Your favorite (or least favorite) song whose lyric might strike some philistine folks (or you) as somewhat unsettling or in bad taste or actually offensive is...?
My pal Steve Simels asked this question last week over at his place, the invaluable Power Pop.
Without hesitation, I commented how the Stones' "Stray Cat Blues" has not aged well. What followed was a laundry list of both popular and forgotten songs that included The Knack's "Good Girls Don't," Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night," two from Sparks' "Throw Her Away & Get A New One" and "White Women," and of course, "Brown Sugar."
But here's what I've been thinking about.
What took so long? I don't mean that in a "we finally got around to it" way. I mean, what took so long for people to finally make the move? Was it a slow day at the Cancel Station?
Cousin Brucie played "Brown Sugar" on WABC radio, for Pete's sake, as did countless other DJ's. It was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard charts. For 50 years, those opening chords would send Stones concert attendees, men and women, black and white, into a frenzy. Stadiums, 70,000 strong would sing back, "WOOOO" after Mick's "Yeah, yeah, yeahs." Mick and Tina Turner sang it together.
Then, what?
The Stones take the stage one night in 2021, play 14 amazing songs (and "You Got Me Rockin"), and soon after Keef hits those opening chords of "Brown Sugar," some guy Larry from Watchung, standing in the mezzanine of Giants Stadium, elbows his friend Phil from Freehold in the ribs, and just as the second verse begins says, "Psst. Hey Phil. I don't think this song is really about a bag of sugar."
Just like that, it's over?
Good citizens all over the world are now expected to listen to "Sticky Fingers" beginning with track two? Do we now need to gather in dark, dank basements, wearing nose glasses and propeller hats so we can listen to "Beggars Banquet" and watch "Annie Hall?"
(By the way, as long as I am here, I have been wanting to address this for years. I don't believe a single word out of any of the Farrows' mouths, and I refuse to watch that HBO documentary. And if you bring up Soon-Yi Previn, consider this. Allen was nominated for 14 Academy Awards post Soon-Yi, so at least a few people didn't mind. If you're interested, I suggest reading Robert Weide's piece from 2017. You can access that here. But I digress.)
I am not defending the lyrical content of either Stones song. I just want to know how so many purportedly keen music lovers hadn't noticed for 50 years? Or is it that no one minded or cared? For 50 years, "Brown Sugar" was a rock and roll classic. Now, it's Exhibit A.
I get it, but really, I don't. I am not the smartest guy in the world, but I am no idiot either.
Moving forward, it's probably best that all of you young composers take a deep breath before deciding on subject matter for your songs or you might be canceled before you can say "wet ass pussy."
Squints said over in the comments section of Power Pop:
"Kind of a shame about "Good Girls Don't." It was offensive even then. But for that, however, it was a ripping great record."
I don't know everything, though I know a few people who have seen me after a few whiskeys, who'd claim I thought I did on those particular nights. One thing I do know, "Good Girls Don't" is still a ripping record. What I'd like to know is, if "Good Girls Don't" was "offensive, even then," why didn't we mind then? If you're thinking it's because we were younger and stupider in 1979, then how can you explain why no one minded "Brown Sugar" in 2020, either?
It took 50 years and 7 months for people to have finally had enough? Is that it, in a nutshell?
"Yeah, love that Stones song. Oh, what? Bad? Offensive? It really isn't about sugar? Okay, you're right. I hate that Stones song."
I get it, but really, I don't.
30 comments:
Amen.
You give 'em "Brown Sugar" and next they'll be coming for "Some Girls." Oh wait, they're already doing that.
Don't mess with the art. Fuck all cancel culture. From whatever direction it's coming. Don't knuckle under to these thought-controlling, censoring twits.
VR
BTW, liked your songs of the week. I have that East Side Kids single. Got a Jimmy Greenspoon story but it can wait.
Well said.
