Banger songs that didn't age well lyrically

Bell Biv DeVoe’s Do Me. Wildly inappropriate to listen to back then, but heard it recently and got really creeped out by the lyrics. “Backstage, underage, adolescent. How ya doing…..” and it just got worse from there.

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digitaljestin@reddit

The best catchy songs with questionably lyrics have been improved by Weird Al. This one is far from an exception.

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MrVeazey@reddit

"Word Crimes" is probably my favorite.

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

This was the song that solidified my opinion that Weird Al should devote at least part of his remaining career to a sort of revival of "Schoolhouse Rock." He could pass along SO many lessons in a catchy, easy to remember way.

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enters_and_leaves@reddit

Storybots is kind of filling this niche. They have even had Weird Al on as their guest star.

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Foxy_locksy1704@reddit

I would absolutely watch that program a Weird Al version of Schoolhouse Rock! Hell yeah!

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Maleficent-Adagio150@reddit

Mine is “White and Nerdy”.

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Independent-Tennis57@reddit

It's a shame Michael Jackson ripped off Beat It from Weird Al's Eat it.

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SilverAsparagus2985@reddit

SEMI CHARMED LIFE. I didn’t know the lyrics until I was doing karaoke at a kids camp. Bunch of adults went up to sing it and were LIKE wait hold on this isn’t kid appropriate WTF.

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Born_Tale_2337@reddit

Yes! I hate that musically it’s such a good song, but the lyrics make my skin crawl at points

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SilverAsparagus2985@reddit

It’s literally I love h°°kers and blow. Like. Had no business being so catchy and popular. Oh, the 90s.

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ianmakingnoise@reddit

I think it was literally “I’m addicted to meth and spiraling out of control, all I can think about is my next fix,” inspired in part by Walk on the Wild Side (doots and all).

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SilverAsparagus2985@reddit

The first part seems like he’s talking about a prostitute. Then he’s on to his next fix.

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PsychedeLuke@reddit

Don’t forget crystal meth!

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SilverAsparagus2985@reddit

True 🤣

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animefemme@reddit

I was embarrassingly old when I realized that he took the hit that he was given, then he bumped again, and then he bumped again.

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optimaloutcome@reddit

well how else would he get back to the place where he fell asleep inside you

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moonbunnychan@reddit

They even call out crystal meth by name in the song and it somehow went right over my brain who was all like DOOT DOOT DOOT, DOOT DA DOOT DA DOOT.

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HookersForJebus@reddit

It may be my old ass memory acting up, but I’m pretty sure the liner notes said the line “crystal myth”. Haha.

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urban_snowshoer@reddit

I feel like Third Eye Blind's "Semi Charmed Life" is the Millenial equivalent of Led Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven."

Neither are bad songs in their own right but both have been greatly overplayed--if you came of age in 1990's "Semi Charmed Life" seemed to be playing everywhere all the time.

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SilverAsparagus2985@reddit

Yes!!! I hated it so much. It was everywhere. That and the friends song. 😣

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sarcastic_sybarite83@reddit

Did you forget about Californication? That was everywhere. Semi Charmed Kind of Life was just popular.

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TerribleRecord666@reddit

I’ll raise you an Eve 6 - Inside Out. That shit was getting played on the rock station, the alternative station, and the pop station where I live when it was at its height.

There was NO getting away from it.

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RodinKnox@reddit

The summer after that song came out, I spent so much time cruising around in my car, windows down, blasting that song and singing along. I was much later that I had my "wait a minute..." moment.

To me, it was just an upbeat "life is fun!" song lol

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Lotus-child89@reddit

It’s how I learned what packed and holding meant.

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SwissCheese4Collagen@reddit

The entire verse in the middle that got chopped out on radio edits was very expressive language.

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AshDogBucket@reddit

My brother and I sang that one at Christian camp for the talent show 😆😆😆

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edasto42@reddit

Just go look up the lyrics to Rolling Stones ‘Brown Sugar.’

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Hopalong_Manboobs@reddit

Try Stray Cat Blues on for size . . . yikes

Coming from a fan

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Wild-Sky-4807@reddit

Oh same. I like the music but the lyrics are I just want to take a shower.

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MomsSpagetee@reddit

It was originally titled “Black Pussy” 🫣

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stormer1_1@reddit

Don't actually do that if you want to preserve what's left of your day.

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VinylHighway@reddit

Still a banger

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edasto42@reddit

That must be some strange new use of the word ‘banger’ when describing a song that I’m not familiar with.

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VinylHighway@reddit

A "banger" is a slang term for an exceptionally high-energy, catchy, or impactful song that makes you want to dance or get excited

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edasto42@reddit

gif

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Brcomic@reddit

What joke? There was nothing remotely humorous about anything you wrote.

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edasto42@reddit

My humor flows around the Dougkas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Andy Kaufman, and Stephen Wright areas. And having someone explain it to me like I was learning English as a second language is exactly where the humor plays into it. Sometimes I make jokes that only 5 people might find funny and I’m ok with that. Sometimes it lands, sometimes not. Apparently classic rock fans aren’t the target audience.

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oh_wll_whtvr_nvrmnd@reddit

It's slang mostly from this century

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OtherlandGirl@reddit

Holy shit! I just looked it up and that’s really sick

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sturgill_homme@reddit

Or Stray Cat Blues by The Stones, although I’d be lying if I said it was or had ever been a “banger.”

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Wild-Sky-4807@reddit

Oof, yeah. I loved the Rolling Stones as a little kid and have fond memories dancing to the records with my mom when I was tiny. Then I heard the lyrics...

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tmclaugh@reddit

Not Xennial era but listen to "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" sometime. I love 60s girl groups, Phil Spector’s work in that era, and Carole King’s work… but damn that song is disturbing.

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1CoolSPEDTeacher@reddit

Behind the Bastards podcast just did an amazing take on Phil Spector. What a guy lol

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Orvan-Rabbit@reddit

"My Lola"

At least they used the correct pronouns.

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Fun-Preparation-4253@reddit

I'm willing to gloss over most songs referencing a "girl" unless the rest of the lyrics drive the point home. Looking at you, Mr Nugent and Mr Rock.

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sarcastic_sybarite83@reddit

Don't forget about Sting in The Police. "Don't Stand so Close to Me", "Every Breathe you Take"

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PuzzleheadedAbies678@reddit

She's sexy and 17 - Stray Cats

Aqualung - Jethro tull

Once Bitten twice shy - great white

Cradle of love - Billy idol

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ComprehensiveTart689@reddit

The lyrics are fine, but me as a pre-tween singing “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood was kinda weird. My staid parents didn’t listen to pop music so they had no idea what I was going on about either. Ha.

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LingonberryOdd768@reddit

I Kissed a Girl

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jambr380@reddit

I feel like I shouldn't have singing 'Cherry Pie' everywhere in 1990 as a little kid

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GarminTamzarian@reddit

Were you singin' on the front porch and singin' on the lawn?

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thejunkmanadv@reddit

singin' in the bedroom, forgot to lock the door?

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BigBuffalo6672@reddit

Not singing, swinging!

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thejunkmanadv@reddit

I know it is swinging, but the poster wrote singing so I went with it.

