There's a fine line between lunacy and love in the music industry, with a couple of songs getting the listeners in their feels while others dive headfirst into Creepville. Some songs like "Every Breath You Take" and Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Possess Your Heart" are perfect examples of tracks that read like manifestos from a serial killer rather than a heartfelt declaration of love. Others glorify drugs, but it would be so hard to tell unless one really digs deep to find the true meaning.

Most people have played these songs at weddings, unaware that some of the culture's most cherished tracks have darker undertones. It isn't that people never understood the lyrics; it is just that they've never paid attention. And let's be honest, it is harder to focus on the meaning when the melody is catchy, and the song has been well-choreographed. So, it is time to think twice before putting these songs on your big day's playlist. Scroll down to see some of the love songs you will probably never listen to the same way.

10 Ho Hey

The Lumineers

In 2012, The Lumineers had a big breakthrough with a hit song, "Ho Hey." It quickly carried on the wave of feel-good music that had been led by Mumford & Sons for a while. The top chart track felt like a soundtrack to a romantic comedy's opening scene. On the surface, "Ho Hey" seems like a song about real-life soulmates who belong together but end up apart. It is almost impossible to say how many marriage proposals on social media have the caption:

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart.

The instruments are simple, catchy, and easy to sing along to—the guitar is pleasant, the drums give it some extra feel, and the tambourine ties it all together. Surprisingly, this song's music is far from any romantic theme. The co-writer, Wesley Schultz, said that he felt nothing close to romantic when writing the song.

While speaking to The Guardian in March 2025, Schultz talked about going through two life-changing events—a breakup and moving to Denver from New York, the city he thought held his dreams. He further explained that the opening lines were his way of convincing himself that chasing a music career was the right choice. The hook "I belong with you, you belong with me" wasn't a love declaration; it was pure denial.

9 I Love You Like An Alcoholic

Taxpayers

Taxpayers released "I Love You Like An Alcoholic" in 2012. The song examines the complexities and the intensity of romantic love. It gives a metaphorical collection of what love means, with the singer comparing his love to that of an "alcoholic." While it might seem like a sweet love song, on the surface level, it further talks about the type of love and ion that burns fast and is dangerously similar to alcoholism.

It further talks about the type of love and ion that burns fast and is dangerously similar to alcoholism.

What makes "I Love You Like An Alcoholic" stand out is how exhilarating and chaotic it gets, with lyrics that are not only metaphorical but also imaginative, allowing the listener to see how destructive love can become. It is about a connection that hits like a rush, leaving a person breathless and unsteady. So, yes, it is a love song, but it explores love from a wild and chaotic perspective. In it, love is a gamble with high stakes, and the fallout could be just as insane as the romance itself.

8 I Will Possess Your Heart

Death Cup For Cutie

Hearing Death Cup For Cutie's "I Will Possess Your Heart" song for the first time will have one thinking about unrequited love, but beneath the surface, it is about a stalker. The lyrics best paint an ideal picture of someone deeply infatuated with another person, fully convinced that, given enough time, their love will blossom. Lines like "You gotta spend some time, love / You gotta spend some time with me / And I know that you'll find love / I will possess your heart" suggest that the person believes that love can be earned through sheer persistence.

It explores the concept of one-sided love and emotional imbalance. So, it might sound like a love song, but it is far from the traditional aspect of a love song and can sometimes feel quite possessive, especially if one dedicates it to someone they are just starting to know. It could also be interpreted as a song about self-discovery, especially based on the video.

The woman is constantly searching for something surrounded by a heavy cloud that could symbolize depression or unhappiness. In this interpretation, the thing trying to possess her heart isn't a man but her happiness. As she searches the world, she seeks joy and meaning that make her life worth living.

7 Love The Way You Lie

Eminem Feat. Rihanna

While Eminem and Rihanna's single "Love The Way You Lie" might often be categorized as a love song, it carries a much darker meaning. The song talks about a couple that is trapped in a cycle of violence, codependency, and in a love-hate type of relationship: "high off her love, drunk from her hate." Eminem's verse represents the abs' side, an individual aware of their harmful behavior who can't get out of the cycle.

In contrast, Rihanna's verse shows the victim's struggle to leave the relationship. Rihanna's part, "I love the way you lie," shows that abuse has become part of her life, and she can't imagine living without it. The lyrics show emotional manipulation, conflicting emotions, and regrets. The song generally romanticizes a messy love-and-hate relationship between a couple, where both individuals are trapped, unable to let go.

6 I Can't Feel My Face

The Weeknd

The Weeknd became a well-known artist due to some of his best high-energy songs, like "I Feel It Coming" and "In The Night." The song "I Can't Feel My Face" from The Weeknd's album Beauty Behind the Madness stayed on the Billboard charts for a while, with the track playing in every bar, store, and club. The track seemed like a normal party song about a man in love with a woman, so much that he "can't feel" his face when he's with her.