Songs are a reflection of the morals and attitudes of their time. Bing Crosby's original "Mississippi Mud" is certainly offensive by today's standards yet it remains historically important while remaining unacceptable today. Andy Williams' "A Woman's Way" didn't age well but it opens a window to us today as to the attitudes of the era in which it was composed. It also shows how far we've come with women's rights. Can it be argued that the first verse of "Brown Sugar" could also be interpreted as anti-slavery via its description of the inhumanity they were subject to? Cancelling any part of our past, be it a book, a song, or the removal of a statue, is an attempt to whitewash and rewrite history.
As BW's #1 "Get The Knack" fan who will defend every lyric, grunt, chord change and solo on the album, I'll chime in here.
Yes, it's something about "attitudes change over time", etc.
But I think it also boils down to this (which, btw, I *do not* personally feel):
I was in High School when GTK came out. Damn skippy I had that "in-between age madness that you know you can't erase".
But now that I'm in my 50s approaching 60 -- hey, wait -- he's singing about my daughter! I can't have that. Which means *you* can't have that.
This (IMO) was the same reason the PMRC made such a visible stink in the 80s.
In another 20-30 years, if anybody is still listening to WAP, those same people that like it now, will probably turn around and condemn it.
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. He's just gotten older and more conservative.
You have to throw Under My Thumb in the ring
Sometimes you have to have a big sense of humor and the ability to look (listen) the other way to enjoy 'rock and roll'.
Back in 1972 my college girlfriend who was the first hardcore feminist I knew, admitted to me that she absolutely loved The Stones 'Under My Thumb'! She didn't care if went against everything she believed in, it made her wet.
If that doesn't explain my theory I don't know what will.
Captain Al
Excuse me will I put my disguise back on.
I love Beggar's Banquet.
When I was 20, and dating a 17 year old girl, "Stray Cat Blues" was a naughty, bad ass song, and Keith's ice pick guitar tone killed me. Sonically, that hasn't changed, but as an older guy, with a daughter, the lyrics make me cringe.
"Brown Sugar" is an incredible rocker, and for a long time, like everyone else, I ignored the slavery bits in favor of the interracial sexual innuendo.
I believe Jim Dickinson was responsible for that lyric making the final cut.
The lyrics to "Some Girls" was, and is pretty hard to take.
The Stones have long been accused of misogyny, and from the "losing streak" in "Get Off Of My Cloud" to "Stupid Girl", and "Under My Thumb" there is plenty to question.
But they're not the only ones guilty of this. Everyone did it.
Jimmy Page had a 14 year old girlfriend.
"Sharona" was 16.
"Cherry Pie" anyone?
I'm not a teenager anymore, and not everything ages well.
Culture evolves.
We now have cell phones and don't need to know where all the pay phones are, or how to call collect anymore.
I was talking with my friend and we both agreed that canceling art is a different animal than removing statues. Statues are intentionally glorifying people, a few, really atrocious people. Society has a choice. There are no statues of nazis in Germany and they still fully remember history. Taking the Robert E Lee statue down from Lee Circle doesn't whitewash or rewrite history. It's all still there to read at any time.
Forcing an artist to change his art based on interpretation seems both unfair and very dangerous.
My friend also sent me the lyrics to this Carrie Underwood hit. Could you imagine this same song if you reversed genders:
Right now, he's probably slow dancin' with a bleach-blonde tramp
And she's probably gettin' frisky
Right now, he's probably buyin' her some fruity little drink
'Cause she can't shoot whiskey
Right now, he's probably up behind her with a pool stick
Showin' her how to shoot a combo
And he don't know
I dug my key into the side (into the side)
Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights (both headlights)
Slashed a hole in all four tires
Maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats
Right now, she's probably up singing some
White-trash version of Shania karaoke
Right now, she's probably sayin', "I'm drunk"
And he's a-thinkin' that he's gonna get lucky
Right now, he's probably dabbin' on
Three dollars worth of that bathroom Polo
Oh, and he don't know
Oh, that I dug my key into the side (into the side)
Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights (both headlights)
Slashed a hole in all four tires
Maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats
I might've saved a little trouble for the next girl
A-'cause the next time that he cheats
Oh, you know it won't be on me
No, not on me
'Cause I dug my key into the side (into the side)
Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights (both headlights)
Slashed a hole in all four tires
Maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats
Oh, maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats
Oh, before he cheats
The difference being all the violence in that song is directed at an inanimate object, and not a human being.
