13 Songs From Your Childhood That Were Ruined When You Grew Up And Realized What They Meant

It's happened to all of us at least once. We get nostalgic and go back to listen to the songs we enjoyed during our childhood only to discover that the song wasn't quite as innocent as we used to believe. Whether this adds to or ruins your enjoyment, probably depends on the song, but here are 13 songs that will definitely ruin your childhood.

1. "The Call" by Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys were my favorite band as a child and I remember this being one of my favorite songs. Fast forward roughly 12 years, and I realized this song is about meeting a girl at a club and calling your girlfriend to tell her not to worry while you go and cheat on her. This song is honestly kind of messed up and it definitely ruined my chances of ever enjoying this song as an adult.

2. "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy

Okay, I first heard this one when I was sort of old enough to understand it. However, this song simply becomes funnier as you get older. While it's about getting caught cheating, the boldness of the song with the guy claiming he wasn't cheating when he's literally still having sex is almost wildly hilarious. It still makes it awkward to think about your child self singing it.

3. "Barbie Girl" by Aqua

The fun upbeat song of your childhood days was a fallacy. Not only does the word "bimbo" appear in the lyrics, but the song caused controversy for the sexualization of the popular child's toy. Mattel even sued MCA Records over the song. Honestly, though, this one wasn't ruined for me, but probably because I only know the chorus.

4. "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent

This song was absolutely everywhere in 2005 and it's likely you and your friends sang it at lunch. However, the song is full of sexual innuendos and a bit cringy at times. But, the song isn't too bad, but definitely not something a 9-year-old should be singing. From an adult perspective, it is pretty obvious now.

5. "2 Become 1" by the Spice Girls

Again, this song has sexual imagery you probably didn't recognize as a child. However, this song is still a bop but might throw you a little off guard.

6. "Get Down" by Backstreet Boys

A song that is not-so-subtly about sex. There's not much to talk about here other than it's not about getting down on the dance floor.

7. "Digital Get Down" by *NSYNC

One of the first songs about sex through the Internet. While from the title, it's fairly obvious to our adult eyes, as a child, I used to dance to this song day after day not realizing what the lyrics meant. Though, this song is still iconic for being the first about cyber sex. *NSYNC were truly ahead of their time.

8. "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera

One of the most popular songs of our childhood is way more sexual than we believed. With lyrics explicitly talking about sex, it's a bit hard to ignore just exactly how many innuendos are present. Again, from an adult perspective, this one is pretty obvious. I mean, "You gotta rub me the right way" is not really subtle.

9. "The Macarena" by Los del Rio

"The Macarena" is a staple at weddings and celebrations, but the song is actually about cheating and drama. The song is in Spanish, so it's likely many people haven't picked up on the true meaning of the song yet. But, ever since finding out, I can't do the Macarena without thinking about the true meaning of the song.

10. "Summer Nights" by The "Grease" Cast

I loved Grease as a child. I would watch it multiple times a day and still know all the songs by heart. I remember when I first understand the rape joke in "Summer Nights" and it absolutely crushed me to know that one of my favorite songs was insanely problematic. Of course, there are many other problematic elements, but this one particularly bothers me because it's gross and it was also my favorite song in the movie that I used to force my younger brother to sing with me.

11. "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" by Big & Rich

My parents eventually forced me to stop listening to this song when I began to question what it meant. As and adult, I can see why, but it's mostly funny to me now.

12. "If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears

I didn't realize the clever wordplay in this song until I got to college. If you don't know the secret message in this song, it's easiest to Google it and find out for yourself. Many Britney Spears could fit this list as well, but instead of ruining them, they're still iconic because most of it positively portraying a woman's sexuality.

13. "My Humps" by The Black Eyed Peas

I have a specific memory of listening to this song at a slumber party and my mom telling me to turn it off. Honestly, I understand now and the song is actually a kind of cringe to listen to now. I still can't listen to this song though without hearing my mom's voice, so I suppose it was her who ruined it for me.

Originally published on Odyssey Online