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GarminTamzarian@reddit

In walked my daddy standin' six-foot-four, sayin'

"Ain't gonna sing heavy metal no more!"

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TraditionalTackle1@reddit

7 year old me loved Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer lol

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GarminTamzarian@reddit

Potato skins, potato cakes

Hash browns, and instant flakes

Baked or boiled or french fried

There's no kind you haven't tried

You planned a trip to Idaho (whoa-ooh)

Just to watch potatoes grow

I understand how you must feel

I can't deny they've got appeal

Whoa

You like them whether they are plain or they're stuffed, oh yeah

Better face the facts, it seems you can't get enough

You know you're gonna have to face it

You're addicted to spuds

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motorcycleboy9000@reddit

Addicted to Love was consensual.

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Independent-Tennis57@reddit

9 year old me should not have been singing Darlin' Nikki by Prince.

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Puzzleheaded-Sky3141@reddit

SWING IT! 🍒

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Brcomic@reddit

I was a DJ at a strip club for about a week 20ish years ago. Not my scene. But I was so fucking sick of that song by the end of that week. I can’t stand it to this day.

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BeanerSchnitzel38@reddit

In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry was a song we liked when we were kids but I noticed one part of the lyrics... "If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal. If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel."

I was sad to break that news to my sister.

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Gryrok@reddit

Have a drink, have a drive

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BeanerSchnitzel38@reddit

That's right there's also the Pro-DUI stance haha

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Gryrok@reddit

In fairness to Mungo Jerry, I don't think the lyrics are meant to be interpreted the way that we are talking about them here.

"Just do what you feel" reads to me more like "the two of you together decide to do something that doesn't require a lot of money. Consensually."

And "Have A drink, have a drive." Reads to me more like "Have A drink, or a drive, but not both at the same time."

But maybe I'm giving them more credit than there do? I don't know them personally after all....

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BeanerSchnitzel38@reddit

Yes, let's just hope it was all a big misunderstanding. I'm sure Mungo Jerry is a stand-up guy. :)

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

Well, he does say "We're no threat, people. We're not dirty, we're not mean," so who really knows

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Puzzleheaded-Sky3141@reddit

We love everybody but we do as we please

Earworm

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

Number 1 Summer Jam for sure

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Puzzleheaded-Sky3141@reddit

Da da taaah, dadumdumdeedeedeedadata

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Horse_Dad@reddit

There’s no way he would lie to us in song, would he?

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

Do you really think someone would do that? Just go on the radio and tell lies?

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Significant_Dog412@reddit

It's also over 40 years old and times/attitudes have changed a lot since 1970. Drink driving only became illegal in Britain three years before and was still treated as socially acceptable (or at least as one of those rules many people break here and there) by many for years after.

A UK drink driving PIF in the 90s made effective use of the song precisely because of this poorly aged lyric.

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Secure_Bed_9110@reddit

It's 55 years old, lol.

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toomanyusesforaname@reddit

Yeah this is such a tame lyric. If she's from a working class family, she likely doesn't expect to be wined and dined, so just have fun together. It's not exactly chivalrous,.but neither is it an exhortation to sexual assault.

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ClearWaves@reddit

I asked some awesome, bleeding-heart liberal boomers who were just about 20 when that song came out. They were very much like: take the poor girl out because the two will be free of the rigid societal expectations. If you are the kind of girl who wants to be taken out to dinner instead of chilling by the lake, you probably weren't marching in 68. You probably are traditional and conservative.

They don't her it as the guy can do whatever with the girl. It's the two of them can do together what they like to do. Whereas the rich girl is going to do what her father expects of her.

Obviously, that's a very skewed perspective, but not being establishment, not doing what their WWII parents expected them to do, being wild and free and not conforming - that was a huge part of their identity.

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BeanerSchnitzel38@reddit

This makes total sense. I saw it as "if her daddy is poor, you don't have to give a crap and you can do whatever you want". I'm glad to know I was wrong. :)

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ClearWaves@reddit

No guarantees on the accuracy of their interpretation lol. But it fits the time and their own experiences, and it made me love the song

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PineappleFit317@reddit

Yeah, it grinds my gears that people leap to SA with this lyric in a wholesome song. It probably just means something like getting snow cones and people watching at the beach. Or sex, but consensually. Way worse lyrics are written nowadays and people don’t bat an eye.

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thejunkmanadv@reddit

This is a hilarious video, in a similar style as Pat Finerty. Video title : What makes a great drunk driving song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4dW9mZPLPs&t

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Lehk@reddit

0 IQ

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BeanerSchnitzel38@reddit

Who me, or Mungo Jerry?

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C-A-L-E-V-I-S@reddit

Money for Nothing by Dite Straights has some…moments…

Also, the Boxer by Bob Dylan is a little shocking when it comes on the restaurant speakers out of nowhere!

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GarminTamzarian@reddit

The Simon and Garfunkel song? Just a fleeting reference to a lonely man visiting a prostitute.

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stellaflora@reddit

No, the Bob Dylan song is different- Bob Dylan's 1975 protest song "Hurricane" tells the true story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who was wrongfully convicted of a triple murder in 1966. The song highlights racial profiling and a flawed justice system that framed Carter, prompting public attention that helped lead to his eventual release.

Sorry, I copied that from wiki. The song definitely uses a racial slur but it’s part of telling the story.

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GarminTamzarian@reddit

Comment used to say "The Boxer", not "Hurricane". It was edited to correct the error.

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CompetitiveClass1478@reddit

I think they were talking about Hurricane, the song about the boxer.

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arcxjo@reddit

That's a lie. Lie. Lie.

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C-A-L-E-V-I-S@reddit

Fixed it!

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randyfox@reddit

In fairness to Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, the song is written from what he overheard a delivery man in an appliance store say. Or so the story goes.

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toomanyusesforaname@reddit

Media literacy is dead. People think the narrator of a song is an automatic stand in for the author.

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

That's what always bugs me about editing those lines out. The point of the song is that's what these jealous asshole delivery guys are saying. So it completely fits.

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thejunkmanadv@reddit

And also that song was openly trolling the music industry out in the open, and the record exec's didn't even know it, but we all did.

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moonbunnychan@reddit

I don't think it's a huge stretch for the average person listening to the song to not know that. I didn't for a super long time.

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Treadingresin@reddit

Prince gets a pass on all his highly questionable lyrics. I mean Raspberry Beret is all about losing virginity, which isn't such a big deal except for: "Built like she was she had the nerve to ask me if I planned to do her any harm"

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specks_of_dust@reddit

Little Red Corvette is about a having sex with a promiscuous woman, and it not even subtle.

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Scooter_McGavin_9@reddit

Loved Little Red Corvette as a kid, but I distinctly remember hearing it for the first time in college and was completely shock at how obviously it was. "'Cause you had a pocket full of horses, Trojan and some of them used" is a wild thing to hear as an adult.

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gerardkimblefarthing@reddit

We probably shouldn't listen to the lyrics in Darling Nikki, then.

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stormer1_1@reddit

That one's fairly tame compared to say, 90% of his deep cuts.

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monsterlynn@reddit

Overcast days never turned me on, but something about the clouds and her mixed - she wasn't too bright but I could tell the way she kissed me, she knew how to get her kicks.

