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03 Sep 17 - 02:25 PM (#3875001) Subject: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom Throughout the ages there have been what in modern times we would call inappropriate songs.These are songs that are sexually, politically or otherwise "no-no" songs.One example is "Slap Her Down Again, Paw"!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd4kIvqGNek Yet another one is "You Blacked my blue eyes Once too Often" I believe the chorus is You blacked my blue eyes once too often. You're too handy at breaking my jaw. You blacked my blue eyes once too often. Now I'm going back home to my maw. I do not know the rest of the lyrics nor can I find the song or video.Any other songs of this ilk? Bawdy songs are acceptable. |
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03 Sep 17 - 04:31 PM (#3875027) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST They want to pull down statues. Songs will be next. |
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03 Sep 17 - 04:48 PM (#3875030) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom No doubt someone(s) already have. |
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03 Sep 17 - 05:41 PM (#3875034) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Big Al Whittle not always sexual. One time Lenny Bruce spied a large group of Japanese businessmen in the club audience, he got the band to play a song called Remember Pearl Harbour as he made his entrance. |
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03 Sep 17 - 05:48 PM (#3875035) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,Rigby There is a book called something like Bawdy Songs of the Early Music Hall which collects together a fairly representative sample of the songs that were sung there in the first half of the 19th Century. They are almost without exception (a) extremely smutty, and (b) not very good. I had been hoping to dig up something with which to scandalise modern audiences, but these are mostly really charmless and surprisingly boring. The editor notes that he chose the least bad out of hundreds of similar ones -- the mind boggles. |
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03 Sep 17 - 06:08 PM (#3875039) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Joe Offer I admit I was taken aback the first time I heard a recording of Pete Seeger unapologetically singing Ain't It a Shame?:
Ain't it a shame? Ain't it a shame to beat your wife on a Sunday ? Ain't it a shame ? Ain't it a shame to beat your wife on a Sunday- When you got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Oh, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Ain't it a shame ? |
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03 Sep 17 - 06:17 PM (#3875043) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: meself Irony is a very slippery critter. |
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03 Sep 17 - 06:18 PM (#3875045) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST John Morgan was a 19th century ballad writer, whose work appeared on many a cheap and cheerful broadside sheet of that period. He wrote pretty much anything that paid, including topical songs, gallows ballads, campaign songs for politicians and good old-fashioned filth. Two of his best innuendo-laden sex songs were The Beautiful Muff and The Cottage, both of which can be found in the Bodleian Library's collection. You can get a taste of their shamelessly suggestive lyrics in the blue box here . |
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03 Sep 17 - 07:52 PM (#3875053) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Deckman This fragment springs to mind: "Violate me in the violet time, In the vilest way that you can ... " bob(deckman)nelson |
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03 Sep 17 - 08:01 PM (#3875055) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Jack Campin My local supermarket was playing "It Might As Well Rain Until September" as canned music last week. I wonder how many Texan ones did? |
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03 Sep 17 - 10:49 PM (#3875064) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom Wow, Joe! I never knew of Pete singing that song! How weird that seems! |
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03 Sep 17 - 10:55 PM (#3875066) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom Jack Campin:I'd be almost willing to bet that the Texans didn't sing Let it rain, let it pour, let it rain a whole more I've got those deep river blues... |
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04 Sep 17 - 04:59 AM (#3875097) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Steve Shaw Run For Your Life: "I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man..." To be fair to John Lennon, he later expressed regret for writing the song. |
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04 Sep 17 - 07:43 AM (#3875115) Subject: ADD: Get Your Biscuits In The Oven And Your Buns.. From: GUEST,Gerry Pretty much anything from Kinky Friedman, someone is going to find inappropriate. Get Your Biscuits In The Oven And Your Buns In The Bed You uppity women I don't understand Why you gotta go and try to act like a man, But before you make your weekly visit to the shrink You'd better occupy the kitchen, liberate the sink. Get your biscuits in the oven and your buns in the bed That's what I to my baby said, Women's liberation is a-going to your head, Get your biscuits in the oven and your buns in the bed. Or maybe you'd prefer Well, a redneck nerd in a bowling shirt was a-guzzlin' lone star beer Talking religion and-uh politics for all the world to hear. "they oughta send you back to russia, boy, or new york city one You just want to doodle a christian girl and you killed god's only son." I said, "has it occurred to you, you nerd, that that's not very nice, We jews believe it was santa claus that killed jesus christ." "you know, you don't look jewish," he said, "near as I could figger I had you lamped for a slightly anemic, well-dressed country nigger." Or maybe And I'm proud to be an asshole from El Paso A place where sweet young virgins are deflowered. You walk down the street knee-deep in tacos Ta-ta-ta-tacos And the wetbacks still get twenty cents an hour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IBaz8WEBIw |
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04 Sep 17 - 08:44 AM (#3875130) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST, DTM John Lennon sings "Shoot me" several times ion Come Together. |
