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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To clutch my pearls (about a song)

126 replies

ChangeNameLikeIChangeSocks · 02/12/2023 21:53

I'm going to do two threads tonight, both totally different. The other one will hopefully cheer me up after a bit of pearl clutching.

I was just at a birthday party for a 12 year old girl. There were maybe 25 girls there, and younger siblings too, aged 5-10 judging by height. Also I asked some of them.

Obviously I'm decrepit and know nothing about music these days. For context: when I was 12 and my friends were listening to take that, I was secretly listening to the Lion King soundtrack. Maybe that gives you an idea, but I went to a normal secondary in a working class town.

Anyway the music at this party made me feel so old. I did shazam a number of them, but there were lyrics like, (paraphrasing) "girl I'm looking at your physique", etc etc, or, "birthday sex! Birthday sex!" all delightfully sexual and tracks one and two on Now That's What I Call A PreTeen Birthday Party.

But then on came a song that really took the biscuit from under my nose, so to speak, and it is the main part of my aibu - aibu to clutch my pearls. Reminder, there were children aged 5-10 also present.

I don't want to quote the lyrics here, but if you are of strong stomach, you fancy Googling it, your children are safely asleep, and you know how to delete your browsing history, the song was called (according to shazam) "Or Nah".

If you don't want to look it up, and I don't blame you if you don't, to give you a toned down idea, here is an edited version:

*
Lots of smoking and drinking, that's the ticket!
But I'm not sure my dear old mum would approve of you,
So shall we have a cuddle in a few minutes anyway?
This bottle of Pol Roger is pricey, so will you marry me if I buy it for you?
I'd love to have babies with you, but we should get some practice in first, but I don't believe in sex before marriage so we'll have to find another way.

We can sit cheek to cheek
Can you tie a knot in a cherry stalk with your tongue?
I'm an Obstetrician so can help you with your kegels
But my phone is broken so I'll be unable to call you tomorrow. I'll send a telegram instead, dearest.
My bed is also broken so I've been sleeping on the kitchen table.

So whaddya think? Yes? Or "nah"?
*

The real song is, shall we say, much, much fruitier. The kids of today! But what surprised me the most is that the mum was right there in the room! And all the girls were singing along! Apparently the song isn't even new - it must have totally passed me by, but I don't expect it gets much radio airplay.

And then there were some songs about drugs and murder and other lovely things.

Aibu? I just read the thread about granddad's pride and wept a bit about the world so I thought I'd share this.

Final thought: the girls were taking endless selfie, and were pretty much totally covering their faces in the pictures. Is that a thing now?

OP posts:
SequinsandStiIettos · 03/12/2023 12:02

I was once on a holiday park and for the children's talent show, a little girl of about 4 or 5 sung and danced to My Humps by Black Eyed Peas.
Most people looked very awkward and embarrassed watching it.

Little Miss Sunshine all over it!

Such a missed opportunity to title this post 'AIBU or nah?'
Grin

EveryKneeShallBow · 03/12/2023 12:02

I’m well past knowing about modern music. But I do remember watching “New Faces” or some other ancient “talent” show on tv, and being nonplussed about a girl of about 8 singing Blanket on the Ground. 😂

StarlightLady · 03/12/2023 12:04

Nothing has really changed. Early examples Downtown (as l said previously, ask any American), Happy Birthday Sweet 16, Come Together to name a few.

Plus my grandmother used to play Aunty Mary Had a Canary Up The Leg of Her Drawers on the piano.

Cheeesus · 03/12/2023 12:05

The Pearl necklace isn’t about knowing the song, it’s about not knowing what a Pearl necklace is 😊

UnctuousUnicorns · 03/12/2023 12:10

Aquamarine1029 · 02/12/2023 23:32

When my daughter was five, she loved the song Pearl Necklace by ZZ Top. She firmly believed it was a song about jewelry. So did my mum, the poor dear.

🤢🤢🤢

Wonderwool · 03/12/2023 12:19

Have never heard this (sheltered life/middle aged) but I much prefer your lyrics, OP. I heard it in a jolly Joyce Grenfell voice. It's maybe the Mike Flowers Pops cover version?

Coastalcreeksider · 03/12/2023 12:25

When I was 13 back about 1967, I asked my nan to go into Woolworths and get me the record Wet Dream!!

Not surprisingly, she and my mum clutched rows and rows of pearls and refused.

I had no idea what the song title meant as my older, obviously more worldly friend, 14, told me to ask for it.

Oh how she laughed when I told her what the reaction had been. 😂🤣

asdf33 · 03/12/2023 12:30

YABU. When I was young, I endlessly listened to music and watched music videos. I still know all the words today. Did I have any idea what the words meant then? Nope, didn’t have a clue. I find it quite funny listening to the songs now as an adult and realising what I was singing. Didn’t bother my parents either. Relax.

LightSpeeds · 03/12/2023 12:35

The 'Or Nah' song I found was filthy (not sure if it was the same one OP provided the sanitised lyrics for).

Someone commented on YouTube, "My ears lost their virginity when The Weekend started singing"!