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DarthSmashMouth@reddit

Was the beret the kind you find in a second-hand store?

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Horse_Dad@reddit

I always imagined that Prince sold Bryan Adams his first real six string, while working part time.

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JumpAccomplished2620@reddit

At a five and dime

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luxtabula@reddit

I bring you the lyrics to possum Kingdom by toadies:

Make up your mind Decide to walk with me Around the lake tonight Around the lake tonight By my side By my side I'm not gonna lie I'll not be a gentleman Behind the boathouse I'll show you my dark secret I'm not gonna lie I want you for mine My blushing bride My lover, be my lover, yeah … Don't be afraid I didn't mean to scare you So help me, Jesus I can promise you You'll stay as beautiful With dark hair And soft skin, forever Forever … Make up your mind Make up your mind And I'll promise you I will treat you well My sweet angel So help me, Jesus (Hey, hey, hey) Give it up to me Give it up to me Do you wanna be My angel? Give it up to me Give it up to me Do you wanna be My angel? Give it up to me Give it up to me Do you wanna be My angel? So help me … Be my angel Be my angel Be my angel Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die? Well, I promise you I will treat you well My sweet angel So help me, Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus

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The_WuTang_Plan@reddit

The song was about a real life murder behind a boat house

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Dazzling_Line_8482@reddit

I feel like this was intended to be creepy.

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toomanyusesforaname@reddit

"Hey guys, I feel like this murder ballad is about some bad stuff."

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46handwa@reddit

Yeah I always thought it was a pretty dark song sung from the perspective of a fictional murderer. Or historical maybe like, I dunno, Dead Skin Mask by Slayer, or Nothing to Gein my Mudvayne, both about Ed Gein

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forever_erratic@reddit

Half this thread. So many people thinking the perspective is the singer's, and that the singer is glorifying it.

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Less-Cap6996@reddit

He's asking if she wants to be turned into a vampire.

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Fun-Preparation-4253@reddit

I'm glad someone else said this. The community and the band have said it's part of a series of songs about ghosts and dreams. In this case, I think Possum Kingdom is from the perspective of a ghost looking for a partner, but he's a ghost... so he'd have to kill this woman, so he's trying to make an convincing argument for her.

But come on... These lyrics are wild.

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grilledstuffed@reddit

Possum lake is a lake in Texas near where the band is from.

This song is totally about a murder that happened there and no one can convince me otherwise.

Not even the band.

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Tacitus_AMP@reddit

I never looked it up, but I always thought the singer was a vampire

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luxtabula@reddit

That was type o negative.

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LongjumpingFall1584@reddit

https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-possum-kingdom-by-toadies/

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Dan_Berg@reddit

For some reason I got it in my head it was about a vampire in love turning his paramore immortal like him

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silver_tongued_devil@reddit

Yeah teen me till just now me had always assumed it was a vampire and "possum kingdom" was referring to the fact that they are technically dead but pretending to be alive (opposite the opossum).

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hellbentshiva@reddit

100 percent. This is how I’ve always interpreted it.

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BlackEngineEarings@reddit

Absolute banger

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elliemff@reddit

Okay now do Tyler. That one’s about rape.

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luxtabula@reddit

How about Rape Me by Nirvana?

gif

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mist_kaefer@reddit

I think Kurt said that was about someone going to jail for raping someone and then getting raped themselves.

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elliemff@reddit

Well, I feel like that one came right out the gate with what it is about.

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thirddownloud@reddit

The end of Tyler gives me chills

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erino3120@reddit

Fuck.

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keepingreal@reddit

Jump around, by House of pain

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Efficient-Sock772@reddit

Why?

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thatguyworks@reddit

Death Cab - I Will Possess Your Heart

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MotorCycologist@reddit

Of course, there's always Jailbait by Motörhead, who didn't even try to hide it!

"I don't even dare to ask your age,
It's enough to know you're here backstage."

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AlmondSprite@reddit

Sex Type Thing Weiland wasn’t condoning date rape. Instead he was trying to expose rape culture and how a rapist thinks.

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Verbull710@reddit

Enya's Caribbean Blue subtly dropping the lines "Zephyrus" and "Africus"

gif

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LilDanglyOnes@reddit

I’m gonna bring up one that’s not about sex with underage girls, but still aged like milk on a radiator: Indian Outlaw by Tim McGraw

I listened to a lot of country when I was a kid bc I was in a small town and that’s most of what the radio was. This song was 1) everywhere, 2) an absolute banger, and 3) reads as cringey AF when I hear it now. To be clear, Tim McGraw is not Native, and there was controversy at the time (of which I wasn’t aware then bc I was 9).

The chorus goes “I’m an Indian outlaw / half Cherokee and Choctaw / my baby shes a Chippewa, she’s a one of a kind” … “You can find me in my wigwam / I’ll be beating on my tom-tom / Pull out the pipe and smoke you some / Hey and pass it around.” The whole song pretty much goes on like that. Yikes.

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stormer1_1@reddit

Nope not the wigwam 💀

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lythy2016@reddit

I can’t imagine being able to sing that without being all folded up cringing, never mind doing it onstage every night yeesh. I had to look it up on Wikipedia, it came out in ‘94?!?! Madness.

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LilDanglyOnes@reddit

I know, it’s written like something out of the 50s.

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arcxjo@reddit

It was the 70s when both Indian Reservation and Half-Breed came out.

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ClearWaves@reddit

Oh shit! Haven't heard that in forever, but it immedeatly started playing in my head.

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Much-Injury1499@reddit

It was the summer of ‘69. He literally says. “Me and you in ‘69” at the end of the song. Never noticed until recently.

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MotorCycologist@reddit

That last line was the entire purpose of the song. He wanted to write a song about 69ing, but censors were a little tougher back then. So he figured a way around them!

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mrossm@reddit

I thought he said in an interview it referred to a car. Though I guess you gotta say that when asked.

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toomanyusesforaname@reddit

It did. Then, years later with his career flagging, he made up something else.

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Plane_Chance863@reddit

He was 8 in 1969 so it sure wasn't about the year.

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SpaceLemur34@reddit

Bryan Adams was 9. Jim Valance, his cowriter, was 17.

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kheret@reddit

What’s wrong with that?

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ebjazzz@reddit

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dadlyphe@reddit

Reminds me of an old joke that’s stuck with me over the years.

What is the speed limit of sex? 68, cus one you hit 69 you gotta turn around.

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gerardkimblefarthing@reddit

I heard the punchline as "68. Any faster and you eat it."

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viridiansoul@reddit

"68 and I'll owe you one."

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kheret@reddit

The overall theme of the thread is songs about problematic topics like underage girls and non-consent. There’s nothing in this song to suggest non-consent and the girlfriend is assumed to be the same age as the narrator at the time of the story.

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Texas_Kimchi@reddit

Well he did say he played until his fingers bled.

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ShillinTheVillain@reddit

Earned his red wings

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Primary-Strawberry-5@reddit

You should hear my punk rock version of “My Favorite Things” lol

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DollaStoreKardashian@reddit

Dude.

