The song that sounds pleasant but has disturbing revelations in its words is a well-documented enigma in rock music. Especially in how it can deceive the listener into initially thinking it’s innocuous. Once it gets its hooks in, however, its real meaning can penetrate.
And, while hard to admit, these types of tunes frequently seem more alluring than their straight-ahead counterparts, even if the listener knows the content is problematic. There’s just something more intriguing, it seems, about a beguiling song, when compared to a happy one with an equally joyful story, or a dark one that’s stark black in every respect.
After all, isn’t the tug of war between good and evil the biggest duplicity among humanity?
Many examples exist of these kinds of two-faced rock tunes, largely in the pop-rock world, many of which longtime rock listeners might already know about. The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” is one, so is Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life.” They both feature catchy music but unsettling imagery.
But — that’s right, you guessed it — there are plenty of others out there. Can you think of any good ones?
Scroll through below to see some 15 rock songs that we find surprisingly creepy. They might have you thinking twice about the lyrics the next time you hear a seemingly untroubled rock number that subtly points to a more distressing account within.
15 Rock Songs That Are Actually Really Creepy
A rock song that’s creepy on the face of it can be plenty unsettling. But what about the kind that sneaks up on you with its creepiness? It might have a happy-sounding tune or what seems like a simple lovelorn lyric. Yet, beneath the surface, something more deceivingly dastardly lurks. Here are just a few of the more notable examples of rock songs that are actually really creepy.