As it turned out, the song was an ode to drugs, more specifically cocaine, which explains the lyrics: "And I know she'll be the death of me / At least we'll both be numb." Interestingly, The Weeknd sang about drugs and convinced everyone it was a love song. The woman from The Weeknd's "I Can't Feel My Face" is a personification of the drug. The song explores the themes of desire, love, and the intoxicating effects of a romantic relationship, which is interpreted as a metaphor for addiction.

5 The One I Love

R.E.M

R.E.M. was one of the post-punk era's biggest and most revered bands. One of their classic recordings is "The One I Love," released in 1987. It starts with one of their iconic lines, "This one goes out to the one I love / This one goes out to the one I’ve left behind." That would explain why several listeners have mistakenly assumed it was a love song, but on close inspection, there's a lot of cynicism in the entire track.

There's a lot of cynicism in the entire track.

For example, Michael Stipe described romance as "A simple prop to occupy my time," so it shouldn't take much time to know it isn't about a romantic partner. At one point, Stipe itted that he almost didn't record the song since it was "too brutal." It appears like a great love song, but it carries deeper meanings over time, including themes of emotional detachment, longing, and disillusionment. Overall, "The One I Love" contains poignant lyrics and a haunting melody reflecting love's nature and its complexities.

4 Marry You

Bruno Mars

Some songs like "Marry You" by Bruno Mars don't have a deeper meaning but often find themselves misunderstood. Since its release in 2010, "Marry You" has become a popular wedding anthem, but its meaning is far from heartfelt. While the title sounds good for a wedding song, the lyrics suggest otherwise. Right from the introduction, Mars describes someone who is bored and looking for something to keep them busy.

It's a beautiful night / We're looking for something dumb to do / Hey, baby / I think I wanna marry you / Is it the look in your eyes / Or is it this dancing juice? / Who cares, baby? / I think I wanna marry you

Mars is more than ready to write off the wedding as a bad drunken mistake, and that's why he says, "If we wake up and you wanna break up, that's cool. No, I won't blame you, it was fun, girl." Yet this has become one of the most requested songs at actual weddings. It is a fun, spontaneous, and playful song that falls far from a declaration of true commitment to someone. It captures the impulsive excitement of getting married for the thrill of it.

3 Cherry Wine

Hozier

"Cherry Wine" by Hozier is a song that came out in 2014, and some people have misinterpreted it as a love song. Relationships are complicated, especially for Hozier, which would explain why Hozier has a few songs with deeper meanings than they actually seem. "Cherry Wine" speaks about a relationship, but it can be hard to see that at times, especially with lyrics like this:

The way she shows me I'm hers and she is mine / It's a crime, that she's not around most of the time

Hozier was quite deceptive with the lyrics here, but part of the beauty of music is uncovering deeper meaning. The music video shows that domestic violence can also be hidden in beautiful smiles and could go unnoticed for a while. Listening to this song word for word makes many people realize that not everyone dissects the music lyrics that way. That is why Hozier was slightly confused when the couple got engaged as he played "Cherry Wine."

Hozier was quite deceptive with the lyrics here, but part of the beauty of music is uncovering deeper meaning.

An Instagram video shared by @Hozier_quotes shows the Irish musician startled by the proposal, which took place in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2024. After congratulating the couple, the star jokingly said, "Alright...this of all the songs?" Some people don't focus on the lyrics. Instead, they pay attention to the melodies and the instruments, and that's why they could have missed: "Open hand or closed fist would be fine," or maybe misinterpreted this as people's way of holding hands.

2 You're Beautiful

James Blunt

"You're Beautiful" is perhaps the most played and adored love song of the past 20 years or so. When it came out in 2005, "You're Beautiful" put James Blunt on the world map as one of the brightest and most heartfelt songwriters of his time. Despite the popular belief that the song is a love song, as it almost sounds like unrequited love, it actually isn't. The inspiration behind it could be a tad creepy. The song is about a guy who was high on the subway and stalked someone else's girlfriend.

Blunt, on several occasions, narrated how he was on the Underground in London when he saw his ex-girlfriend with a new man. While they just walked past each other, Blunt went home and wrote "You're Beautiful." Although two more people, Sacha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost, contributed to the song's writing process, "You're Beautiful" wasn't about a hopeless romantic. As it turned out, it was the work of a lonely man caught off guard by his own bad luck - while also a little bit stoned.

1 Every Breath You Take

The Police

The Police's "Every Breath You Take" remains one of the biggest songs in pop history. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, known as Sting, took a few chords from the past decades of rock music and turned them into this incredible song about following your crush wherever you go. At the time, many people in love mistook this 1983 hit for a romantic love song.

However, the reality is far from unsettling. Nowhere in the lyrics is the word love mentioned, not even once. Instead, the lyrics are about a possible lover watching "every breath you take; every move you make." Sting further talks about his longing to see the girl, dreaming of embracing her more in the future. When one starts to put the pieces together, it is easy to tell this is far from being a romantic song.