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Dazzling_Line_8482@reddit

"Me and my baby in a '69"

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honcho713@reddit

Let’s Get [R-Word]!

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alfalfa_spr0uts@reddit

I just heard the radio version “Let’s Get It started” and was remembering what it was originally… 🫣

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Clear_Tangerine5110@reddit

Mah-mah-mah-mah-MYYYYY SCAROTUM

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TiEmEnTi@reddit

Dead Kennedys had it right with "My Payola"

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MiniTab@reddit

Give me a toot!

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AdWide3730@reddit

But there's just one problem...

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Automatic-Arm-532@reddit

My Santorum

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2gecko1983@reddit

The Taco Bell commercial immortalized this song with “M-m-m-my tomato!”

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timbone316@reddit

"Sour cream... I want to top your taco, can't you see?"

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2gecko1983@reddit

“Nacho, nacho man!”

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Elandycamino@reddit

My Chalupa

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Zagmut@reddit (OP)

Myyyy balogna!

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GarminTamzarian@reddit

Never gonna stop

Eat it up

Such a tasty snack

I always eat too much

And throw up

But I'll soon be back for...

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TrinityKilla82@reddit

9 coronas

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Primary-Strawberry-5@reddit

Ah-ah-ah-Ayatollah

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RodinKnox@reddit

All the answers I would have likely given have already been answered here, so I'm going to give what I think is a fun reversal of this. "Because I Got High."

That song was heavily criticized for glorifying drug use. The song is entirely about how doing drugs completely destroyed the singers life. He fails out in school, loses his job, his wife leaves him and takes the kids, and he ends up sleeping on the sidewalk. And he still hasn't learned his lesson.

Even if you try to argue that - for some reason - he doesn't think those things are bad, he specifically says, "I messed up my entire life."

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mikeygaw@reddit

Joan Jett's I Love Rock 'n Roll. Like 'going on seventeen' isn't problematic.

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blessthefreaks1980@reddit

Wrong Way by Sublime. “Annie’s 12 years old…” What the fuck?

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forever_erratic@reddit

I never get this criticism. It's not glorifying anyone in that song, including the narrator. It's criticism, Annie is the victim, and the narrator the creepy savior type, which never struck me as a Bradley stand in.

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Meggos1022@reddit

The dude wrote Date Rape basically vilifying dudes who prey on drunk women bars and in the end the bad guy goes to jail. He was ahead of his time in that aspect.

I agree the song is a criticism of the people who should be looking out for Annie.

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unlovelyladybartleby@reddit

Date Rape is a great song. And I agree with you, their songs mostly criticized the shitty world around them. A bit harder to defend "Caress Me Down" but I still sing it when I clean the house

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percypersimmon@reddit

I can’t think of any other songs about handjobs

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AquariusRising1983@reddit

Caress Me Down was the first song I learned that had large parts in a language other than English. Luckily I took Spanish in Jr. High (and read the obvious cues from the English parts) so I was fairly well aware of what I was saying...

Honestly still belt this one out at the top of my lungs when it comes on shuffle in the car!

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MrVeazey@reddit

Sometimes the narrator in a song is a bad person. The Police's "I'll be Watching You" is a pretty universally popular example.

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toomanyusesforaname@reddit

Sometimes the narrator in a song is a bad person.

This is apparently news to every other participant in this thread. Brown Sugar is a good example. Are we supposed to believe that Mick Jagger explicitly...pro slavery and pro rape?

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winksoutloud@reddit

But he's so sweet! He's always checking on that poor woman. Every single day. Every word she says. Total Bro

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TheUnknownStuntman51@reddit

Isn’t the song based on a letter that Sting got from a stalker of his?

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MyNEWthrowaway031789@reddit

Yeah, this song isn’t one that you sing without really hearing the lyrics.
It’s told by some scumbag about a girl.

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MetalEnthusiast83@reddit

Well a lot of people are dumb and think that a song being about a topic is an endorsement of said topic.

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siiilenttbob@reddit

Thank you. People thinking the song is condoning things is wild. The whole song, everything is portrayed negatively and constantly repeats "wrong way". How hard is it to understand??

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thechristoph@reddit

Media literacy is dying a death. There are people who genuinely believe that if you write a villain and were capable of imagining bad things, you endorse those actions.

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

The media, politicians and the societal bullying zeitgeist across the net (inc reddit) respond to anything that requires a grain of thought to understand or any non ultra simplistic kindergarten exploration of issues with "so you're a sick pervo who endorses child molestation, abuse, murder and worse, PEDO PEDO PEDO"

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Solintari@reddit

You mean Jeremey wasn't about him giving a speech in class and punching Eddie Vedder for no reason?

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GarminTamzarian@reddit

Basic critical thinking skills should be taught as a formal class in both primary and secondary school.

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blessthefreaks1980@reddit

Me personally, I’m not criticizing the song, nor do I think it’s in any way a reflection of Brad. I understand it. I’m criticizing myself for being 16 and ignorant. Now I’m 46 and jaded.

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VinylHighway@reddit

Don't worry she wasn't a whore until 14

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Dantez9001@reddit

On the other hand, in "Parents just don't understand " the Fresh Prince was trying to hook up with a 12 year old run away who wasn't exactly innocent seeming.

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VinylHighway@reddit

He didn’t know that at the time and he was 16

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Dantez9001@reddit

Yeah, I didn't know she was underage, "you should have seen this girl's bodily dimensions ". I wonder how well that that holds up in court.

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VinylHighway@reddit

It's a song :)

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Dantez9001@reddit

Isn't that what the thread's about?

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VinylHighway@reddit

Sure but I don’t see as problematic like he was trying to have sez with a known 12 year old

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Dantez9001@reddit

So...your argument is that it's ok that he wanted to fuck a twelve year old that he saw, because he didn't KNOW that she was 12?

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VinylHighway@reddit

I’m saying a 16 year old is not a scumbag for trying to have sex with a girl he thinks is his age.

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luxtabula@reddit

Oh thank God she waited until she was ... WAIT A MINUTE!

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VinylHighway@reddit

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

While much of the USA has no minimum age for marriage to the point children under 12 have been married off to men decades older than them......

Also that Reddit acts like "anyone under 18 is a CHILD LEGALLY, even up to the minute they turn 18" while missing that California is an outlier in the USA and the age of consent in most of the USA is either 16 or 17. I'd blame TV for that "18 and not a single SECOND earlier" worldview, but religious right, a certain parenting site and radical feminist groups are all equally to blame via each using several hundred sock puppet accounts (well in between spreading homophobia, transphobia and other forms of hate) to push this and intimidate anyone who tries to point out the holes in their argument (and yes some have been unmasked as being behind 300+ accounts on twitter.......alone)

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VinylHighway@reddit

When was the last time a child under 12 got legally married in the USA?

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blessthefreaks1980@reddit

Out of 200,000 child marriages between 2000-2015, there were 6 cases of 12 year olds getting married. Source

Too fucking many. I didn’t even really understand sex until I was 12, and I’m still figuring out relationships.

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VinylHighway@reddit

Jeez

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DengarLives66@reddit

What exactly are you arguing here?

