Shifting perspectives and narratives occur often in great songs. Musicians and songwriters have long created lyrics that follow different points of view! These types of songs aren’t just your average songs that follow one character or narrator.
Below, we’ve ranked our favorite 20 songs about points of view. These songs listed either specifically mention differing points of view or it can be implied that there are differing POVs!
1. “In My Life” by The Beatles
The Beatles first released “In My Life” on their 1965 album Rubber Soul. To this day, this song is often considered one of the very best songs ever written!
“In My Life” deals with one’s perspective or point of view of life. Throughout the song, John Lennon sings about all his life memories, the people he’s met, and the things he’s seen.
However, he also admits that all of these fond memories of the past do not compare to his love. In this way, the song encourages us not to romanticize or live in the past. Instead, it pushes the perspective to continue to live one’s life and experience new love!
2. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis
“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis deals with a changing perspective in a relationship. While the song can have various meanings, as the band even admits themselves, this song mainly deals with the breakdown of a relationship.
In the end, someone says to not look back in anger. This shift in perspective encompasses the whole song.
“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis is often considered one of the best songs the band ever created. The band released the song as the fourth single off of their 1996 album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
The song hit #1 on the UK charts and elsewhere in the world when it was first released, as well!
3. “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin
“Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin is one of the best songs about different points of view. This song first follows a father who has a son. He struggles to find the time to spend quality time with his son, so they don’t necessarily foster a relationship.
The change in POV comes towards the end of the song. The father is now older. He calls his son up to see if he’d like to spend time with him, as now he has much more time. He’s no longer working.
But his son is. So, his son says he’d like to… but he has a new job and has to take care of his own kids. In this way, his son’s POV shows that he has become like his father.
4. “Perspective” by Peter Gabriel
There are many different ways you can take “Perspective” by Peter Gabriel. The song’s lyrics are quite vague, at least when compared to some of the others on this list. However, throughout the song, Gabriel sings “I need perspective”.
This phrase alone could reveal that Gabriel feels lost and needs perspective on life in general. Many fans also believe that this song deals with the environment and talks about humans destroying the earth.
This can be seen in the lines “Oh Gaia, if that’s your name / Treat you like dirt but I don’t want no blame”. Gaia was the Greek goddess of Earth and life!
5. “Ooh La La” by Faces
“Ooh La La” by Faces also deals with differing points of view, this time between a grandfather and his grandson. For the most part, this song deals with their differing perspectives on relationships with women.
The song begins with a grandson narrating that his grandfather told him to beware of women and love, as it will just hurt them in the end. Towards the end of the song, the perspective shifts only slightly.
Now, it’s that same narrator — but now he’s the grandfather. He’s telling his grandson that there’s nothing he can do or say. His grandson will have to learn everything himself, just as he did!
6. “New Dress” by Depeche Mode
“New Dress” by Depeche Mode discusses how the media and those in power can change points of view by deciding what to discuss.
For example, by pushing celebrity gossip (“Princess Di is wearing a new dress”), the media is changing the public’s idea of what they should talk about — and their point of view. Instead of focusing on things that matter, they’re focusing on gossip.
Depeche Mode released “New Dress” in 1986 off of their great album Black Celebration!
7. “pov” by Ariana Grande
We’ve got another great song about point of view! “pov” by Ariana Grande follows Grande’s narration as she discusses her romantic relationship. She wishes she loved herself and saw herself as her partner does.
Her partner loves her for who she is. Grande states that she’d “love to see me from your point of view”.
This song differs from some of the other songs about romantic relationships on this list. Here, instead of a romantic partner’s POV resulting in the breakdown of a relationship, the differing POV makes the relationship stronger!
8. “Simple Twist of Fate” by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is often considered one of the best songwriters of all time. So, it’s not too much of a surprise that he’s written an excellent song about perspective.
Dylan released “Simple Twist of Fate” on his 1975 album Blood on the Tracks, often considered to be one of his best albums. There are many different ways one can take this song, and different meanings can be derived from the lyrics.
For the most part, this song deals with the idea of fate in romantic relationships. However, the song can also be seen as a perspective on life itself and how little control any of us have over our own lives.
9. “Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips
“Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips is another song that deals with one’s point of view on life in general. Throughout this great song, which was released in 2002, the band asks multiple questions about life.
Lyrics such as “Do you realize we’re floating in space?” and “Do you realize that everyone you know will die?” are repeated throughout the song.
However, the song does have a positive perspective. Instead of wasting time, take the time to let your loved ones know you love them. There’s not enough time, so don’t waste it!
10. “I Made It Through the Rain” by Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow released “I Made It Through the Rain” on his 1980 album Barry. This song deals with the struggles dreamers (such as him) go through. However, when they make it through the rain and their hard times, they ultimately are better. They’ve gotten through their fears.
