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AIBU?

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Original poster

Should some songs never be sung again?

363 replies

Atethehalloweenchocs · 31/01/2023 21:57

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?

OP posts:
pigsinoodies · 01/02/2023 10:37

Elderflower14 · 01/02/2023 08:37

Oliver's Army... Uses the n....r word!

He's criticising the attitude of the British Army to Irish Catholics - which is his own heritage.

Rosscameasdoody · 01/02/2023 10:39

stayathomer · 01/02/2023 10:23

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

It was a hit when Tom Jones was in his heyday - it was a different time. The song is telling quite a sad story if you listen to the whole thing. I have a bit of a problem with those who would censor things like this while still allowing some of the vile misogynistic content onto our TV screens and in video games. Just watched the Bruce Willis film based on the truck stop killer in the US. Some of the violence depicted towards his female victims was stomach churning and in my opinion, unnecessary - could just has easily have been left to the imagination with a bit of nuance. I’ve heard Silence of the Lambs criticised as no longer appropriate for our screens, and the Bruce Willis film was in a similar vein, but much more graphic. I think there’s a lot of muddle headed thinking, but it’s a difficult and emotive subject in which to ‘get your ducks in a row’ so to speak.

SirVixofVixHall · 01/02/2023 10:40

Redebs · 01/02/2023 06:11

I find myself increasingly intolerant nowadays of the musicians whose music I love. Their attitudes to women seep through and make me uncomfortable.
Van Morrison and Paul Weller haven't been played in my car for ages. I do miss them, but it's too offputting hearing some of the lyrics and knowing their family life.
Shame I don't like female singers.

I don’t know about their family lives ? What are the issues ?

SinisterBumFacedCat · 01/02/2023 10:41

Roman Polanski apologists note - he drugged and anally raped a 13 year old child.

WhoNeedsSleepNotISaidMyBody · 01/02/2023 10:41

Anyotherdude · 31/01/2023 22:23

I think that songs only shouldn’t be sung if the content was inappropriate - think “Young girl, get out of my mind” - not because of the fact that the original singer has since been found out to have been reprehensible. That’s because there are normally other people on the recording who might not have realised that the “Star/bandmate” was reprehensible, so you would be depriving them of their royalties. By all means deprive the offender from theirs, though!

I'd never thought about the lyrics of that, now I have it's completely ruined it for me.

I suspect most of my inner juke box will be the same 🙇🏻‍♀️like most peoples.

ancientgran · 01/02/2023 10:43

DemiColon · 01/02/2023 10:14

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.

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I haven't read anything by Polanski so didn't know that.

I also wonder what the parents were thinking, I remember Mandy Smith's mother seemed quite happy with the relationship, with the Polanski case I vaguely remember the 13 year old was at his home for him to take photos, she was unhappy as previous session had involved topless or nude photos and yet she was there without a chaperone. It doesn't excuse Wyman or the Polanski but it does seem odd to say the least.

Sorry bit off topic.

ReneBumsWombats · 01/02/2023 10:45

ancientgran · 01/02/2023 09:33

Rolf Harris didn't write the music or lyrics though did he? I can remember when he was first singing it and he said it was an old American piece.

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I think a lot of his material was classic Australian/Aboriginal.

Badbadbunny · 01/02/2023 10:45

I've always been a bit uncomfortable with the "come on Eileen" lyrics.

ancientgran · 01/02/2023 10:46

SinisterBumFacedCat · 01/02/2023 10:41

Roman Polanski apologists note - he drugged and anally raped a 13 year old child.

I don't think anyone thinks that was OK, what we were discussing was the way some people seem to quite blatantly get away with child sexual abuse and others are, quite rightly, vilified for it. I think the question is more about why it was OK for Wyman or Bowie.

Rosscameasdoody · 01/02/2023 10:46

WhoNeedsSleepNotISaidMyBody · 01/02/2023 10:41

I'd never thought about the lyrics of that, now I have it's completely ruined it for me.

I suspect most of my inner juke box will be the same 🙇🏻‍♀️like most peoples.

