There is a story (legend) about Marie LLoyd. Seems she was called up before the watch committee for singing lewd songs. She claimed that the songs were fine, it was just the way that the audience interpreted them that was wrong. She said that the songs were no worse than popular parlour songs that everyone was singing and proceeeded to sing "Come into the garden Maud" in such a way as to leave no doubt as to what was going to happen in the garden. The story goes that the case was dismissed.

Also, I have heard that early versions of The Cornish Nightingale were more explicit as to what they were doing 'in the valley below'.

The art of a good bawdy song is that of being explicit without actually saying anything wrong.

Bert.