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Zagmut@reddit (OP)

In many ways, yes

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SamIAm718@reddit

TIL that the lyric is "in two more, she'll be a whore."

always thought it was "and tomorrow..."

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Loud_Wolf_7443@reddit

It's not tomorrow?

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SamIAm718@reddit

idk tbh, I was going by the comment "she wasn't a whore until 14" which would imply that the line is "in two more" otherwise, she'd be a whore at 12, right?

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BlackEngineEarings@reddit

An office space reference in a sublime thread. Peak Xennial comment right there

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gzoont@reddit

Somebody should have told her that’s the wrong way.

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dcott44@reddit

To be fair, the only family that she's ever had is her seven horny brothers and her drunk-ass dad.

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LittlehouseonTHELAND@reddit

Well, unfortunately he needed money so he put her on the street.

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BlackEngineEarings@reddit

Everything was fine until the day she met... Wait, no

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blessthefreaks1980@reddit

And he did her in a public restroom, if I remember and understand the lyrics correctly.

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IHkumicho@reddit

"So I take her to the can it's the wrong way"

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red286@reddit

What cracks me up is the censored version on "family friendly rock radio" stations. They censored "whore", "tits" and "ass", as though that magically makes a song about incest and teenage prostitution family friendly.

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ilovecostcohotdog@reddit

I was 16 when I heard this and I thought it was disgusting then.

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

I don't think it was "well" when it came out but I still listened to it lol and "date rape"

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Gryrok@reddit

My mom had no idea that Mac the knife was about a hitman

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adchick@reddit

Similar, my mother thought “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” was “such a happy song”…ummm…he’s a serial killer

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stormer1_1@reddit

But a happy serial killer!

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EBMille4@reddit

I’m sorry I only recognize Mac Tonight

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The_Lloyd_Dobler@reddit

gif

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beatlefreak_1981@reddit

Man this gif feels like a fever dream. I know it's McDonalds but I don't remember why.

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rebelangel@reddit

An upvote for Doug Jones!

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EBMille4@reddit

👑 thanks, Lloyd!

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

Wow. Core memory for me with my Dad as a kid.

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Lynnebrg@reddit

You mean serial killer. Jack the Ripper.

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MrVeazey@reddit

It really sounds like it's about a serial killer but I don't think Jack the Ripper is the same as Mac the Knife.

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TheLastGenXer@reddit

my impression, its not someone who kills for fun, its more of a loan shark/enforcer, mobster type situation.

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maximian@reddit

It’s an adaptation of a song from The Threepenny Opera, which was written in 1928 and set in 19th century London. The translation is sort of inexact, so I think who “Macheath” is in the English-language 20th century song, which stands alone apart from the play, is muddy.

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jimicus@reddit

Macheath is a character in The Beggar’s Opera (which The Threepenny Opera is based on).

It’s an important play in theatrical history because it’s the first one that combined spoken dialogue interspersed with songs. It’s effectively the forerunner to the musical.

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maximian@reddit

I understand who Macheath is in the play.

I’m trying to express that the character makes little sense and is drawn in a deliberately hazy way by the pop song version of the lyrics because it’s a xerox of a translation which is out of context in time (both when the play was written and when it was set), language (German to English), and location (London, US).

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jimicus@reddit

Wrong, actually.

Mac the Knife is a character from The Threepenny Opera. Which is based on The Beggar’s Opera.

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MuggleoftheCoast@reddit

The song actually goes back a few decades before Bobby Darin/Louis Armstrong.

It originally was from The Threepenny Opera, a Brecht musical that itself was a reworking of the centuries older Beggar's Opera. Brecht's work is essentially a satire of capitalist society and the "virtues" it rewards. Instead of being hanged at the end of the opera, Mackie die Messer (Mack the Knife) is rewarded for his deeds and made into a Baron.

The original version isn't anywhere near as happy and bouncy as Bobby Darin's, but I think the disconnect between the lyrics and the style Darin performs it in fits pretty well with the musical's themes.

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shinobi-dragonninja@reddit

Dancing queen only 17…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EHI2AoGbW1E

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A_the_Buttercup@reddit

I never really thought of Dancing Queen being anything but a girl who likes dancing. They do say "anybody could be that guy" but, I dunno, I always imagined "that guy" was also around her age?

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BlackEngineEarings@reddit

Look up Joan Jett's "I love Rock n Roll" lyrics lol

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red286@reddit

In Joan's defence, it's a cover song.

The original author was a man, and it's about a teenage girl, so that's maybe worse heh.

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RodinKnox@reddit

That doesn't matter, 'cause it's all the same.

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BlackEngineEarings@reddit

Not worse. Same bad.

But interesting. I didn't know it was a cover.

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

Well yeah that video makes it creepy lol. But a 17 year old can dance fine at a club meant for teenagers.

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Impossible_Memory_85@reddit

She’s Only 17

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

This one is weird because Benny mardones explained the song but the video makes it worse lol

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CantEscapeTheCats@reddit

Speaking of Benny Mardones…

“Into the Night”

From Wiki: He is met at the door by a bearded man who sings the opening line: "She's just 16 years old / Leave her alone." Mardones walks to the back of the house, peering through a window at a young girl sitting sullenly in her room. The video then cuts to Mardones at a pay phone, speaking to the girl on the other end of the line and professing his love.

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stormer1_1@reddit

Straight to jail!

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trashpandac0llective@reddit

My dad played that song for me when I was a kid and that thought still makes me shudder.

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catjuggler@reddit

Also, “she was just 17” and “young and sweet only 17”

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Fair_Blood3176@reddit

There's SO MANY songs about this very topic. One comes from one of my favorite bands Kings of Leon. I think it's just called 17.

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arcxjo@reddit

(She's) Sexy + 17

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CMarlowe@reddit

She's only fifteen in "All In The Name Of..." by Motley Crue. Now, I've about lost patience with some of this shit, but this one was something else.

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AverageNeither682@reddit

She's... just... 16 years old... leave her alone... they said...

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Dantez9001@reddit

Saw him dancing there by the record machine, knew he must have been about 17.

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No9No9No9No9@reddit

She was just 17... you know what I mean

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twopacktuesday@reddit

“Daddy says she’s too young, but she’s old enough for me”

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_lippykid@reddit

Crazy how when I was a kid in the 90’s/early 2000s (UK), the schoolgirl role play was so widely accepted they would have mannequins in the window of Ann Summers (lingerie store) on the high street wearing school uniforms. Not even that long ago

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Mr_Cigarette@reddit

What do you mean?

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ridiladish@reddit

Sam Cooke has entered the chat

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Dan_Berg@reddit

You know what I mean?

Vs.

You know what I mean.

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Inevitable-While-577@reddit

Try again by Aliyah

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toomanyusesforaname@reddit

??? It's about a woman playing hard to get an testing a man's persistence.

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Inevitable-While-577@reddit

It's about "no doesn't actually mean no", which really sends the wrong message to men. At least that's the consensus nowadays.

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toomanyusesforaname@reddit

"No means no" predates this song by about 20 years, and it wasn't remotely controversial when it was released, because it's not about sex, per se. This is a weird take.

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arcxjo@reddit

Her name always makes me think of Donnie Iris, who famously reminded us all to "Stop all your bitchin' / Back in the kitchen!"