TempestTost · 03/12/2023 12:44

I' surprised people aren't up in arms about the kids singing the racial slurs in the song, I am pretty sure that's verboten these days.

housethatbuiltme · 03/12/2023 12:44

I was at a Halloween party for little kids (under 10s, many pre-schoolers) and I was a bit surprised they where encouraging kids to dance to a song which lyrics where:

I could have Gucci on
I could wear Louis Vuitton
But even with nothing on
I made you look

I don't even think my kids paid any attention to the lyrics so in reality not exactly worth clutching pearls over but having 5 years old girls strutting around and shaking their hips to a song about wearing nothing seemed (not to sound like an ancient prude but) a little inappropriate.

SoNotRainbowRhythms · 03/12/2023 12:45

OP were the Nwords in the song censored or were kids singing along to that?

Tbh I would have left and told the parents why. DC has Tourettes and I do not want them exposed to stuff that will trigger the swearing tics if I can help it and shame on people who have control over their swearing but choose to listen to this as if it doesn't matter!

(They don't need a trigger to start but this does not help! )

Original poster
ChangeNameLikeIChangeSocks · 03/12/2023 13:17

Cheeesus · 03/12/2023 12:05

The Pearl necklace isn’t about knowing the song, it’s about not knowing what a Pearl necklace is 😊

I read the lyrics after you said about it and I can guess, but I had never heard the song played.

OP posts:
Original poster
ChangeNameLikeIChangeSocks · 03/12/2023 13:20

SoNotRainbowRhythms · 03/12/2023 12:45

OP were the Nwords in the song censored or were kids singing along to that?

Tbh I would have left and told the parents why. DC has Tourettes and I do not want them exposed to stuff that will trigger the swearing tics if I can help it and shame on people who have control over their swearing but choose to listen to this as if it doesn't matter!

(They don't need a trigger to start but this does not help! )

No, not censored.

I don't really understand why some black artists feel it's ok to use the word. If you're black, can you tell me if you're ok with the word? I just don't know and would be interested in opinions.

I'm a woman and I wouldn't write a song with words that denigrate (or objectify) women.

But that's only my humble opinion and my choice.

Sadly I couldn't leave as I was working. :-(

OP posts:
Cheeesus · 03/12/2023 13:22

ChangeNameLikeIChangeSocks · 03/12/2023 13:17

I read the lyrics after you said about it and I can guess, but I had never heard the song played.

Show quote history

I have never heard the song. The point is what a pearl necklace is.

Original poster
ChangeNameLikeIChangeSocks · 03/12/2023 13:23

Cheeesus · 03/12/2023 13:22

I have never heard the song. The point is what a pearl necklace is.

Show quote history

It sounds gross. I've never come across the term before today.

OP posts:
HRTQueen · 03/12/2023 13:27

The references to sex will go over their heads as it did ours they won’t connect this until later in life if they are understanding that which will go over most adults heads something if wrong

the racial slurs they might repeat upset other children and have an understanding too or will at a much younger age

i certainly would be more concerned with young children using racial slurs

and as for being empowering who is to decide what is and what isn’t empowering for others

Fairymother · 03/12/2023 13:47

When I was 12 Candy Shop was all the rage and Gasolina by Daddy Yankee..
Theres always inappropriate songs around. Cant really get worked up about it.

LassoOfTruth · 03/12/2023 13:51

YANBU I was at a party for 3-6 year olds yesterday and the little girls singing along to Barbie Girl’s “you can brush my hair, undress me everywhere” made me clutch my imaginary pearls big time. That Nah song is horrible

pickledandpuzzled · 03/12/2023 14:17

There are songs which are double entendres, and they’re great- Barbie, for example.

There are songs where the music is so good you forgive the lyrics.

It’s really troublesome when the lyrics can only be sung by some people- like the line in this with the N word. It’s usually ok if it’s self referential, but little fair kids presumably shouldn’t be bellowing it out.

The worst of all are the songs that I love and desperately want to sing but are NSF singing in front of anyone else!
ABCDEFU for example.

nokidshere · 03/12/2023 14:22

It’s really troublesome when the lyrics can only be sung by some people- like the line in this with the N word. It’s usually ok if it’s self referential, but little fair kids presumably shouldn’t be bellowing it out.

No it's not. If you don't want other people singing along to your 'music' - for whatever reason - then don't produce it. It's that easy.

You can't claim to wanting to be famous and rich off the back of your songs then restrict it to only certain people.

hookiewookie29 · 03/12/2023 14:25

Only found out recently that Chain Reaction by Duana Ross is about a threesome!

LunaNorth · 03/12/2023 14:39

hookiewookie29 · 03/12/2023 14:25

Only found out recently that Chain Reaction by Duana Ross is about a threesome!

That, coupled with the knowledge that it was written by The Bee Gees, took my mind to a very dark place indeed.

Cloudisi · 03/12/2023 14:43

None of those songs are new, Birthday sex around when I was a teen.

I remember listening to "I want you to loosen up my buttons babe" and of course... "My humps" by the black eyed peas when we were around 11.

Cloudisi · 03/12/2023 14:44

Forgot about candy shop 😂😂 I'll let you lick the lollypop

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