Songs That Sound Sad, But They’re Actually Happy

Sometimes a song’s tone doesn’t match its meaning. Here are five songs that sound sad, but are actually happy:

1.  “Lovesong” by The Cure.  It’s kind of somber, even haunting or depressing.  But Robert Smith actually wrote it as a wedding present to his wife, to remind her that he’d always love her while he was away on tour.

(The younger generation is probably much more familiar with Adele’s version, which sounds a lot slower and sadder than the original version.)

2.  “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed.  Its use in the movie “Trainspotting” led people to assume it’s a metaphor for addiction.  But it’s actually a straightforward account of a lovely day Lou spent in Central Park.

3.  “Invisible String” by Taylor Swift.  The soft guitar plucking at the beginning makes you think it’s gonna be a breakup song. But it’s a LOVE song, about the unseen forces that brought her and her partner together.

4.  “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star.  It’s dreamy and melancholic . . . another one that sounds like a breakup song, but is actually about an intense love connection.

5.  “We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus.  It doesn’t quite have the anthemic feel you’d expect from a song about partying and having a good time . . . especially when she sings her stripped-down acoustic version.