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I don’t find the lyrics to Young Girl offensive. Taken as a whole, it’s quite moral - he knows she’s underage, he knows it would be wrong to take advantage of her even though she’s giving him the ‘come on’ and and he’s telling her so. Better that than some of the vile sentiment in some rap songs for example. I think we’re in danger of over thinking.

ancientgran · 01/02/2023 10:47

ReneBumsWombats · 01/02/2023 10:45

I think a lot of his material was classic Australian/Aboriginal.

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I suppose that is likely, it was a long time ago but I did remember it as American.

ReneBumsWombats · 01/02/2023 10:47

Helenahandkart · 01/02/2023 10:00

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.

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Exactly.

Somehow, the guys from ABBA knew it wasn't right...

User135644 · 01/02/2023 10:52

Good thing standards today are so much better. WAP!

Dis626 · 01/02/2023 10:52

Furries · 01/02/2023 04:57

At this rate, we’re going to be left with

No music to listen to
No films to watch
No books to read
No art to admire
No comedy to watch

This!

User135644 · 01/02/2023 10:52

LakeTiticaca · 31/01/2023 23:18

Have you heard the lyrics some of these modern day rappers come out with?
Do you think they are acceptable?

Rap is just disgusting.

longtompot · 01/02/2023 10:58

Every time I have Delilah pop in my head, it always goes to the Wheetabix ad version🙄

My yd showed me a tik tok she made which used a Gary Glitter song as the background music! She is 23 and had no idea about who he is.

roarfeckingroarr · 01/02/2023 11:00

Can someone explain the problem with Delilah please? Is it the "my my my" one or "hey there Delilah"?

ReneBumsWombats · 01/02/2023 11:01

roarfeckingroarr · 01/02/2023 11:00

Can someone explain the problem with Delilah please? Is it the "my my my" one or "hey there Delilah"?

Look up the lyrics. It's about a man stabbing his girlfriend after she cheats on him.

ReneBumsWombats · 01/02/2023 11:02

Oh heck, it's not the Plain White Ts version! It's the Tom Jones one!

ReneBumsWombats · 01/02/2023 11:03

User135644 · 01/02/2023 10:52

Good thing standards today are so much better. WAP!

It's not my taste, but I don't think a woman singing about her own sexuality is in the same league as some of these.

TheMarzipanDildo · 01/02/2023 11:04

CousinKrispy · 01/02/2023 09:23

That is so amazingly crap!! Thank you for sharing, it's given me a laugh.

Reminds me a bit of The Seekers' song:
Hey there, Georgy girl
Swinging down the street so fancy-free
Nobody you meet could ever see the loneliness there inside you
Hey there, Georgy girl
Why do all the boys just pass you by?
Could it be you just don't try or is it the clothes you wear?
You're always window shopping but never stopping to buy
So shed those dowdy feathers and fly a little bit

I find the lyrics so cringey but it's a really compelling tune!

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I really like the book/film Georgy Girl. Clothes are the least of her issues really.

User135644 · 01/02/2023 11:04

CockSpadget · 01/02/2023 09:41

There are thousands of tracks that use that word.

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It's also used in a certain context, a bit like Bob Dylan's Hurricane. Not in a pejorative way.

These are songs that were also written nearly 50 years ago.

NooNakedJacuzziness · 01/02/2023 11:04

It's odd that people get het up about lyrics from ancient songs but not about current ones. I imagine there will be a huge back lash in the future against some of the stuff out now. Nowt new under the sun I suppose.

TheMarzipanDildo · 01/02/2023 11:07

stayathomer · 01/02/2023 10:14

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

I thought every breath you take was about Sting being stalked by his ex?

iwantmyownicecreamvan · 01/02/2023 11:07

TreePorcupine · 31/01/2023 23:59

The Glitter Band were ok to like though as GG is not present on the recording. It's the band without Gary!

I went to see him in concert though - and I bought a glitter wig and one of those big foam pointy finger/hand things. Was horrified when the news came out years later. I do feel sorry for the Glitter Band though - and for the other Lost Prophets.