Healthiest and Unhealthiest relationships in songs?

[BernardBlacksMolluscs]

As I was cleaning the house this morning I was musing on those songs that come on the radio that you've been singing along with for years where you suddenly actually listen to the lyrics and either think 'well you sound very sensible' or 'intervention. NOW'. Any one got any suggestions? The ones I came up with first were

Healthy - Respect by Aretha Franklin. I know it's a cliche, and the guy she's singing about sounds like borderline not a keeper frankly, but I love the line 'I ain't gonna do you wrong, cause I don't want to'. She's all in, but she's still telling him how she expects to be treated

Red buntingtastic - Never Gonna Give You Up - why wouldn't she get a full commitment from any other guy Rick, you gaslighting bastard?

Anyone else fancy whiling away some weekend time thinking up some examples?

(mumsnet's AI suggested a thread title of 'Songs that sound sensible or alarming once you really hear the lyrics' which I kind of love but decided not to go with!)

I always thought this, and then read about Dolly's explanation, which is that it was gently mocking her husband because Dolly and he had an in-joke that he and a red-headed bank teller always flirted when he went to the bank. I thought that was kind of sweet.

Just heard Nick singing this in Colin From Accounts.

I've lost who asked about songs where the woman kills the man - "Never Again" by Nickelback, though it's also in the context of an abusive relationship.

I Want You by Kings of Leon:

Home-boy's so proud, he finally got the video proof
The night vision shows, she was only duckin' the truth
It's heavy I know, the black guy with the gift down below
A choke and a gag, she spit up 'n came back for more

Push by Matchbox 20 😭

Thirded, I’ve found it creepy since my teens but people always wang on about what an amazing love song it is 😬

Apologies if I missed it upthread, but "He hit me and it felt like a kiss" 1962

Carole King allegedly on the credits. Gah!

When you look at the lyrics to Jealous Guy written down, without the beautiful music, they’re pretty ropey too:
I was dreaming of the past
And my heart was beating fast
I began to lose control
I began to lose control
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh now, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy

I was feeling insecure
You might not love me anymore
I was shivering inside
I was shivering inside
Oh I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh now, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy

I was trying to catch your eyes
Thought that you was trying to hide
I was swallowing my pain
I was swallowing my pain
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh now, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
Watch out - I'm just a jealous guy
Look out, baby - I'm just a jealous guy

Great thread OP.

For me its Father Figure by George Michael. Maybe i misunderstand it but when he says. " i will be your father figure, put your tiny hand in mine" im like hmmm. But it seems to get worse when he says " sometimes love can be mistaken for a crime" . Im like ewww. So understand that he must have been talking about gay relationships possibly. As in some places they are a crime. But it really sounds creepy at first listen and so unbalanced.

Close, but it’s The Ship Song.

Come sail your ships around me
And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around

Come loose your dogs upon me
And let your hair hang down
You are a little mystery to me
Every time you come around

We talk about it all night long
We define our moral ground
But when I crawl into your arms
Everything, it comes tumbling down

Also Build Me Up Buttercup is a chirpy tune not so chirpy lyrics

Why do you build me up
Buttercup, baby
Just to let me down?
And mess me around
And then, worst of all
You never call, baby
When you say you will

This didn’t really register until I heard the Frank Turner. On whom, I would have suggested his There She Is as a heartfelt tune from a slightly needy man, but then he predictably left his wife for a younger woman and now I can’t listen to it without thinking “oh, fuck off you dick”.

Lehrer was a satirist and wrote that song precisely to show up all the songs in which a man is vile but for some reason that's ok. I mean, he also wrote "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park", and "So Long Mom, I'm Off To Drop The Bomb", but I am reasonably sure he was not in favour of cruelty to animals or of nuclear war. And then there is the Irish Ballad in which he is taking the piss mightily out of the whole American "it's Irish so it's great!" attitude. I am particularly fond of the last verse.

THE IRISH BALLAD
words and music by Tom Lehrer
About a maid I'll sing a song,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
About a maid I'll sing a song
Who didn't have her family long.
Not only did she do them wrong,
She did ev'ryone of them in,
Them in,
She did ev'ryone of them in.

One morning in a fit of pique,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
One morning in a fit of pique,
She drowned her father in the creek.
The water tasted bad for a week,
And we had to make do with gin,
With gin,
We had to make do with gin.

