10 Songs That Are Darker Than You Realize
5. Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
After the British Invasion started to calm down, The Beatles were progressing by leaps and bounds with every single record. Off the strength of records like Rubber Soul and Revolver, you could tell that these lovable lads from Liverpool were going to be something much greater than just the hot new pop group of the day, taking on everything from folk to psychedelia in equal measure. That didn't necessarily mean that everything stayed happy though.
Being the first sign of their artistic maturity, Norwegian Wood is a Bob Dylan esque folk ballad from John Lennon, with George Harrison breaking out a sitar to add some color to the track. While the scenario follows the typical romantic liaison, Lennon's tale takes a different turn when he is stood up at the end of the tune. Apparently his lover for the night had to work in the morning, leading him to sleep in the bathtub and wake up to an empty house.
His answer to being stood up? Burning down the entire house. Instead of complimenting the Norwegian wood that coats her house in the first part of the song, Lennon's twist ending leads to him lighting a fire and leaving it to burn as the rest of the track fades out. You know...the typical tale of love lost ending in arson. Tale as old as time, right?