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?

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?

Jim Dale from the Carry On films wrote the lyrics!

Literally did all of this just the other day 😄

I thought every breath you take was about Sting being stalked by his ex?
I could be totally wrong but I heard (I thought from him in an interview) that he was the one doing the stalking? Will look it up!!

We should never again listen to the KLF as they had Gary Glitter in one of their tunes (Doctorin The Tardis) and he also appeared with them on TOTP in 1988.

😟 I can’t listen to them at all any more. I used to absolutely love them. But the extremity of the crimes…

I feel a bit defensive about this top tune, it comes up on these kind of threads a lot for the reason you give, but isn't the lyric 'If YOUR Daddy's rich... If YOUR Daddy's poor' as in, if you can afford to take her out for a meal, if you're from a. wealthy family, fine do that but otherwise just hang loose. Instead it gets interpreted as, if she's wealthy you may as well spend money on her, otherwise don't bother and see what you can get away with sexually as she can't afford a lawyer to sue you!

No, it's definitely "her daddy" both times.

I have a theory about this - some are part of the New Establishment. If so, their public disgrace incriminates and reflects poorly on the general public - it makes them look foolish and whole swathes of their upbringing have to be deleted. History has to be rewritten, almost. The State will want to avoid that.

It's easy enough to eliminate Jimmy Savile because he fronted some TV shows, he didn't create anything, no records or movies. Ditto Rolf Harris really.
Ironically, the likes of Sir Cliff Richard, Freddie Starr and Paul Gambaccuni got it in the neck because they are Old Establishment. They hadn't done anything wrong, nor Leon Britton or Field Marshall Lord Bramall, but the police went after them - in my opinion as a misdirection tactic to distract from the number of grooming gangs, rings really in various local authorities, almost certainly overseen by them and the police. Okay, the police might have found something - they were on a fishing expedition - but really they could be thrown under a bus. Sir Cliff's records weren't being played much, he hadn't done much to keep himself relevant, he avoids interviews with the music press. If he's really been part of a paedophile ring with extensive links I'd never expect the Met to go after him - they had no form on this. They'd cover it up, more likely. Dame Cressida Dick sat on a file linking serial killer Levi Bellfield to care homes, and Lambeth paedophile activity in its care homes was suppressed for decades. Again, links between Prince Andrew and Epstein were coming to light around this time, so they may have been into misdirection.

Anyway, the surviving Beatles, Stones, Who, Bowie - they were never likely to go after them, whether the allegations are fictional or not. Others in the bracket will be Take That, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet. Ironically these are the New Establishment - you don't take them down. They enjoy the privileges that used to be afforded MPs, Royals, the upper classes and so on. While some members of the Royal Family like Prince Andrew, they're Old Establishment and generally seen as fair game.

Lyrics were by Barry Mason. I remember him being a guest DJ on radio (1 or 2) years ago and him recounting how he always sang along to the melody as he wrote them. He said the top notes were way out of his range.

Oh I'd like to see the film. I didn't realize it was a novel, will have to look for that.

It wasn't written by rolf harris, but by American composer Theodore F. Morse and lyricist Edward Madden.

@NewspaperTaxis that is a very interesting take.

Yes. But it’s the song itself, not the singers. Delilah is disgusting and always was. I find some 70s songs about ‘young girls’ creepy now.

Oh I didn't know this, thank you!

Urgh now it's stuck in my head again ... but Judith Durham had such an effortless voice.

Not the point of the thread at all but I don't think anyone dies in Two Little Boys? Jack rescues Joe - he doesn't leave him dying.

I volunteered with the Rotary club including at Christmas when we visited local areas with Santa and his sleigh. I'd take my DC, (collecting funds for local children's charities) and when they got tired they'd jump on the sleigh. Christmas songs would play from speakers.

I have a video of DC happily riding along waving. This was around ten years ago. It was only recently I played it for DC and noticed Gary Glitter singing. I think the title is 'Rock and roll Christmas.' The video was taken years after he was outed.

Wow, lot to take in there. I think I'll need to read it again.

I'm not aware of any complaints about Bowie though. I know there is the issue of consent but I was 15 in 1970 and maybe see some of these things differently. Gary Glitter, Rolf Harris etc were completely different.

I feel really sorry for the other members of the band but you just can't listen to their music without thinking of that evil bastard.

I don't understand the problem with Delilah. I can understand having a problem with Tom Jones being the singer though.
It's a story, a work of fiction, based on a dark mind and dark act that someone is capable of. It doesn't mean it's the sentiment or desires of the author, like any work of fiction. I don't imagine you would read a murder mystery book and think that it shouldn't be read or that the author was abhorrent, for having the imagination to put those thoughts and words on paper.
Think of traditional murder ballads, like Down in the Willow Garden by The Everly Brothers .
Many people seem to think that art should be separated from the artist but surely the two things cannot be mutually exclusive. I love how Nick Cave talks about this.

A fictional act may well be reflective of what’s in the mind of the author, and lyrics are a way to safely express that, an acceptable outlet, or they may be pure fiction, but I think ‘so I poisoned that dear little girl’ is not the same as ‘you’re such a good girl, you know you want it’ which, to my mind, is abhorrent. I listen to a radio station in the car that plays Rod Stewart’s ‘Tonight’s the Night’ now & again. I have to change the station. It’s fucking sick. I’ve never known Rod to be questioned on it.

Was that the film with Lynn Redgrave? I can't remember much of it, saw it over 50 years ago, but I do remember I liked it at the time. It was about quite complicated relationships if I remember rightly with Georgy ending up with a husband and baby, the baby not really being hers.

And no meaningful society left. Just generations isolated, brainwashed, and afraid to speak their minds or strive for the truth in case they are labelled racist, sexist, misogynist or multi phobic. Makes George Orwell seem optimistic !!

I don't know if there was much talk about Bowie and underage girls in the 70s, I think the accusations came later but again I can't swear to it as I wasn't taking much notice of what was said about him.

I remember mick jagger saying in an interview, girls were throwing themselves at them each night, sneaking into their hotel rooms - if asked they would claim to be over 26 but they never checked their passports for their ages. He said he wasn't proud of their behaviour with such young girls but they were young themselves and couldn't believe their luck, plus drunk and stoned.

I grew up with a couple of the lads from Lostprophets (not the one who needs to be shot out of a large cannon directly into the sun) and I do feel bad for them. Their careers ruined, their music can never be listened to again and they’re marred forever by association with that monster.