Should some songs never be sung again?

[Atethehalloweenchocs]

I was at a social event where there was various songs which we were singing along to. One of which was Delilah. Obviously the content is abhorrent, but its a banger of a tune, and something that loads of people know. The day after, found an old playlist with a bunch of Michael Jackson stuff on. AIBU to think it is ok to sing along to a song with a good tune even if the content or artist is problematic?

My DM was always baffled about the modern outrage over Baby It's Cold Outside: at the time, she claimed, it was assumed that the woman wanted to stay just as much as the man did, but had to find a 'reason' because of judgemental parents/brothers/aunts, etc. Yes, it's sad that women had to resort to coy excuses to avoid judgement, but she wasn't clawing at the door to avoid Dean Martin's rohypnol.

That song is very clearly about underage girls trying to get it on with the ABBA men, and the ABBA men turning them down because they’re too young.
It’s the exact opposite of sleazy men getting it on with 13 year olds.
It literally tells them to stop and go home to their mums.

But so what?

It describes a pretty common human experience of obsessional love. Something that both men and women do sometimes. Even people who don't go that far in their behaviour often have the experience of their having to pull themselves up when their emotions try and push them in that direction.

Do people really think artistic output should only be about people behaving impeccably, or that if it shows morally problematic things, the bad people need to be shown to be punished?

I think there is a difference in people’s perceptions of like a Shakespeare play and a song by a paedophile though. In TA, Shakespeare is specifically leaving a warning for those who seek out revenge journeys. Same with Othello - he is pointing out the dangers of jealousy and how it can make it easy to be manipulated. So the audience knows this isn’t the author/playwright’s true views being presented - it’s fictional and often showing the dangers of certain behaviours. But when it’s a musician I think people often see them as speaking directly through the song. So then they feel ‘tricked’ or something because they’ve sung along to a song by someone who turned out to be a rapist or similar. It’s weird, maybe it’s because there’s a more personal connection between a singer and the listener.

I mean for me I’ll listen to almost anything anyway. The only song I don’t listen to is PIMP. I like the tune but I find the lyrics absolutely horrible, and so gleeful.

This is what I meant but said much better! Yes, there is a weird sort of connection with a lead singer that people don’t seem to feel quite the same for other artists.

I feel as if we're entering a very literal age, where everything is judged at absolute face value, regardless of context. You're not meant to admire the narrator of Delilah, or Don't Stand So Close to Me - they're songs about people caught in terrible situations.

I thought it was meant to be about a stalker and the band was completely boggled by it being taken up as a romantic anthem

The chorus from a Plan B song samples the lyrics from Young Girl so it may not die out as quickly as you think!

It would be boring of we were all the same wouldnt it.

It's just music, dont like it ,dont listen

Simples

Bobby's Girl. 'If I were Bobby's girl what a faithful thankful girl I'd be. Doormat, more like. As for rap lyrics- can't make out a word they are 'singing'; terrible diction

Baby it's Cold Outside - but I love the Ryan Kelly version
I actually heard that that was written by a husband and wife team and wasn’t what we all thought it was the base of the sleazy way he things anyway makes me want it band!!

Somebody said don’t stand so close to me-I always feel a bit weird listening to that to be honest-I don’t know how I feel about it! And as for every breath you take sting said he was at a horrendous place in his life and he regrets the song as it does what it says on the tin- it’s about him not being able to let his ex go

Sorry that was because of the sleazy way he sings in the song it makes me want it banned!!!

Part of it was just that in Polanski's case he was charged with a crime.

There was a lot of bad thinking at the dawn of the sexual revolution about teenagers sex lives. Teenagers, no matter how immature they are, are often really interested in sex and having sex and having sex with rock stars. The people arguing for total sexual freedom seemed to take the view that anyone who is keen for sex should be able to do it, and hang-ups about that are people being repressed, because after all sex is natural and there isn't anything wrong with it. The music scene in particular with groupie culture was almost an experiment in that perspective - one where adults standing against it were seen as squares and behind the times.

I'd say that some of the rock gods of the period were part of that scene in a more idiotic, passive way, just like they were involved with drugs in an idiotic, unthinking way. It was around them, people thought it was great, they didn' think about it much. Someone like Bowie was fairly young himself and clearly changed his views on it as he got older.

Polanski is a different kettle of fish, if you read the stuff he wrote, he really was obsessed with teen girls in particular, and continually and into his old age seems to have been ok with what were pretty exploitative scenarios. The difference in capacity between himself and the young women seems to have been part of the attraction for him.

Ds was listening to a song called toxic last night- he said ‘listen to the song, isn’t it great, really catchy, but ignore the lyrics’, he regularly says it, and has says it countless times with Eminem

I hate we built this city on rock and roll. No you bloody well didn't it was the hard work and graft of millions of people devoting their lives to the service of their fellow citizens. Not necking a load of drugs and striking ridiculous poses so they can get laid. Catches oneself shouting at the radio ga ga which if course ISN'T ALL WE WANT.....😡

I'm baffled by Delilah being problematic. I mean, its a story, just like Agatha Christie books, or Midsomer Murder, Scream, etc. Why does it being a song make it distasteful? Does it make you feel uncomfortable because you're 'enjoying' singing along? But then, people enjoy going to cinema to watch films based on murder and horror. Why is it different?

My husband didn't often take the kids in his company car and came home one day mortified. Our toddler daughter was in the back and had started singing 'sit on my face and tell me that you love me' - he'd had the monty python CD on :(

I think the Delia problem is if it is a problem is everyone can have a go particularly when drunk and this leads to both mass abandpn and a hell of a rocket. Plus people like to extemporise moves and gestures. Personally I'm a fan but can see the downsides.

I find that the words that come after, which are ‘now you’ve done it’ strike a different tone nowadays…..

#racket#

Why? What are lyrics and poems often about? Love and jealousy, hearth ache etc. He ask for forgiveness if that helps. Are we puritans now? It would be different if the song was inciting actual violence.

Did many people know about the Delilah song? How did it get so popular? (And how was the melody used in a weetabix ad?!)

I think Priscilla Presley was underage when they first met wasn’t she ?

What is this, a censorship convention? Anyone can sing any song they want. Delilah is part of a tradition of murder ballads. You sound profoundly ignorant and puritanical.

People will look back on this sort of thing the same way we look back at Victorians putting covers on their table legs.

And they have and still do all throughout history.
Most of them do get away with it.

Plenty of stories just on here of CSA.