Boy Band Lyrics Can Be Surprisingly Deep

"You are my fire. My one desire. Believe when I say, I want it that way." Who else grew up staring into Nick and Howie's eyes, admiring the rest of the Backstreet Boys' smooth moves? Growing up with boy bands set our romantic expectations for life, arguably even more than romantic comedies do, because the lyrics stay in our heads for a lifetime. And, because we have a lifetime to think about them, it should come as no surprise that some boy band lyrics are surprisingly poignant when you think about it.

There's nothing like the comfort of a boy band. Beautiful young men with porcelain skin telling you that you are beautiful, using lyrics so generic that you can close your eyes and assume that they are singing about you? Sign me up. Boy band lyrics are known for being basic enough that we can project our dreams onto them, but also always play second fiddle to what Taylor Swift calls "This Sick Beat." These songs are all about dancing and getting one's groove on, but sometimes they will hit you with some lyrics that are secretly sophisticated.

If you take them out of context, some boy band lyrics actually seem very poetic, like they could just as easily be in folk songs. And, if you also take out the repetition and autotune, these lyrics are lovely works of art.

1. "I don't care who you are, where you're from, what you did, as long as you love me." —Backstreet Boys

A beautiful declaration of love that can transcend circumstance, this could be a line from Romeo and Juliet.

2. "Sadness is beautiful, loneliness is tragical." —Backstreet Boys

"Sadness is beautiful" is so #deep.

3. "I’m awake, but my world is half asleep." —Backstreet Boys

A surprisingly poetic way to describe sadness and loneliness in the wake of a breakup.

4. "I've loved you forever in lifetimes before. And I promise you never will you hurt anymore." —*NSYNC

For real, it's actually quite beautiful and could be a reading at a wedding.

5. "Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep. Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep." —*NSYNC

I wouldn't be surprised if this was in an acoustic or classic rock song; it's only the pop sound that makes it come across as cheesy.

6. "Take it from me. It's a lesson to be learned: even the good guys get burned." —*NSYNC

The *NSYNC boys are telling us that everybody gets hurt in the game of love, and especially even the nice ones gets hurt. We might as well take risks, because we can end up hurt regardless.

7. "Everything that you've ever dreamed of disappearing when you wake up. But there's nothing to be afraid of, even when the night changes." —One Direction

The world is ever-changing, and disappointment is inevitable, but Harry Styles and the boys of 1D want to be your constant and source of comfort.

The boy bands were poets, and you've been studying poetry for years. Tell that to your English professor next time he tries to assign you epic poetry for homework.