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silver_tongued_devil@reddit

Brought to you by viagra!

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TwilightTink@reddit

'If you want be happy' is such a fun upbeat song about marrying ugly women

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unlovelyladybartleby@reddit

I'm objectively ugly and an excellent cook and I've always loved that song, rofl

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rebelangel@reddit

“Man, I saw your wife last night…she was ug-lyyyyyyyy!”

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arcxjo@reddit

Yeah but she sure can cook!

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EsotericAbstractIdea@reddit

Well theres nothing wrong with the truth

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TwilightTink@reddit

I wouldn't tell her that

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arnoldinho82@reddit

December 1963

"You know I didnt even know her name..."

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napalmthechild@reddit

Ahh Skeet skeet skeet mfr

I can’t believe that was on the radio for so many years.

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HotTubSexVirgin22@reddit

And your mom is STILL happily singing to it at your cousin’s wedding.

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winksoutloud@reddit

I was a young adult when this song came out. I had to ask what "skeet" meant and no one was willing to tell me!

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csonnich@reddit

I never knew what it was, but I knew from the context it was nothing good.

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dcott44@reddit

I still don't know...

I thought it was something involving sporting with guns...

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winksoutloud@reddit

It is that as well.

To quote u/kamakaze22

As I understand it, "to skeet" is to blow one's load, while "skeet" alone, is the load having been blown.

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tealraven915@reddit

If that's a skeet, what's a skrt?

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dcott44@reddit

There might not be a better sentence to exemplify Xennials.

We're old enough to have learned proper grammar and punctuation, but young enough to use said grammar and punctuation to talk about "blowing loads."

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Laylelo@reddit

….what does it mean? I thought it was like scooting around…

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Kamakaze22@reddit

As I understand it, "to skeet" is to blow one's load, while "skeet" alone, is the load having been blown.

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Laylelo@reddit

My skeeting days are over 😞

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napalmthechild@reddit

It is with that attitude my friend

gif

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gerardkimblefarthing@reddit

A tricky word that's both noun and verb.

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Same-Manufacturer773@reddit

All of the late 90’s-2010ish hip hop. 🎶 who let these hoes in my rooooom 🎶 I’ll still listen to it though. And shake it like a salt shaker.

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IGTankCommander@reddit

And then you have The Baja Men, who thought nothing of writing a hit song calling out the men who act like dogs when women are around for their crappy behavior.

Yeah, that's what "Who Let The Dogs Out?" is about.

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mysfwaccount84@reddit

insert Dave Chapelle white people don't even know what it means yet.gif here

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avalonfaith@reddit

From the widooooowsss, to the wallllls!

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emergency_salad_fox@reddit

Turning Japanese. I really think so.

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arcxjo@reddit

That song is just an homage to Japan's medical imaging technology industry.

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Secret-Top3200@reddit

I’m just glad to see Hammerfall mentioned here 🤘

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Zagmut@reddit (OP)

gif

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Ckn-bns-jns@reddit

Not lyrics but the Sir Mix a Lot Baby Got Back video had chicks in it with “big butts” that would be considered small today. 🤣

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

Truly, we have come a long way as a society.

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HotTubSexVirgin22@reddit

There have been big changes.

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Puzzleheaded-Sky3141@reddit

I was a teenager when this dropped. I loved it, but it was also inexplicable to me that I loved it as much as I did. Personally, I'm fuken glad it's a classic

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SlackerDS5@reddit

Yeah, but I’d rather that compared to a bbl. I cannot lie, I like big butts, but even there is too much.

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fatbuddha66@reddit

Mix said in an interview that they made him tone down the butts and they were originally way bigger.

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Guilty_Mountain2851@reddit

Country Death Song by Violent Femmes is pretty disturbing

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sappysaddy@reddit

!"I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind"!< what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck my sharona. never ever noticed that.

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MetalEnthusiast83@reddit

Cannibal Corpse's classic "I Cum Blood" is actually about having sex with corpses. And shooting blood from your cock!

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Zagmut@reddit (OP)

Damn, I thought it was about taking the Eucharist.

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graveybrains@reddit

LL COOL J - Mama Said Knock You Out has some interesting shit it in

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stellaflora@reddit

Don’t call it a comeback!

I personally think “Doin’ It” by Mr. Cool J is way spicier.

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jahmill@reddit

That's the LL Cool J song that you question and not 'Big Ol Butt'??

https://youtu.be/84LUpG6ieis?si=48dpO9tGc6xoBnHM

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plasma_smurf@reddit

Possum Kingdom

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scifithighs@reddit

Oh no, is that song not about a vampire trying to seduce a human? 😬 Because that's what I thought it was about back then... (oh god, I totally missed some problematic context, didn't I?)

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plasma_smurf@reddit

No. It just has some spooky lyrics. Are you okay?

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Dan_Berg@reddit

Ha I just replied to another post saying exactly this

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avalonfaith@reddit

I believe that it's about cults. It pairs with Possum Kingdum if I'm not mistaken. One is before and one after.

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Tacitus_AMP@reddit

In retrospect, the idea of a vampire invoking Jesus is pretty funny.

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scifithighs@reddit

Right?! It's charming, reminds me of Louis from Interview With The Vampire saying he loves to gaze upon crosses.

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VinylHighway@reddit

It is apparently :)

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scifithighs@reddit

PHEW! Both because it's innocuous and because I'm not as dumb as I feared!

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VinylHighway@reddit

Until now I never looked it up :)

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LongjumpingFall1584@reddit

https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-possum-kingdom-by-toadies/

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scifithighs@reddit

This is darker than the vampire fantasy I thought it was. But still an interesting bit of fiction in a catchy song!

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Zagmut@reddit (OP)

From the same album: Tyler

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FooFightingManiac@reddit

This one definitely more than PK

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Dramatic-Dark-4046@reddit

What’s so weird in the lyrics of a song about vampire?

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saison257@reddit

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arcxjo@reddit

We already have Karen, that should be Becky.

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Over_Ad_688@reddit

Pumped Up Kicks comes to mind.

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ianmakingnoise@reddit

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red286@reddit

I'm confused.

It was a song about school shootings. That hasn't really changed at all.

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BarrelFullOfWeasels@reddit

I was already thinking of I'm on Fire before I got to your last paragraph. A song that's actually about adults, but makes it sound like pedophilia. Eww.

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Lotus-child89@reddit

It is a beautiful sounding song though

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Zagmut@reddit (OP)

🎶Hey little girl, is your daddy home?
Did he go and leave you all alone?
I got a bad desire🎶

The cover started playing regularly on a couple of my Spotify playlists, and it was my wife who pointed out how bad that sounded. She didn't grow up listening to popular music at all, and trying to explain the cultural context of the lyric, how daddy was slang for hubby/bf, felt like I was defending statutory rape by saying "it was a different time." Not a good feeling.

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kheret@reddit

Yeah the Fleetwood Mac song “Oh Daddy” is actually a good cross-reference for that one.

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viridiansoul@reddit

Also "Beautiful Child." I don't care what they said it was about (supposedly about Stevie and Lindsey's affair).

"You fell in love when I was only ten."

