It's time to get your minds out of the gutter, everybody.

We all know what you're really thinking about when you hear Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time." We won't say it, but let's all agree discreetly.

This possibly imaginary meaning of the pop singer's iconic hit has plagued parents for years. Many mothers across the country simultaneously felt super guilty about letting their young children sing and dance along to lyrics begging for physical violence. But now it seems we've all been overreacting.

Author John Seabrook just released an anthology on the pop industry, titled "The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory," that sheds some much-needed light on the lyrics.