Most Stones songs are less than savory lyrically. Luckily the guitars are good.
Meanwhile, the John Lennon Ultimate Collection series seems to have stalled due to the title of the first song on Some Time In New York City. Not that that album is going to get any better with a new mix -- it can't get any worse -- but they don't seem to be rushing ahead with Mind Games in its place.
Rock 'n' roll has survived satanists, skinheads, and spitting Sex Pistols. I think it can survive the Stones, too.
Being transgressive has always been part of the show.
Not the that I wouldn't happy to see the likes of Toby Keith and Jason Aldean disappear. And those arm-waving Christian rock zombies as well. But fact is, other folks' free expression is sometimes kind of repulsive...
Well done, Sal.
And BTW, the only thingWoody Allen is guilty of - maybe - is not being a mensch.
Do you have songs that you love, despite disagreeing 100% with the lyrics? Sweet Home Alabama is the best example, IMO. Also, songs that I enjoyed as a teen but have definitely misogynistic lyrics include Slade's Skweeze Me Pleeze Me (And I thought you might like to know, When a girl's meaning "Yes", she says, "No") and In The Summertime (If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal, If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel). Does this make me enjoy the songs less? Honestly, no. I just put a mental asterisk on it and move on.
Keep up the great work. Your Top 150 is legendary!
Only cowards ban books.
The same can be said of songs.
if you don't like it turn it off or change the channel. welcome to the present times good but often not. rs
I suppose most people ignore the lyrics if the song has a good beat, good guitars, and hooks, and "Brown Sugar" certainly fits that bill.
It’s a dilemma- that song really rocks, but…… It looks like that most people take rockin’ over politeness. I’ll cringe at a few lines, but I’m still playing air guitar to it.
“Stupid Girl” and “Under My Thumb” aren’t making my playlists. Maybe I stick with “Brown Sugar” because I want to believe that it’s about a historical era, and not Mick’s last girlfriend? Or maybe I just wanna rock.
Offensive lyrics have always been there and always will be. If the band decides to stop playing it, fine, that’s their decision, but I’m against banning or censoring music or any other art. And I think Woody didn’t do it.
Yeah. By "kind of a shame" I did mean that one has to gauge the room before playing it more than once upon a time. Doesn't stop me from blaring it, or "Brown Sugar," or "Stray Cat Blues."
I do remember forty years ago Bruce Springsteen got scolded by the usual dreary suspects merely for "little girl" this and "little girl" that. Which wasn't even about overt sexuality.
I do find myself increasingly just rolling my eyes and telling scolds, "Earmuffs."
I recall whoever was touring as The 1910 Fruitgum Company leaving "Indian Giver" out of their setlists when they played reservations, until some tribal elders asked them why the left out that great song. Heh.
"Hey, wait -- he's singing about my daughter!"
Or, in my case, granddaughter. I get it.
Justin Hawkins of The Darkness has this knack (SWIDT) for coupling absolutely radio-ready hooks and licks with lyrics that pretty well guarantee the songs won't ever get played on the radio. "Rack Of Glam," "Solid Gold," "Every Inch Of You" and the absolutely hilarious "Knockers."
The Chipmunks covered "Good Girls Don't". I don't recall any protests.
Regarding the Woody Allen thing, I would just point out that Mia Farrow was maaried to fucking Frank Sinatra. Check out the age difference there. And check out how much Ronan Farrow looks like Frank, but he was born after the divorce.
Seeing as how I'm the one who brought up "Good Girls Don't", let me say for the record that I love that song. That's what Steve was looking for: songs we love despite the lyrics that might cause other people to take offense. Brown Sugar is one of Keef's finest moments, but if you take the lyrics at face value, instead of seeing them as another example of Mick playing the bad boy and trying to stir things up, then yeah, it's understandable that people might object. Especially people who HAVEN'T been listening to that song for 50 years. As for what's changed since 2020, well, one admittedly glib answer is George Floyd. By which I mean, white people who aren't living in the Fox News bubble have maybe become a bit more sensitive to how their black friends/neighbors/co-workers see the world.
