What is the most misused song in history?

[Tequila Jong]

Part of the Union by Strawbs is a classic example.

A song that mocked the British trade unions of the 60s and 70s, the chorus "You won't get me, I'm part of the union" ended up being used by members of said trade unions as some sort of anthem.

That was the case from 1973 until 2017, where apparently history has been re-written, my memory is now totally wrong, and the band now say they wrote it in support of the trade unions. Funny that.

 

[ForkyMeetsPorky]

The Macarena, a song commonly played at kids parties is about a woman who wanted a threesome with her boyfriends friends whilst he was out of town. Poor Vitorino.
The Shaman - Ebenezer Goode, which sounds like 'E's are good' in the song, E being slang for the drug Ecstasy.
Chumbawamba - Amnesia is a song about the Uk Labor party but is mostly used in adverts for Amnesia awareness

 

[Trombonista]

Stan by Eminem. Not the song itself, but the term it spawned. Zoomers "stan" everything left and right, implying the usual admiration, although the original is about a crazy obsessed fucker.

The LiveJournal community OhNoTheyDidnt used the term appropriately to refer to crazy fans.

 

[CaseyTatumm]

“You are my sunshine” by Jimmie Davis. Ugh such a gut punch of a song

 

[sodomy lifestyle]

I remember that some rum company, I think Bacardi, used "Jane Says" by Janes Addiction.

Selling booze with a song about being an addict.

In the same vein, no pun intended, I've witnessed Lux Aeterna from the Requiem for a Dream OST being used to advertise a fancy liquor, possibly I heard it in some car commercial too. I guess the ad company trusts that their target demographic hasn't watched the movie.

 

[likeacrackado]

I want to add the YMCA song. I went to a summer camp at a Y and they played this on our first day. Thank goodness I didn't know the meaning of it when I was a kid.

YMCA takes the cake for me. My entire childhood it was the go-to song for outdoor events(summer camps, field days, etc.), regardless of where they were hosted. YMCAs in my area focused on younger kids so we assumed it was written with that in mind. In hindsight I think the adults preferred it for the easy to understand hand motions compared to stuff like the macarena or electric slide.

That isn't any better imo, if the hordes of people singing and dancing to it every night find that relatable.

I've noticed that a LOT of the popular songs from that era romanticize infidelity. Mr Brightside, Girlfriend, Misery Business, Dirty Little Secret, Feel Good Drag...

Different song but this sums it up from an outsider's perspective. Catchy music for insecure, young white people who want to feel bad.

 

[sodomy lifestyle]

Part of the Union by Strawbs is a classic example.

Man, that song is very tongue in cheek. Save for a few cynical lines, it can easily be interpreted as pro-union.

Reminds me of this Zappa tune that dumps on a union. I recall he was angry that while he employed his own roadies, he was forced to hire union roadies on some venues. These mooks would end up standing around while Zappa's own guys did the work.

 

[Daddy's Angry Juice]

I think Waterworld using MCBAISE- Waterslide for their new Hurricane Coaster was a bit tasteless.

 

[sodomy lifestyle]

Requiem for a Dream OST being used to advertise a fancy liquor, possibly I heard it in some car commercial too.

Also these, now that I started sleuthing

I can only assume that the meerkats' crippling mobile data addiction leads them to a hellish downward spiral of hopeless depravity and eventual self-destruction.

"in the end, drinking Molson Canadian wasn't enough. I started shooting it into my arm, day after day, until the veins began wasting away from necrosis."

 

[Wot Zit Too Yah0996]

London Calling. It's used recurringly in Proud to be British type adverts.