Her mother she could never stand,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
Her mother she cold never stand,
And so a cyanide soup she planned.
The mother died with a spoon in her hand,
And her face in a hideous grin,
A grin,
Her face in a hideous grin.

She set her sister's hair on fire,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
She set her sister's hair on fire,
And as the smoke and flame rose higher,
Danced around the funeral pyre,
Playin' a violin,
-olin,
Playin' a violin.

She weighted her brother down with stones,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
She weighted her brother down with stones,
And sent him off to Davy Jones.
All they ever found were some bones,
And occasional pieces of skin
Of skin,
Occasional pieces of skin.

One day when she had nothing to do,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
One day when she had nothing to do,
She cut her baby brother in two
And served him up as an Irish stew,
And invited the neighbors in,
-bors in,
Invited the neighbors in.

And when at last the police came by,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
And when at last the police came by,
Her little pranks she did not deny.
To do so she would have had to lie,
And lying, she knew, was a sin,
A sin,
Lying, she knew, was a sin.

My tragic tale, I won't prolong,
Sing rickety-tickety-tin,
My tragic tale I won't prolong,
And if you do not enjoy my song,
You've yourselves to blame if it's too long,
You should never have let me begin,
Begin,

The spoken exchange at the beginning of Something Got Me Started by Simply Red.

I have such a strong response to this I can't listen to anything else by them, and Mick Hucknell give me the absolute creeps, although I know nothing at all about him.

never ever - taylor swift

At least "working my way back to you" is an apology for his bad behaviour!

This is the song. Have I the right by The Honeycombs

Have I the right to hold you
You know I've always told you
That we must never ever part, oh-oh-oh-oh

Have I the right to kiss you
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong, oh yeah

Have I the right to touch you
If I could you'd see how much you
Send them shivers running down my spine, ooh ooh

Have I the right to thrill you
You know I'll wait until you
Give me the right to make you mine

Well, come right back I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong, oh yeah, alright

Have I the right to hold you
You know I've always told you
That we must never ever part, no, no-no, no, no

Have I the right to kiss you
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong, oh yeah, yeah

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, right back where you belong, oh yeah
You belong, oh yeah, you belong

Castles in the Air by the otherwise excellent Don McLean - he's dumping her for OK reasons,
I cannot be part of her Cocktail Generation
Partner's Waltz, devoid of all romance
The music plays and everyone must dance
I'm bowing out, I need a second chance

Fair enough, but he's asking a mate of his to tell her she's dumped!
I'm asking you to say my last goodbye
The love we knew ain't worth another try

Save me from all the trouble and the pain
I know I'm weak but I can't face that girl again
Tell her the reasons why I can't remain
Perhaps she'll understand if you tell it to her plain

She had a lucky escape😏

I love this interpretation but I thought he was cursing Walter Raleigh for introducing tobacco to the UK!

'If you don't know be by now'
Unhealthy! He's protesting too much !!!!

On the healthy list, I have a soft spot for Honey I'm Good by Andy Grammer, because he's saying no because he's taken, but not shaming or judging the other girl. In older songs she'd be bad or tempting him.

It's been a long night here, and a long night there
And these long long legs are damn near everywhere
(Hold up now)
You look good, I will not lie
But if you ask where I'm staying tonight
I gotta be like oh, baby, no, baby, you got me all wrong, baby
My baby's already got all of my love

So nah nah honey, I'm good
I could have another but I probably should not
I got somebody at home
And if I stay I might not leave alone
No, honey, I'm good
I could have another but I probably should not
I gotta bid you adieu
To another I will stay true
(Ooh ooh I will stay true)
(Ooh ooh I will stay true)

I always thought he was cursing SWR for discovering America and hence tobacco!

anyone said “Dub be good to me” by Beats International yet?

yes, I've always hated this song. just 'cos it sounds cheerful, doesn't mean it is. Hated it being used to end indie discos back in the day. (although i will relax this rule for girlfriend in coma. sounds cheerful, depressing lyrics but a good song)

Same tastes - I love Flowers! it’s fantastic to dance to at full blast in the kitchen or doing an exercise routine!!!

I received a card with these lyrics in from a lad called Nigel after I chucked him.

In the good column, Sally Cinnamon

Until Sally I was never happy

and I love the final twist

Then I put the letter back
In the place where it was found
In the pocket of a jacket
On a train in town

Sent to her from heaven
Sally Cinnamon you're her world

aww

Yes me.