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

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Fun-Preparation-4253@reddit

Honestly, after watching the video for the song, I interpret that the "little girl" is a car.

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TheJustBleedGod@reddit

Money For Nothing by Dire Straits. it's supposed to actually be poking fun of people who use that kind of word but it just didn't work.

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Less-Cap6996@reddit

Worked just fine. Been a popular song for over 30 years.

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gohashhi@reddit

Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy was fucked up even in the 90s, but somehow that didn’t stop me dancing and screaming along (I’m female)

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BeanerSchnitzel38@reddit

I loved it when they were under pressure about the lyrics and tried to explain that "smacking your bitch up" was some sort of symbolism.

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ianmakingnoise@reddit

That’s super funny, considering it was a sample of a Kool Keith lyric thats pretty unambiguous

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Inevitable-While-577@reddit

Great video though

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moonbunnychan@reddit

I'm sad that video is essentially banned. Even the only ones I can see on YouTube are so heavily censored they aren't worth watching. It's a really powerful video...I'll never forget the first time I saw it.

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animefemme@reddit

I'm female and I still bump that song in my car.

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gohashhi@reddit

Yeah! I think I totally understood the irony back in the 90s, which is why I was into it, but I think we were way more acceptable of edgy stuff back then, and I don’t think it would wash anymore.

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Dry_Inspection_4583@reddit

Superman, Soulja boi

It was in schools, performed on several talk shows, and all the kids sang it, all the while I'm like uhhh, Cleveland Steamer as a follow-up track maybe?

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Historical-Newt6809@reddit

Dude looks like a lady

Shoop. The males part has the R-word.

Funky cold Medina

I got a man

I know that there's more that I've heard lately that I was like, "holy fuck! We listened to that?" I can't think of them right now tho.

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red286@reddit

Funky cold Medina

The weird thing about this, aside from it basically being about date rape, is Ton Loc's oddly progressive views on trans women. I mean, sure, he kicks her out and misgenders her, but 99% of hip hop artists would have been writing lyrics about beating the shit out of her or shooting her.

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RetailBookworm@reddit

I thought all these years that it said “the other kind” and Sharona was like a werewolf or something.

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BrontosaurusB@reddit

Now imagine how big the list is of people who don’t necessarily have a song about it, but literally engaged in acts with minors.

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red286@reddit

Every major act from the 50s to the 00s.

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Dry_Inspection_4583@reddit

Semi Charmed life, no idea it was about drugs till last year... Hard cringe moment while singing along.

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SerGemini@reddit

Money for Nothing

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FormidableMistress@reddit

If you ever listen to any love song from the point of view of someone who rejected another person, they're all creepy and stalkerish. Every single one of them.

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moonbunnychan@reddit

I didn't realize how creepy I'll Be Watching You was until I was in my 20s. That beat is just so good.

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grilledstuffed@reddit

The fact that it got played at weddings blew my mind.

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AshDogBucket@reddit

I never really got how creepy "always be my baby" was until I heard a man's voice singing it. Full body shiver. No thank you.

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Drew_of_all_trades@reddit

They just removed the third verse from Money for Nothing about 20 years ago

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zoppaTheDim@reddit

Good Morning Little School Girl

The song that made the genre.

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TacosAreJustice@reddit

Skater boi is kindof fucked up…

It’s basically Avril Lavigne (or her body double) bragging to a girl her boyfriend had a crush on in high school that they are fucking now.

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drainbead78@reddit

That may be the most pick me song of all time.

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Fair_Blood3176@reddit

Bawitabaw da bang da bang boogie said up jump the boogie

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twopacktuesday@reddit

“Seems like you’re ready” R. Kelly. Would’ve been fine had he not been busted I guess.

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sureal42@reddit

Money for nothing

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TryFine317@reddit

1980

Never forget my mom’s reaction when she heard me singing “Me So Horny.” I had no idea what the word meant. All I know is the radio edit they played on Z104 was a jam.

But that song was up front with its raunchiness.

“Sitting at home watching Arsenio Hall…”

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thejunkmanadv@reddit

How about one from the other point of view. Gillette - Short Dick Man The radio edit was "Short, Short, Man" I remember Rick Dees weekly top 40 playing it.

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KdawgEdog@reddit

"Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade"

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ElegantGoose@reddit

Sooooo many older songs are disgusting.

"She was just 17, if you know what I mean, and the way she looked was way beyond compare." I Saw Her Standing There, The Beatles

"If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal. If her daddy's poor, you can do what you feel." In the Summertime, Mungo Jerry

"Girl, you'll be a woman soon. Soon, you'll need a man." Neil Diamond/Urge Overkill (cover)

"Blow out the candles. Make your wish come true For I'll be wishing, that you love me, too. You're only 16, but you're my teenage queen." 16 Candles, The Crests

[-]

CalmDemand5265@reddit

Oliver’s Army has such a good message but you have to actually listen to the lyrics and know the geopolitical background to the satire or it sounds SO bad.

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Significant_Dog412@reddit

Recently discovered Kinky Chinese Girl by Billy J Kramer, which is a mixed bag considering the title and it being a 60s song. On the one hand "take a ride in her rickshawy" and "she's the greatest Oriental" have not aged well at all but the song does avoid treating the titular Chinese girl as the usual meek submissive.

For British English, "Oriental" is a weird one. It hasn't entered slur/taboo territory yet, but does sound hopelessly old fashioned and colonial and still best avoided. Especially online with a global community.

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Horse_Dad@reddit

Also, David Bowie’s “China Girl.”

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DeuceOfDiamonds@reddit

Oh, The Knack, as much as I love their sound, have a LOT of lyrics/titles that don't age well. "Good Girls Don't," "That's What the Little Girls Do," that kind of thing.

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Wiserputa52@reddit

Hi Sam, good girls donut karaoke… 57-year-old woman here… And had only ever heard the radio edit. Really surprised to hear the lyric “….the in-between age madness that you know you can’t erase ….till she’s sittin’ on your face.”

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punky100@reddit

I realized that How Am I Supposed to Love You by Michael Bolton is about a guy who is friendzoned and now mad that she found a boyfriend and is distraught that he doesn't have her.

It made me laugh so hard. Like bro, you are the one with the unrequited love, you need to figure it out.

It's still a banger to scream my lungs to though.

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pug_fugly_moe@reddit

Why should I change? He’s the one who sucks.

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punky100@reddit

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thejunkmanadv@reddit

Damn it feels good to be a Gangsta'

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Horse_Dad@reddit

Me too, but I celebrate the guy’s entire catalog.

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Dan_Berg@reddit

The Pirates of the Caribbean will always be there for him

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BigBuffalo6672@reddit

Suzanne Vega’s “Luka.” I didn’t really pay attention to the lyrics until I was an adult. Wow, how was that a single with those lyrics?

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withbellson@reddit

I, I, I love little girls, they make me feel so good. When they’re around they make me feel like I’m the only guy in town.

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KatyLouStu@reddit

It's one of the reasons Spinal Tap stands up so well as a mocumentary of rock music. Just the teeniest bit exaggerated from the reality. Lyrics from their spoof song, Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight, "You're sweet but you're just four feet And you still got your baby teeth You're too young and I'm too well hung … Tonight, I'm gonna rock you Yeah, tonight, I'm gonna rock you Tonight, oh yeah"

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VVrayth@reddit

Turning Japanese, definitely doesn't age well.