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04 Sep 17 - 08:46 AM (#3875131) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST, DTM On a cruise a few years ago the karioke winner sang "My Heart Will Go On". |
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04 Sep 17 - 09:26 AM (#3875138) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Steve Shaw Don't want to round on Lennon too much, but "yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye" and "You've been a naughty girl, you've let your knickers down" didn't exactly do it for me either. There's plenty of context though. The wiki article on I Am The Walrus is quite interesting. |
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04 Sep 17 - 09:29 AM (#3875139) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Steve Shaw Then there's Elvis: "Come on and be my little good luck charm Uh-huh huh, you sweet delight I want a good luck charm A-hanging on my arm To have, to have, to hold, to hold tonight" Yikes! |
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04 Sep 17 - 09:47 AM (#3875141) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,Rigby Let's not forget Dachau Blues by Captain Beefheart. |
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04 Sep 17 - 11:23 AM (#3875158) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom I am not sure who wrote or sang this little ditty , maybe Oscar Brand on L one of his bawdy songs albums.. Anyway, it's inappropriate: Last night I contemplated masturbation, oh wasn't it grand Oh wasn't it grand! With a flip of the hand, with the flip of the hand! Left hand, right hand, flip it in and out! Left hand right hand, flip it all about! They say that sexual intercourse is something very grand But for personal satisfaction I would rather use my hand. ! |
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04 Sep 17 - 04:49 PM (#3875208) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Steve Shaw Ambidextrous, eh? Interesting... |
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04 Sep 17 - 05:30 PM (#3875211) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,Midchuck since '98, no longer allowed in... Guest Gerry: You omitted Friedman's masterpiece, "The Ballad of Charles Whitman." "There was a rumor, about a tumor, Nestled at the base of his brain. He was sittin' up there with his .36 magnum, Laughin' gaily as he bagged 'em. Who are we to say the boy's insane?" |
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05 Sep 17 - 05:38 AM (#3875265) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: JHW Though this thread is looking for Inappropriate Songs for all occasions a singaround can be made or wrecked by the singing of the right or wrong choice of song. As well as knowing your song I do think it is important to sing the right song for the moment. |
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05 Sep 17 - 07:15 AM (#3875288) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Joe Offer Right, JHW. I went to a "bawdy songs" singaround which featured Abby Sale and Jennifer Cutting. I sang some naughty songs, but they didn't fit in because they weren't bawdy enough. -Joe- Hey, Midchuck, anybody who writes songs like "Boxers and Sox" is a member in good standing. Send me an email. joe@mudcat.org |
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05 Sep 17 - 12:42 PM (#3875360) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom Mary, go milk the bull...the bull You've only one tit to pull. He was a great big son of a bitch twice the size of me! Oh, Nelly put your belly close to mine. |
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05 Sep 17 - 01:03 PM (#3875366) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom A song for rugby players https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rt-slH2AO4 (or any others) |
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07 Sep 17 - 05:31 AM (#3875613) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Tattie Bogle As JHW says, sometimes songs are inappropriate for a particular reason with a particular group of people. I have never felt very comfortable with songs Ike "Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk" or "Glasgow Lullaby" - not been a victim myself, thank goodness, but they are about wife battering. "Goodbye Booze" - might be a struggling alcoholic in the room..... But the worst, although done in all innocence, was when someone sang a song about having cancer, right next to someone who was then undergoing chemotherapy: most of us knew, but the singer didn't! |
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07 Sep 17 - 08:04 AM (#3875636) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Dave the Gnome I remember a group of us singing 'Lord of the dance' at a community centre for the disabled. Too late to do anything once we had started and everyone took it in good heart :-) I returned from a trip to Antigua with a miniature steel drum and a Rastafarian type hat. I practiced a tune on the drum and got it off pretty well so took both down to the folk club one night. For the first time ever, at our club, a black singer turned up. I decided to postpone the airing of the hat and drum! DtG |
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07 Sep 17 - 08:33 AM (#3875639) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: CupOfTea During Christmas Vacation of my freshman year of high school, I went sledding on Cain Park Hill, the steepest "safe" place to go. Going double decker made the sled harder to steer, screaming didn't help - many were hollering for the fun of it, and so ended up going face first into the runner of a guy's sled. He was too busy chatting up a chick to notice anything else. The damage was considerable, though not very bloody: I had knocked two front teeth off at the gum line. I love Spike Jones as much as the next silly person, but anyone playing, humming, singing, or whistling "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" at me was going to know how very inappropriate that song is in my presence! Joanne in Cleveland, coincidentally nursing a broken back tooth this week |
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07 Sep 17 - 10:46 AM (#3875667) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Tattie Bogle Reminds me of a concert we did, where we played a set of music-hall-type songs, including "Two Lovely Black Eyes". Yes, there in the front row was a little old lady who met that description perfectly! |
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07 Sep 17 - 02:58 PM (#3875717) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: BrooklynJay Then there's Flanders and Swann's Have Some Madeira, M'dear. I used to love doing that song (it almost got me married 40 years ago!), but stopped a while back when I had to admit to myself that it's ultimately about a lecherous old geezer getting a 17 year old virgin drunk and raping her. Conscience finally kicked in on that one. Jay |
