Was "Dreadlock Holiday" racist?

[toadgirl]

I saw the 10cc documentary on iPlayer last night.
It reminded me about this song. Is it racist or just a product of its time?

Lyrics
I was walkin' down the street
Concentratin' on truckin' right
I heard a dark voice beside of me
And I looked round in a state of fright
I saw four faces one mad
A brother from the gutter
They looked me up and down a bit
And turned to each other

I say
I don't like cricket oh no
I love it
I don't like cricket oh no
I love it
Don't you walk thru my words
You got to show some respect
Don't you walk thru my words
'Cause you ain't heard me out yet

Well he looked down at my silver chain
He said I'll give you one dollar
I said you've got to be jokin' man
It was a present from me Mother
He said I like it I want it
I'll take it off your hands
And you'll be sorry you crossed me
You'd better understand that you're alone
A long way from home

And I say
I don't like reggae no no
I love it
I don't like reggae oh no
I love it
Don't you cramp me style
Don't you queer on me pitch
Don't you walk thru my words
'Cause you ain't heard me out yet

I hurried back to the swimming pool
Sinkin' pina coladas
I heard a dark voice beside me say
Would you like something harder
She said I've got it you want it
My harvest is the best
And if you try it you'll like it
And wallow in a Dreadlock Holiday

And I say
Don't like Jamaica oh no
I love her
Don't like Jamaica oh no
I love her oh yea
Don't you walk thru her words
You got to show some respect
Don't you walk thru her words
'Cause you ain't heard her out yet

I don't like cricket
I love it (Dreadlock Holiday)
I don't like reggae
I love it (Dreadlock Holiday)
Don't like Jamaica
I love her (Dreadlock Holiday)

I hurried back to the swimming pool

video below

www.dailymotion.com/video/x4w4ym_10cc-dreadlock-holiday_music

[Ferguson]

Yes - it was a product of its time, and 10cc were one of few 'pop' bands I liked in the '70s - plus Pink Floyd and ELP.

When I was young, you could go to prison for engaging in 'homosexual activity': Times change!

And this is what I was 'into' :

with Kenny Clare on drums in the Johnny Spence band - he also played with Cilla Black, John Dankworth (including Dudley Moore), and many film scores.

[YokoUhOh]

Yep it's racist. Sad because I love a bit of 10CC!

[Andcake]

Heard it again after decades the other day and was quite surprised at how racist it was and that it was being played on the radio

[NoahVale]

yes i heard it on the radio the other day - stopped me in my tracks listening to the words.

[bloodyteenagers]

Yes it is. Cannot believe it still gets air time.

[NoahVale]

www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3750

[Xanozi]

To Ferguson:
Pink Floyd my fav band, best lyrics I've ever heard. Absolutely beautiful music.

[Griswold1]

Why are people obsessed with retrospective screening of the ephemera of the recent past?

Dread lock Holiday is not in itself racist. Having said that when I heard it after a long absence I can kind of see how that can be construed if one so wishes to.

Myself I think that we MUST try to differentiate between malicious hateful comments and irony. In the 1970s Jamaica was a very dangerous place. I had (English) friends living there, and the Dad of the house never left home without his 38. Is that racist? No it is a sign of the time that to be armed was necessary.

Back to the song. The guy in the song was being a bit of a DH. The song is parodying his behaviour. He was trying to look cool by acting black. Is this racist? Maybe, it is certainly uncool, and provoked some hoodlums to take advantage of him. Anyone that has travelled to less wealthy countries will know that the natives often believe some outrageous fallacies about how well off we are. I have often been asked to pay for meals, shopping or asked for a tip just for walking down the road when in such countries.

The guys response to finding himself in the poo was to use a stereotype to try and gain favour with the locals. Is that racist? Sure it is, or at least unsophisticated. Is it any more racist than the assumption by the locals that the foreign tourist was so wealthy that he deserved to be robbed? No!

The whole crux of the song is that we should not make assumptions about each other based on the narcissism of minor differences, or stupid narrow minding stereo types.

When I was asked by a Mexican if I drink tea at 4pm, eat fish and chips every day and salute the Queen when the national anthem is played, did I feel hurt by this racist comment? Of course not. I just asked him if he wore a wide brimmed hat and a poncho while he was riding his donkey. He just laughed and said touche.

We all have to have a laugh about our stereotypes. As much as they may be ridiculous and in some cases they could be offensive; they all have a grain of truth. Learn to appreciate irony and laugh off false concepts.

If you are offended by this song, you probably should just not listen to it. 10cc were an awesome superband.

[Daisy9999]

Here is what is song about and no, it’s not racist.

[Deathraystare]

Well I could not stand the band anyway. Interestingly, some of my black friends used to sing the song and loved when it came on the radio!