Popular song lyrics that would be a red flag in real life - light hearted

[Unglamorousgranny]

Watched Cliff Richard singing Livin' Doll on MTV at the weekend. "Got a rovin' eye & that is why she satisfies my soul" "gonna lock her up in a trunk so no big hunk can steal her away"
So he's a cheat & a kidnapper!

Can you think of any others? There's no reason what so ever for this post, other than a change from all the worries we are all facing

Midsummer Night's Dream is also creepy as fuck.

Never knew Extreme's more than words was about a blowjob😲🤢but worse than that is Little Girls from their first album. Can't believe I used to like and sing along to it🤮🤮🤮.
I'm not typing the lyrics cos they really are grim.

I don't believe that's what that song is about though.

And even if Extreme (at some point) claimed it is, for some lame reason, the lyrics can easily be interpreted to not be about that.
So I still like the song.

Apologies, haven’t RTFT, but these lyrics from In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry gave me pause even when i was bouncing around to it as a tween

If her daddy’s rich, take her out for meal,
If her daddy’s poor, just do what you feel…

And the rest of the song is pretty sleazy too. Yuck.

I’ve always liked this song, and Jimmy Helms has an incredible voice but the lyrics are more than a bit off..

GONNA MAKE YOU AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE
(Johnny Worth)

Jimmy Helms
[chorus]
Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse
Gonna put my finger on you
Cause I need you so
And I won't take no for an answer

In my life I've had a time
Had to fight for what was mine
And I don't intend to lose my crown

But every time I look at you
And the beautiful things you do
Every single nerve in my body says hold it down
So now I'm putting about the feeble word like what must be must be
Didn't you know that you belonged to me

Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse
Like a puppet thing, when I pull the string
You're the dancer
Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse
Gonna put my finger on you
Cause I need you so
And I won't take no for an answer

Did you ever sit waiting, hoping, wanting something that never was going
to be

I've got a feeling deep inside
That I need you by my side
And I won't let up baby till I do
Yes I know I make you smile
But things will change in a little while
Cause I never say a thing I mean that don't come true

Believe me I don't want to hurt you
But my heart won't set you free
Surely you know that you belong to me

Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse
Gonna put my finger on you
Like a puppet thing, when I pull the string
You're the dancer
Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse
Put my finger on you
Cause I need you so
But I won't take no for an answer

Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse
Gonna put my finger on you
Like a puppet thing, when I pull the string
You're the dancer
Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse
Put my finger on you
Cause I need you so
And I won't take no for an answer

Well both are open to interpretation (not sure which of the 2 songs you're referring to) and I suppose you could say that "little girls" is about dirty old men or genuinely the singers pref. Not sure though it's hard to tell if it's ironic.

I used to love The Gin Blossoms song "Hey Jealousy". One day, both my partner and I seemed to notice at the same time what an absolute bellend the narrator in the song is.

No, mate, I don't won't to be chased by the cops, no I don't want to compromise my life with you, you sad sack.

I'm sure the singer is lovely but those lyrics. Grief. No wonder I was such a mess in my 20s...

Still love it though.

“French girls they want Cartier, Italian girls want cars

American girls want everything in the world you can possibly imagine

English girls they're so prissy, I can't stand them on the telephone

Sometimes I take the receiver off the hook, I don't want them to ever call at all

White girls they're pretty funny, sometimes they drive me mad

Black girls just wanna get fucked all night, I just don't have that much jam”

Er, if you say so Sir Mick.

There are countless songs about old men perving on young girls. My Sharona, as pp mentioned, Only Sixteen, Young Girl, Christine Sixteen, Francine, Jailbait, and… Into the Night! (lyrics below) The video for this one is hilarious as you see a middle aged guy peeping through the window into some teenager's bedroom and then he shows up with a bit of old carpet and throws it through the window and then in the next shot the carpet is flying through the air with the two of them sitting on it making out!

"She's just 16 years old
Leave her alone, they say
Separated by fools
Who don't know what love is yet
But I want you to know
If I could fly
I'd pick you up
I'd take you into the night
And show you a love
Like you've never seen"

Loose Fit by Happy Mondays.

Gonna buy an air force base/ Gonna wipe out your race.

Think even back then it was problematic due to Gulf War 91

Don't look up the lyrics to The Mating Game by Monochrome Set.

@ChubbyBubbles
I love how this song profiles a jilted lover as a desperate, needy, insecure bloke, taking credit for his ex-girlfriend's success, & angry & potentially dangerous in the face of rejection.

Juxtaposed with the ex's conflicting perspective, I think it's really interesting!

She initially sounds confident, almost dismissive, yet cautious, guarded, defensive & frustrated. Perhaps as someone who has just broken free from a controlling abusive relationship might be.

He then starts to sound threatening & you're left hoping she gets well away from him!

For sure, the man in "don't you want me" is meant to come across as a desperate butt-hurt loser and a bit of a psycho.

My DD had an abusive partner who claimed responsibility for her professional success (literally nothing to do with him). As she was extricating herself I told her that her situation reminded me of this song. I remember her listening to it with her mouth open!

Would it be easier to write a list of songs that aren't creepy/rapey/entitled/icky? :P

I listen to mostly Metalcore at the moment and am struggling to think of anything!

Oh, I see what you mean! Must have been something in Dean Martin's delivery that made it sound less than honourable to my ears😬

@AmberGer OMG my class went on retreat to a convent when I was about 16. The nuns all aged about 90 all were obsessed with this song and kept making a boy in class play it over and over on guitar and made the rest of us sing along. 😂

@Greenginghamdress I’m relieved as I do like Bruce but this song gives me the creeps. Why “hey little girl” then??

"Hey little girl" is because she has a sugar daddy, i.e. rich older partner.

The song is written from the point of view of a chap who is madly in lust with a married woman, who is a customer of his.

The video explains all:

Going by the video, the 'little girl' is a young woman from a rich family, who would very likely disapprove of her being with Bruce's 'character' in the video, a garage mechanic. We don't actually see her face, just her perfectly manicured hands, but it's clear she's an adult, not a 'little girl'. She hands 'Bruce' her car keys, with the implication that she is 'inviting' him to come and 'visit' her at home. Maybe that's what 'did he go away and leave you all alone?' is suggesting.

I think most of the above songs are super sleazy but I really don't think this one is.

You'd posted this before I posted my reply. So the 'daddy' is actually a sugar daddy. I didn't know that, but it makes sense.

In any case, I think we agree that the song isn't actually creepy. So we can all relax and enjoy it again!

I always thought he was just being playful.
I didn’t know “Daddy” was recognised slang for male partner, but still realised that this is what was meant.
And because the partner was ‘daddy’ then he’s joking that’s she’s ‘little girl’.

In the Beatles song “I feel fine” is the line “I’m so glad that she’s my little girl” but it’s clear that girlfriend is what’s meant.

Loads of Prince songs were very risqué but were never alluding to rape or abuse, e.g. Head, Dirty Mind, Peach, 319, Gett Off, etc etc.

Ah, love Prince’s rude songs…

”Tonight you’re a star, and I’m the Big Dipper!” 😜

One I found creepy at the time, even more so now; "Claire" sung by Gilbert O'Sullivan, sung by a babysitter about the cute little girl he is tending.

Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon - Neil Diamond...rapey and creepy even if that wasn't what the song is about.

Girl, you'll be a woman soon
Please come take my hand
Girl, you'll be a woman soon
Soon you'll need a man

shudder