Under lock and key

Locks and keys are very symbolic in popular culture and have been used to express romantic sentiment and to represent our fears, security and a symbol of punishment. Here we take a look at some songs that reflect our fascination with the symbolism of locks and keys:

  • Locked Away by Robert Forster – this is a song about jealousy and was originally written by Keith Richards.
  • Lock the Locks by The Streets – the theme of this tune is about locking away the past and moving on to a better life. It is a great example of the metaphorical use of locks.
  • Lock and Key by Julia Fordham – she seems intent on locking away her emotions and locking away her memories of love so she can keep them for eternity.
  • Key to the Highway by Derek & the Dominoes – taking an opposite stance to the songs listed above, this one focuses on using a key to open something as opposed to locking something away. Keys can be seen as positive as well as negative.
  • Take these Chains from my Heart by Ray Charles – wanting to be released but is trapped in the chains of love, this Ray Charles classic takes him in a different direction from the usual R’n’B and towards a more country feel.

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  • Ball and Chain by Janis Joplin – it seems that love is holding her down. There seems to be a common thread in love songs that love weighs you down sometimes and makes you feel trapped.
  • Ball and Chain by Social Distortion – another constricted emotion here but this one relates to drug abuse and not romance. The song reflects the feeling of dragging an affliction around with you like a ball and chain.
  • The Key by Speech Debelle – a very philosophical one this as it explains that the key to life and love is compassion and understanding.
  • Where Me keys?, Where Me phone? By Mr Zip – thanks to Britain’s Got Talent we all got to experience the song (if you could call it that) written by the crazy Mr Zip himself. I guess it’s quite deep in the way that pretty much everyone will have experienced this kind of panic at some point when they’re in a rush. If you do lose your keys then you might need a Belfast Locksmith. For more information, visit http://www.belfastlocksmiths247.co.uk/.
  • I’m Going to Lock my Heart and throw away the Key by Carmen McRae – quite a lengthy title this one and it’s another tune about being disappointed in love. She will be locking away those emotions.
  • Locked in a Room by Oren Lavie – imagine being in a room with nothing but walls and having a key but no door. The only way out is through a picture. Sounds like a crazy dream doesn’t it?
  • Lock and Key by Rush – this song is about violence which is refreshing in that most of the others are songs about love. It is a dark song with references to a ‘killer instinct’ that resides in all of us if we were not bound by the rules of society.