For example, I remember the time when American Idiot by Green Day came out in 2004. The song “Wake Me Up When September Ends” was everywhere on the radio. The song is about the death of the vocalist’s father dying when he was age 10.
Yet, because that the song and album was released 3 years after 9/11 and 1 year since America started the War in Iraq, everyone associated that song with 9/11 more than what the song originally meant.
And everytime I have listened to it, I just continue to associate that song with it’s original meaning and not because people randomly decided to make it about 9/11.
Semi charmed life is about a meth addiction, not a summer jam
Zombie by cranberries is about the cruelty of war, not a Halloween bop
99 red balloons is about the overzealous nature of countries to go to war, not just a bouncy tune
There’s more but that’s what I have at the top of my mind