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Blackn35s@reddit

Inner Circle - Sweat

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ClearWaves@reddit

Black Eyed Peas - Let's get it started.

Elvis Presley -Little Sister

Little sister, don't you

Little sister, don't you kiss me once or twice

And say it's very nice and then you run

Little sister, don't you do what your big sister done

Every time I see your siste

Well, she's got somebody new

She's mean and she's evil like that little old boll weevil

Guess I'll try my luck with you

Well, I used to pull your pigtails

And pinch your turned-up nose

But you been a growin' and, baby, it's been showin'

From your head down to your toes

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NotAsleep_@reddit

"Vehicle" by The Ides of March, from the early or mid '70s. It's got a pretty good horn line that led to GM using the main chorus for a seasonal car ad in the late 1990s, but then someone pointed out the lyrics for everything but the chorus are incredibly cringey, so the ad's season was cut very short

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gerardkimblefarthing@reddit

Oh, there's something creepy about being a friendly stranger in a black sedan offering pictures and candy? The lyrics indicate he's lovable.

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EastTXJosh@reddit

Bel Biv Devoe’s “Poison” is pretty cringe when you listen to the lyrics. That’s pretty common for most 80’s and 90’s r&b but “Poison.”I loved early R Kelly (when he was still with Public Announcement) but every song is about sexual activity and when you listen to it now, knowing what he was into, it makes it unlistenable.

A lot of the rap I listened to in the 90’s is unlistenable now. Something like “Big Poppa” is so misogynistic in and of itself, then you add in the Puff Daddy element and it’s even worse.

Guns n Roses “One in a Million” is a great song musically, but lyrically it’s extremely problematic: racist, sexiest, and homophobic.

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BeanerSchnitzel38@reddit

Hey, they taught me to never trust a big butt and a smile.

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MommaOfManyCats@reddit

I love Theory of a Deadman, but some of their song lyrics are...not the greatest. "My girlfriend's a dick magnet" or "I like her so much better when she's down on her knees." From like 2005-2010, there were some rough hard rock songs. "You're so much cooler whe you never pull it out cuz you look so much cuter with something in your mouth" and "I like the way you still say please when you're looking up at me/I like the white stains on your dress" from Nickleback. Hell, even Nookie and Porn Star Dancing. And I will 100% sing along with every one of them lol.

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PM_Me_Ur_PoopKnives@reddit

Dire Straits - Money For Nothing

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Lethave@reddit

I don't know how "Shake Your Ass" saw the light of day when it was released, much less today. Used to sing it at full volume, but Mystikal absolutely established who he was the moment he hit the scene.

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Active_Yellow_1573@reddit

Just to point out, because I'm sure a lot of people hear the lyrics the wrong way, but I'm on fire is not about a guy attracted to a little girl. It about a guy attacked to another guys girlfriend. Back in the day people called their boyfriends or husbands daddy, like Hispanics call theirs pappi. So sure it may be offensive, but it's not creepy like a lot of people think it is.

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Aol_awaymessage@reddit

Money for Nothing - Dire Straights. I guess I never really paid attention to

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Synensys@reddit

Im guessing the radio version you probably heard pre streaming removed thr offensive words.

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mist_kaefer@reddit

Snoop Dogg - Ain’t No Fun

Don’t get me wrong, I love this album. Including this song. But the lyrics are a bit much.

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Ohbilly902@reddit

In the summertime

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Matthugh@reddit

10,000 Hours by Macklemore. Mentions the greatness and dedication of Kanye and Bill Cosby. Public sentiment have also turned on Malcom Gladwell on some level too.

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RedShirtDecoy@reddit

The Boyz 2 Men "End of the road" is very very creepy and stalkerish if you pay attention to the lyrics.

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Mekroval@reddit

Everybody, have fun tonight

Everybody Wang Chung tonight!

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AgentWD409@reddit

I mean, the #1 answer has to be "Brown Sugar" by the Rolling Stones.

I love that song, but daaaaaaamn... the lyrics are... something else.

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dngdzzo@reddit

Aqualung. "Sitting on a park bench. Eyeing little girls with bad intent"

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WasabiAficianado@reddit

That can be the uplifting response between performers appreciating an artists song it doesn’t have to be literal. Whatever works for you.

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delibertine@reddit

Verse 2, Money for Nothing, Dire Straits

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Nebulous_Sundae4186@reddit

Walk This Way by Aerosmith and Run DMC

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TrustAffectionate966@reddit

“Hot Child In The City” by Nick Gilder

“Killing An Arab” by The Cure

🧐💀☠️🤔

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elliemff@reddit

Is Hot Child In The City about Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver? I know it’s about a child prostitute, but can’t remember if it was specifically her.

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TrustAffectionate966@reddit

Probably what Hollywood Blvd. looked like back in the day. ☠️

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trustme1maDR@reddit

Killing an Arab is inspired by Camus's The Stranger, but it's understandable that you would just be like, nah let's just not play that song

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thinkspeak_@reddit

I’m actually pretty disappointed that the couple of cover of My Sharona kept the creepy lyrics in instead of making it something less pedophile-y

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braisedpatrick@reddit

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kin-corn-karn@reddit

The faux Chinese after “Black, White, Puerto Rican, Chinese boys” in Work It is pretty rough.

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Rust_Bucket37@reddit

Goin' Blind by Kiss and covered by the Melvins.

"Little lady, can't you see You're so young and so much different than I I'm 93, you're 16 Can't you see I'm goin' blind"

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Known_Draw_2212@reddit

Run For Your Life by the Beatles

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AYearInOaxaca@reddit

It’s the whole point of the song so we can hardly indict Ben Gibbard, but I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Can for Cutie is especially creepy now

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LegitimateFeeling693@reddit

Surf City pisses me off now.

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Grouchy-Reflection97@reddit

I get a chuckle out of the way The Who are in their 80's now, but as recently as last year, Roger Daltrey still sings the 🎶 hope I die before I get old' bit of My Generation.

You get similar with hair metal band reunions, only it's even funnier, as all the members are sober, born again Christians in New Balance trainers and khaki jorts, but they're still singing about partying with 17yr old girls on (insert name of any street in LA)

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citrus_sugar@reddit

Was working in a kitchen part time and all the dudes play mumble rap or whatever so when I finally got the speaker the only thing that came to mind was 2 Live Crew.

The oldest dude took me aside and said, You spent a lot of time in step clubs too? Lmao

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FaceRockerMD@reddit

I'm gonna go against the grain and say ya'll are a bunch of pearl clutchers. I love many of these songs and play them often lol.

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Sinead_0_rebellion@reddit

Finally paid attention to the lyrics on Funky Cold Medina a few years back.... NOT GREAT.

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whistleridge@reddit

2 Live Crew’s song “Do Wah Ditty” has aged…really, really poorly:

https://youtu.be/99ErOC4_KBo?si=7f4nj35OPhpSAMnd

I don’t know if it counts as a banger, but it did get a shitload of airtime on Yo MTV Raps! back in the day.

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