers are crisp, its melody is memorable, and any song that straddles the line between dance music and 2000s rock is probably worth a listen. However, what people really remember about the track is its chorus: “Well somebody told me you had a boyfriend / Who looked like a girlfriend / That I had in February of last year.”

What’s going on here? I think an easy answer is that Flowers was dating someone who underwent a gender transition and is interested in at least knowing what’s currently going on with his former lover. Fans have also speculated that “Somebody Told Me” is simply about Flowers being attracted to a man who looks like his ex-girlfriend. That’s possible as well. Either way, “Somebody Told Me” was provocative and (arguably) progressive for a song released during the presidency of George W. Bush.

‘Somebody Told Me’ is part of a long history of androgynous rock songs

Regardless of the meaning behind “Somebody Told Me,” it’s a part of rock ‘n’ roll’s long history of androgyny. While our standards might be different today, Elvis Presley and Mick Jagger were considered sexually ambiguous when they debuted decades ago.

The 1970s saw a proliferation of artists and songs that embraced the masculine and the feminine, particularly in the British rock scene. Tunes like The Kinks’ “Lola” and David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” are about people whose gender identities are ambiguous. Hits like “Somebody Told Me” and Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks fr th Mmrs” extended this trend into the 2000s.

During a 2013 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Flowers revealed the origin of Hot Fuss, the parent album of “Somebody Told Me.” “The Strokes’ first record [Is This It] came out and we ditched everything we wrote except for [‘Mr. Brightside’] and started again,” he recalled. “[Laughs] Because that record’s so good, you know? It was just … we realized that they raised the bar. Whether The Strokes know it or not, they really changed our path.”

The Killers’ Brandon Flowers said the song is rooted in his love life

Flowers didn’t directly comment on the gender themes in “Somebody Told Me” when he explained the song’s meaning. “We were going out to clubs a lot at the time,” he said. “I think it speaks to a young man’s frustration, the difficulty of picking up girls. [Laughs] That’s probably where it stems from. I was just able to run with it, and the band supplied a wonderful backing track.”

During a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, Flowers explained his relationship with the track. “This is the story of trying to meet someone in a club,” he recalled. “There are people who want us to write ‘Somebody Told Me’ again, and we just don’t want that. There’s always a place for fun songs, but then there are the songs that give people chills. I like those more.”