Famous songs with hidden messages

Huge songs like John Lennon's 'Imagine' have been dissected over time, but have you ever wondered whether your favorite tune has a secret double meaning or hidden message?

Click through this gallery to find out the secrets behind some of the world's most famous songs.

'Baby One More Time' - Britney Spears

Britney's first hit was written and produced by Swedish superproducer Max Martin, and it was penned from the perspective of a young teenager whose heart has been broken after her boyfriend left her.

'Free As A Bird' - The Beatles

The line "turned out nice again" was actually a shout-out to George Formby, a musician who played the ukulele (that was his official catchphrase). The link here was that George Harrison was a member of the George Formby Appreciation Society and played the ukulele himself.

'Another One Bites The Dust' – Queen

Queen's tune 'Another One Bites The Dust' served as the catapult for the band's big break in America, however, the lyrics still remain pretty mysterious to this day.

'All Too Well' - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift made waves when she released 'All Too Well' on her 2012 album 'Red,' largely because it depicted a devastating relationship and heartbreak—and because it was believed to be about a three-month relationship she had with Jake Gyllenhaal. As part of her re-recording process, Swift released a 10-minute version of the song in 2021 and simultaneously resurfaced all those old rumors.

The song includes the lyric, "And I left my scarf there at your sister's house / And you've still got it in your drawer even now," which fans think references a scarf that the actor was spotted wearing which apparently belonged to Swift. Ironically, during the release of this song, Gyllenhaal was actually with his sister Maggie at an awards ceremony. Maggie also previously expressed confusion a few years prior on 'Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen' about why people keep asking her about this scarf. 

If that weren't enough, the song also includes scathing lyrics like, "I'll get older but your lovers stay my age," and, "You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine / and that made me want to die," but  Gyllenhaal never commented then and he's unlikely to comment now. 

'Imagine' - John Lennon

'Imagine' has become a global peace anthem ever since Lennon composed it in 1971. The hit envisions a world without divisions of faith, politics, and money, but Lennon went further to call it "virtually the Communist Manifesto."

'Darling Nikki' – Prince

Prince's charged song was part of the soundtrack for his 1984 movie 'Purple Rain.' At the end of the song, the choir seems to be singing in a bizarre language...

But the King of Pop used the backmasking technique for that section, which means that when played backwards, they're actually singing: "Hello! How are you? I'm fine, 'Cuz I know that the lord is coming soon...coming, coming soon!"

'Empty Spaces' - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd were known as the masters of hidden messages. Their album 'The Wall' was most notable for that, with the song 'Empty Spaces' being the most famous.

'Fire On High' - Electric Light Orchestra

The Electric Light Orchestra also used the backmasking technique on their song 'Fire On High.'

'Stimulate' – Eminem

The rapper's song 'Stimulate' from his '8 Mile' soundtrack also has a portion that can be played in reverse.

'Sweet Emotion' – Aerosmith

Steven Tyler wrote this song when the band was going through a rough time relationship-wise, especially between him and guitarist Joe Perry.

Tyler claimed the lines "You talk about things that nobody cares, You're wearing out things that nobody wears" were actually about Perry and his girlfriend Elisa, as there was a lot of tension between him and the couple at the time.

'Stairway To Heaven' - Led Zeppelin

Possibly the most famous rock song of all time, its vague lyrics have intrigued the general public since it was released in 1971.

'Sick, Sick, Sick' - Queens of the Stone Age

'Sick, Sick, Sick,' from Queens's 2007 album Era Vulgaris, is also thought to have a hidden message.

'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' – Nursery rhyme

No this one isn't a hit song, but the nursery rhyme does have an interesting meaning.