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 curse Sir Walter Raleigh he was such a stupid GET. Liverpool.

Itchycoo Park : ' we can miss off school won't that be cool'. He's not grooming anyone - they're both at school. And they're going to ' get high' . Too bad they were ripped off by their manager , Don Arden and wound up broke.

Does your mother know has similar vibes, but I find it still gives me the ick a bit. not sure why

Well, I can dance with you, honey, if you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out?
And I can chat with you, baby, flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out?

And here’s an oldie that’s for a nice and simple, sweet relationship - David Essex, If I Could.

And another about unhealthy has anyone mentioned Kelsea Ballerini “Miss Me More”.

You’re a bum
You’re a punk
You’re an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip
In that bed

You scum bag
You maggot
You cheap lousy faggot*
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God
It’s our last

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing ‘Galway Bay’
And the bells were ringing
Out for Christmas Day

I could have been someone

Well so could anyone

You took my dreams
From me when I first found you

I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can’t make it all alone
I’ve built my dreams around you

I know it's obviously telling a story, but heavens the relationship described in Rent sounds toxic. That's not going to end well

You dress me up
I’m your puppet
You buy me things
I love it
You bring me food
I need it
You give me love
I feed it

And look at the two of us in sympathy
with everything we see
I never want anything, it’s easy
you buy whatever I need
But look at my hopes, look at my dreams
the currency we’ve spent

I love you, you pay my rent
I love you, you pay my rent

You phoned me in the evening on hearsay
and bought me caviar
You took me to a restaurant off Broadway
to tell me who you are
We never, ever argue, we never calculate
the currency we’ve spent

I love you, you pay my rent
I love you, you pay my rent

I’m your puppet
I love it

And look at the two of us in sympathy
and sometimes ecstasy
Words mean so little and money less
when you’re lying next to me
But look at my hopes, look at my dreams
the currency we’ve spent

I love you, you pay my rent
I love you, you pay my rent

noooo

I find that song so depressing for reasons eloquently described by FlirtswithRhinos previously

Oh, sorry, was it already discussed. Yes, it's sad. As was McGowan's whole life history, really. Rollicking good tune, though.

Another nice healthy one from Meatloaf (another duet)

I gotta know right now, do you love me?
Will you love me forever? Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?

Let me sleep on it (Will you love me forever?)
Let me sleep on it (Will you love me forever?)

I couldn't take it any longer, Lord, I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me like a tidal wave
Started swearing to my God and on my mother's grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore I would love you to the end of time

So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I'm praying for the end of time, it's all that I can do
Praying for the end of time so I can end my time with you

Well, it was long ago, and it was far away
And it was so much better than it is today

Yes to the Ship song, massive yes. It is special.

I am not a fan (I think I tend to the more ambivalent/darker musical world) but this by the Carpenters is uber positive and rather sweet

We've Only Just Begun

We've only just begun to live
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
We've only begun

Before the rising sun, we fly
So many roads to choose
We'll start out walking and learn to run
And yes, we've just begun

Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day, together

And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
And yes, we've just begun

Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day, together

And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
And yes, we've just begun

(And now I'm having a bit of a cry for Karen)

Sorry I've had a read through and realised I was the 500th person to say about Walter Raleigh. I apologize
Great thread OP!

Thinking of songs about women being puppets, there's always the Eurovision Song Contest winning "Puppet on a String" sung by Sandie Shaw, written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter.

It has always given me the rage. What a song to have as the one representing our country! Even for 1967 it was icky.

My Sharona.
I can always get it up with the touch of the younger kind.

Urrgghh!

I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone
I crashed my car into the bridge, I watched, I let it burn
I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs
I crashed my car into the bridge, I don't care!
I love it, I don't care!

You're on a different road, I'm in the Milky Way
You want me down on Earth, but I am up in space
You're so damn hard to please, we gotta kill this switch
You're from the '70s, but I'm a '90s bitch

Bloody love it.

Sorry, Bernard. I tried to be good but tbh I like the bad songs! 😂

The Who, the kids are all right -

I know I've got to get away
Cos I know if I don't, I'll go out of my mind
better leave her behind with the kids
they're all right

Yeah. Ltb. Again.

Reminds me of that MNetter who was musing about her dh who'd left her a text about having gone to find himself in the country for the weekend, and the possibility of texting him back something like 'Oh. Shit. I went to London for the weekend last night to find myself. I wonder what the kids are doing this morning?'

I sympathise, I can't help singing along to the one about

I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up four wheel drive
carved my name into his leather seats
took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
slashed a hole in all four tyres
maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

which really ought to have a verse about getting arrested for criminal damage, but it's a good tune!

I’m coming really late to this thread but I used to love Dr Hook “If not you” - I used to think was romantic but it now gives me the rage…
Who's gonna water my plants?
Who's gonna patch my pants?
And who's gonna give me
The chance to feel brand new?

Who's gonna iron my shirts?
Who's gonna kiss where it hurts?
And who needs a man when
He flirts the way I do?

Who, if not you?
Who, if not you?
That’s the first half but the rest is similar - stay with me, if you weren’t here who would do the chores does not speak to me of romance the way it used to!
And Sylvia’s Mother is another stalker song - Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s busy - too busy to come to the phone,Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s happy,and why don’t you leave her alone - well, yes! Sylvia doesn’t want you pestering her,dude,and her mother is doing a great job here!

I can't help it, Wishes. All the wholesome romantic stuff just gets a bit boring after a while.

I'm absolutely not saying anything about big butts.

Or Miss Piggy singing Peaches. 😄

Again, I think I must have been lyric ignorant for my entire 60 odd years!

I honestly thought "The Kids Are Alright" was a defiant youth anthem, celebrating freedom...as 'kids', ie teenagers.

I blame Roger Daltreys diction on this occasion.

💯 behind Sylvia's Mother! She has her daughter's back alright!

Apparently it was based on a real phone call.

OK. Mr Robert Palmer singing a lovestruck song

I think it was written by Lowell George of Little Feat.

I think the kids in this context are ' other guys dancing with my girl / that's fine , I think I know them all pretty well'.

But he ' must get out of my mind ' by himself presumably.

California Dreaming is in the baddie side I think. The music is so haunting and beautiful but essentially he is planning to do the dirty on his girlfriend. ' I'd be safe and warm if I was in LA' and ' if I didn't tell her I could leave today '. Albeit he is riddled with guilt and ' stops into a church I passed along the way' even.
But it is such a gorgeous song . Thanks for this thread OP

Have I just been Rickrolled? Cunning OP very cunning

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it

God only knows what I'd be without you
If you should ever leave me
Well, life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me?

God only knows what I'd be without you
God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me?
God only knows what I'd be without you

@NooNakedJacuzziness
Where the wild roses grow was a track on Nick Caves murder ballads album. There were a few other tracks on the album where the murderer is a woman. Henry Lee gets stabbed in the neck by his lover and The Curse of Milhaven tells of a 15 year old girl who murders quite a few towns people, some of which are men.

I can’t stand Sexual Healing. He just goes on and on about his wants, needs and urges.