Brits left surprised after finding out real meaning behind major hit song Gangnam Style

Cast your mind back to 2012, everyone’s buzzing that the Olympics is coming to London, The Twilight Saga came to an end in cinemas and no matter what radio station you put on, there was one song that was always playing.

I’m not talking about ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ or ‘Call Me Maybe’ (bet that’s a throwback), but Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’.

Admit it, we were all doing the dance at the school discos and singing along to it in the car. I mean, even the UK prime minister at the time, David Cameron, was doing it.

But at the same time, it was one of those songs we basically had no understanding of the meaning of - and now Brits have been left surprised after finding out the real meaning of the major hit.

Go on, you know you loved it (Ian Gavan/Getty Images for MTV)

An absolute global smash, the track from South Korea was originally posted on to Psy’s YouTube channel before topping the charts.

The music video even ended up picking up Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards, but despite so many of us viewing it, we still had no clue what it’s actually about.

One Reddit user was so intrigued they asked the forum: “What is the story behind PSY's Gangnam Style and where can I find good information on it?”

Well, according to the singer himself, ‘Gangnam Style’ is a tribute to the women of the district in Seoul.

“Gangnam is a territory in Seoul, Korea,” he explained in an 2012 interview with NPR. “I describe it as noble at the daytime and going crazy at the nighttime.

"I compare ladies to the territory. So — noble at the daytime, going crazy at the nighttime — and the lyric says I am the right guy for the lady who is like that.”

The song, and dance, were everywhere. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for MTV)

Meanwhile on Reddit, some reckon the K-pop hit is a bit more of a tongue-in-cheek track, poking a bit of fun at those who live there.

One responded: “Gangnam Style is a satire about the wealthy/faux-wealthy people walking around Gangnam. I think it blew up partly because of how relatable it was as a social commentary, not just in Seoul but also in many cities where there is a huge class divide.”

Another said it’s ‘poking fun’ at ‘some more modern decadence’ in South Korea with some saying it basically ‘fell in line’ with other popular styles at the time, such as LMFAO’s party hits.