10 Songs Everyone Misunderstood As Kids

10. Pearl Jam - Alive

Out of all the grunge bands to come out Seattle, Pearl Jam had a sound that seemed the least tortured. Compared to the frail beauty Nirvana's ragers or the Hellish soundscape of Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam was the perfect slice of classic rock for any kid to start out with. "Alive" became the band's anthem and a great sing-along in concert for everyone to chant along with.

So why is everyone gravitating towards this messed-up song? Don't get me wrong, the chant of "I'm still alive" is a great chorus line that seems to breathe life into the listener, but Eddie Vedder has gone on record for a different kind of interpretation. Originally written as part of a song trilogy, "Alive" tells the story of a kid who realizes the man he thought was his father was in fact his stepfather, with his birth father just recently dying.

After his mother tells him of his father's demise, she begins to make sexual advances towards her son. The original trilogy ended with the man going crazy and eventually sentenced to death after a killing spree. Pearl Jam may have sounded less dark than their contemporaries, but these lyrics were certainly not for the faint of heart.