Comments on: Scandalous Lyrics

By: Mike H.

Mike H. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:11:47 +0000

“I think of Karen Carpenter singing all that treacly stuff while she was in the process of starving herself to death. It wouldn’t have hurt for her to have expressed some of her desperation, or just anything real she was living, in her songs, would it?”

I understand her later music was much more grim.

By: MattG

MattG — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:33:58 +0000

Thankfully, due to Ben Stiller, now whenever I hear “Relax”, I think of Derek Zoolander attempting to attack the Malaysian prime minister with his crazy runway moves, after being brainwashed by Mugato. Sometimes pop culture can counteract itself!

By: Tatiana

Tatiana — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:40:10 +0000

I think rather than try to censor my kids’ music, which I can’t see working very well, since they could just wait until I wasn’t listening to play it, I prefer the tack of just exploring and enjoying good music together. Music is about a lot more than the words. Sometimes the words are misunderstood, for one thing. I’m thinking of NIN’s Trent Reznor who is one of the most moralizing of lyricists, whom many nevertheless seem to think is obscene. He is obscenely honest, I guess. Other times, you know a group might be on the skanky side, but the good in their music makes up for it totally. I’m thinking Red Hot Chili Peppers, for instance. I guess I see it all as art, expressing what the artist is living. It doesn’t have to be all sweetness and light for me to like it, because life’s not like that. I think of Karen Carpenter singing all that treacly stuff while she was in the process of starving herself to death. It wouldn’t have hurt for her to have expressed some of her desperation, or just anything real she was living, in her songs, would it? I actually loathe treacly stuff like that. I hate insincere music.

Anyway, I think sharing our likes and dislikes, playing our favorite stuff for each other and talking about what makes it good or not good is much more effective than simply banning things. There’s one exception in my house. I don’t let my son play classic rock while I’m around. I find it nauseating to listen to the same songs I loved as a teenager and college student, for some reason. I’ve heard them too often. They don’t stand up to that many listenings. When he wants to tease me he always plays Billy Joel, whom I utterly loathe. (laughs)

By: Kylie Turley

Kylie Turley — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:28:41 +0000

Jack, I found your comment and approved it. I think. It should be coming.

You’re making me rethink my whole premise. I had never heard that song before. Catchy tune, but crazy lyrics (though I wonder how much I’d have understood without the video to make her point). The problem is that they’re now running continuously through my head, and I’m about to resort to the old “sing a hymn” to get them gone. Perhaps that’s the reason to pay attention to what I’m singing about.

By: Kylie

Kylie — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:13:50 +0000

JA Benson–I laughed out loud. Someone at my house really needs that song. Perhaps if we sang about going to the potty all day long, we could remember to do it.

Jack, I’ll try to find your comment. I’m not so great at this blogging thing.

Jeff (#35)–I’m glad someone was listening more closely (and more intelligently) than I. My husband informs me that he used to be on a Stake Dance Committee to check all songs and lyrics before they were played. I think my stake might have missed that part.

By: Bridget Jack Meyers

Bridget Jack Meyers — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:04:33 +0000

I have a comment in moderation on this thread. It’s a pretty lame comment, but is there any chance someone could rescue it?

Feel free do delete this comment once you do.

By: edawn

edawn — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:36:54 +0000

I used to think that Kirie was “carrion.” As in, roadkill lies upon the road that I must travel.

By: Felice

Felice — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:22:20 +0000

There have always been suggestive lyrics. In the 1950s, wasn’t there a song about “making love underneath the apple tree?”. Some ’20s and ’30s lyrics were outrageous, too!

By: Jeff Spector

Jeff Spector — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:34:30 +0000

As someone who DJ’d a lot of Stake Dances, don’t be fooled that the kids don’t know ALL the words (good and bad) to their songs. When asked to play some songs and i would point out “Can’t play that, third verse, second line…” I would usually get a “oh yeah.” or “it’s not THAT bad.” Sometimes, I’d get the parents complaining about a particular song and I’d say, “So what does that lyric even mean?” Course, usually, I couldn’t figure it out or I wouldn’t play it but they thought “it sounded bad.”

Times have definitely changed. When the Beach Boys sang, “Spend the night together,” they meant until 11:00pm. Nowadays, they mean until 11:00 the next morning!

By: HELENA

HELENA — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:15:24 +0000

Yikes! I just got the issue in comment #31. That’s terrible! I speak with purer vowels (no schwas) and therefore “if” and “eff” sound very different to me. That’s probably why I didn’t get it before.