Marc
Stray Cat Blues and Brown Sugar remain great songs. Only the hopelessly literal minded can miss the edge that cuts deep both ways in those songs. it's intelligence; it's nuance; it's assuming, not approving perspectives and inviting other perspectives on the one assumed. it's art. Both are better than Dead Flowers, but Dead Flowers was the Stones channeling that perspective and nuance through humor and country music.
Some Girls was, even when i was 17, a bad song. it failed right off, not funny, not thoughtful, not nuanced, not art. Same with Far Away Eyes. That wasn't humor, it was just dumb and mean like Some Girls.
Stray Cat Blues, Brown Sugar, Dead Flowers also had this, as someone said, i heard, ripping tunes. that counts for something too.
Art's not a checklist of virtue or vices. It's about thought and presentation. Tough subjects can be great art.
I think that the pendulum is swinging too much the other way after the floodgates of right-wing hate were opened during the Trump years (which are still ongoing). It'll right itself.
Came here directly from reading about Welsh rugby banning "Delilah" from being sung at their games. Seems they just noticed that Tom was singing about killing his girlfriend.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/132602553/tom-jones-takes-aim-at-welsh-rugby-ban-of-song-delilah
Sal stated -
Statues are intentionally glorifying people, a few, really atrocious people.
I agree with this statement 100%. My take is that instead of removing the statues we erect place signage putting the statue in proper historical perspective so that we may continue to learn from our past mistakes. It's possible that it would be better to remove the offending sculptures and place them in a Museum of Horrible Examples of Humanity.
"Sweet Home Alabama" is a great example. Happily, nothing's been "cancelled," which is not even a thing unless you live for Fox News. The Stones chose to not perform it on their last tour. You can still play it and hear it and love it or critique it, just like you can Jason Aldean's hateful vigilante song, which is roaring up the country charts. People have always objected to some songs and loved others. Songs have been popular and then fallen out of favor as tastes change and others began as controversial and are now beloved. Think of The Village People celebrating gays and cruising at the "Y.M.C.A." which is now so acceptable that the US female gymnastics team performed to it after winning the team gold at an Olympics. Ain't that America!
Oh and I was astonished as a kid that the Stones sang "Start Me Up" and ended with "You make a grown man cry/You make a dead man cum" and they played it ON THE RADIO!! BLEW MY MIND!! Didn't they hear the lyrics? But then, I was also titillated with daryl Hall and John Oates (god forbid I say "Hall & Oates) and "Rich Girl." When the song came on in the car, we all sang along to "You're a bitch girl" because my mom never noticed we were saying a bad word. As Catholics, it thrilled us no end.
Finally, Mick at 79 years old or Bruce at 73 singing a song and cooing "little girl" or whatever feels very different when they're approaching 80 then when they're in their 20s and 30s. It should feel SAFER but somehow it can feel creepier. I have a friend who ALWAYS objected to songs where the man called a woman "baby" or "little girl" or "child" and they fairly changed my mind. I don't reject a song for that, but points off for the songwriter -- this does not apply to old blues men today or any song written in the past for me. Mostly about contemporary songs. Though she did concede folks like George Michael and Boy George who were masking their queer desires got a pass.
"Marlene" comes to mind. Pretty song, tho...
I LOVE this post! It really explains how I feel, so thanks for that! I suppose I should put my disguise on as I say this: "Before He Cheats" is my go to karaoke song. I love singing it, I love shouting it, I love the song. It's not about the lyrics so much as me, personally, pointing a finger at everyone - male or female - who has done me wrong!
I will admit, however, that when "Tonight's the Night" came out in 1976 I think? I was appalled by some of the lyrics (you know what I'm talkin' about!) but I would never want a single word to be changed. That was then and this is now.
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