Jeri said, "Genie, I believe I heard an interview where the writer of 'Timothy' said he was a mule. (Timothy, not the writer.)   In this case, the song was a huge hit and the belief it was about cannibalism probably helped it.   There are lots of traditional folk songs about people who eat people. If they aren't about some significant event, they're about sailors since they're more apt to be stranded without food. Well, except fish, but you can get tired of fish pretty fast."

Interesting, Jeri. It makes sense, and I'm sure you're right that the uproar over its perceived subject matter brought it increased publicity and thus more airplay. But that uproar was because the lyrics didn't make it clear, at least to the casual listener, that Timothy wasn't a man.

Of course, even if you do make things clear, you can't count on your audience to listen carefully -- and patiently -- to the whole song.   Especially if you're singing in a coffee house or bar or anywhere else where people are walking in and out and talking. Or where people may take offense at an early part of the lyric and tune out.
The song "Sweet Joan" comes to mind. There are audiences I play for who would LOVE that song IF they'd sit and listen to the whole thing before freaking out.   But I know that too many people in some of these settings would get upset when they heard the line about "there's one thing I crave and it lies 'twixt your legs" and that would distract them so much they'd never let me "get to the punch line."   Gotta know where and for whom you can sing a song.