In this song, Manilow sings that “I kept my point of view”. In this way, this song differs slightly from some of the others here. Instead of changing one’s POV, Manilow states that he kept the same positive POV throughout all of his hard times and struggles!
11. “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen
“Glory Days” deals with different points of view from three different people. Though all three of them are different and had different lives, they all return to think about their glory days.
“Glory Days”, which Bruce Springsteen released in 1985, first follows the POV of a man who used to be a baseball player when he was younger. Then, the POV switches to a woman who used to turn all the boy’s heads, but now she’s divorced.
Finally, we have another point of view. However, this time it’s Springsteen himself singing — and remembering all his own glory days, much like every other person in the song did!
12. “A Different Point of View” by Pet Shop Boys
“A Different Point of View” by Pet Shop Boys also deals with a different perspective in a relationship! This song follows the narrator as they struggle to see eye to eye with their romantic partner.
The lyrics clearly state that the narrator’s partner “has a different point of view”. Even though the narrator says that they love them, their partner feels differently and doesn’t believe it’s true.
13. “Slip Slidin’ Away” by Paul Simon
“Slip Slidin’ Away” by Paul Simon is similar to Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days”, as it also follows different people and their points of view. Throughout the song, we see a man, a woman, and a father’s POV about their life.
Finally, we also get a verse about God’s point of view. The lyric “Believe we’re gliding down a highway / When in fact we’re slip slidin’ away” could also be seen as a point of view on heaven, death, or our final destination!
14. “Which Side of the Glass” by George Strait
George Strait released “Which Side of the Glass” in 2000 on his album George Strait. This song is also similar to Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” and Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away”, as it also follows three different points of view.
The song first begins by talking about a woman, then a man, and finally Strait himself. This song could also be seen as Strait discussing his own romantic relationship throughout the song, just using third person point of view in the first two verses before switching to first person in the third verse!
The main theme of the song is also evident in the lines “Where do you stand, what’s your point of view? / I guess it all depends on which side of the glass you’re looking through”.
15. “Push” by Madonna
Here’s another song that deals with a different point of view in a relationship! In Madonna’s 2005 song “Push”, Madonna discusses how her romantic partner pushes her “to see the other point of view” and to be “a better version” of herself.
Much as with Ariana Grande’s “pov”, this song doesn’t deal with a differing POV that results in the breakdown of a relationship. Quite the opposite! Instead, Madonna’s partner helps her see others’ POVs and helps her to be better!
16. “A Stranger’s Point of View” by Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty details the breakdown of his romantic relationship in “A Stranger’s Point of View”. In this song, he describes how he didn’t realize how much he would miss his ex until he saw her from a stranger’s point of view.
As the song progresses, Twitty continues to describe how this stranger — his ex’s new romantic partner — sees his ex. And through looking through this stranger’s eyes, Twitty sees how much he misses and loves his ex-romantic partner.
17. “You” by Earth, Wind & Fire
In “You” by Earth, Wind & Fire, we’ve got another song about a point of view that deals with a romantic relationship. As you can see, many musicians on this list have been inspired by this idea.
“You” by Earth, Wind & Fire (released in 1980) details how a romantic relationship has changed the narrator’s life for the better. The lyrics say “I guess you know that I’m in love with you / It’s true, you changed my point of view / And now I look at life the way you do”.
18. “A Whole New World” From Aladdin
“A Whole New World”, from the classic 1992 Disney film Aladdin, has become an iconic song in its own right. The song was written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice for the animated film.
The song occurs in the musical when Jasmine and Aladdin realize they can see a whole new world, thanks to their magic carpet. They can see different points of view, as well as escape from those who would tell them no.
“A Whole New World” has been covered by a variety of different artists since its release in the 90s. It continues to be an uplifting favorite song for many!
19. “The Grouch” by Green Day
Green Day released “The Grouch” on their amazing 1997 album Nimrod. This song follows the point of view of a grumpy old man who hates absolutely everything. He’s bitter, old, and brings everyone down.
However, he used to be young and had an “optimistic point of view”. He was “a young boy who had big plans”. Now, he’s the complete opposite. As a result of this change, he hates everything and doesn’t have fun.
So, this song doesn’t necessarily follow one’s good point of view! Instead, we get to see how one’s POV can change over their lifetime.
20. “Little Freak” by Harry Styles
Harry Styles released “Little Freak” in 2022 on his album Harry’s House. This song deals with Styles’ thoughts and perspective on his past relationship, one that he lost.
Styles sings that he was “Thinkin’ about who you are / Your delicate point of view” throughout the song’s chorus. Elsewhere in the song, he thinks about what she’s doing, whether she dressed up for Halloween, and more.
Through his musings about her, we learn both his perspective of her and a bit of her own POV. Or, at least, how he sees her POV.
Listen to the full playlist on Youtube here.