The Inspiration Behind These Famous Songs Show That A Great Idea Can Come From Anywhere

Mr. Brightside

Safeconcerts / Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images

“Mr. Brightside” by the Killers is an enigma. The song has somehow never left the U.K. album charts since it was released in 2003. (This is a real thing. Not an exaggeration.) Despite the song’s obvious popularity, its subject matter is probably a little different than you may have thought.

“Mr. Brightside” is an anthem about cheating, but not how you would think. It’s not the woman that the narrator is possessive of, it’s the man. The lyrics In question are, “but she’s touching his chest now / he takes off her dress now / letting me go. / I just can’t look, it’s killing me / and taking control.” It may seem like this narrator’s poor girlfriend fell into the arms of another man, but the truth is, it was his male love interest that found something in another woman.