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07 Sep 17 - 03:18 PM (#3875721) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: BrooklynJay Topical Tom's earlier post regarding a masturbation song jarred this long-buried memory: In my previous post, I mentioned almost getting married 40 years ago - I remembered that my then-girlfriend sang this song which might be a cousin to the aforementioned (sung to Funiculi, Funicula): Last evening, I came home and masturbated It felt so good, I knew it would Last evening, I came home and masturbated It felt so nice, I did it twice! Ram it, slam it, up against the wall Ram it, slam it, it's better than a ball! La la la la, la la la la... Can't recall if there was anything additional. Anyway, that's all I can remember. Where she got it, I have no idea. Jay |
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07 Sep 17 - 03:45 PM (#3875724) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom Speaking about inapprobriate situations, I once told a racist joke which I had heard and which I, at the time , considered really humorous.It was in a group of university friend.When no one laughed I realized that I had made a faux pas.Imagine my shame when someone said "You do know that ...is black". I have ever since that day never told an inappropriate racist joke to anyone. Of course I repeatedly apologized to the injured person but the deed had been done. I have ever since regretted it. |
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08 Sep 17 - 03:01 AM (#3875783) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: BobL In my repertoire are numerous comic songs about situations which in real life are not in the least bit funny - industrial accidents, unwanted pregnancies, alcohol abuse, marital infidelity, animal cruelty (albeit unintentional). I'm always conscious that they may touch a raw nerve with anyone who has actually been on the receiving end. Doesn't stop me singing them though. |
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08 Sep 17 - 11:14 AM (#3875889) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom Although I love the singing and the yodeling there are many inappropriate statements in this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIBmGZxAhg song: |
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11 Sep 17 - 06:23 AM (#3876481) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,California Dreamer There's Happiness is a Warm Gun by the Beatles I don't think I've heard that one on the radio for about 30 years. |
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11 Sep 17 - 10:15 AM (#3876515) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Rapparee There's something in music to offend everyone, especially if they do not understand irony or satire. Eric Bogle's "I hate wogs" comes to mind in this regard. |
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11 Sep 17 - 10:18 AM (#3876516) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST Maxwell Silver Hammer...? |
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11 Sep 17 - 10:46 AM (#3876527) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Jack Campin I heard of someone who did "Weela weela walia" at a Scottish children's home and wondered why it got a response of uncomfortable silence. Turned out one of the staff had gone berserk and killed one of the kids the previous year. |
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11 Sep 17 - 07:31 PM (#3876617) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Tattie Bogle Just back from a wonderful Scottish festival, at which we had visitors from France, Germany, Israel, USA and Canada. Was about to launch into "The Battle of the Somme" when the German visitors walked in - no I didn't! Played "Ode to Joy" instead! |
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12 Sep 17 - 11:46 AM (#3876726) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom For satire:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2vt8TjoO70 |
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12 Sep 17 - 12:15 PM (#3876730) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,Some bloke My formative years as a dj on hospital radio (in the '70s of course which in itself is inappropriate..) Officer... We used to play "Who's sorry now" and "shotgun wedding" whenever requests came in from the maternity unit, regardless of what they asked for (usually something by The New Seekers.) |
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12 Sep 17 - 12:34 PM (#3876733) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: JHW "I remember a group of us singing 'Lord of the dance' at a community centre for the disabled. Too late to do anything once we had started " A group of us thought similarly that Jug of Punch was a good jolly song to sing in a similar situation - forgetting 'even the cripple forgets his hunch' |
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12 Sep 17 - 12:58 PM (#3876734) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Tattie Bogle I was responsible for organising a festival concert a few years back, featuring several short acts of the local talent: so I asked everyone for a set list so that any duplications of song choices could be avoided. One local songwriter said - "Doesn't matter, as I'll only be singing my own songs". During the day several of us had been to the funeral and cremation of the Mum of one of our Committee members. Yer man gets up and sings "Your Granny makes a lovely cup of tea" - which is basically about mixing up the tea urn with the ashes urn! Thank heavens, our bereaved Committee member had decided she didn't feel up to coming to the concert! |
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12 Sep 17 - 11:30 PM (#3876781) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom So I'm not the only one to have done or spoken inappropriately on occasions!LOL! |
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15 Sep 17 - 12:23 AM (#3877155) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Merritt +1 sometimes songs are inappropriate for a particular reason with a particular group of people. When I lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA I picked up occasional gigs at various clinics run by the Veterans Administration (VA) of the federal govt. It was pretty much plug & play - the staff would set up a mediocre but serviceable sound system (almost always a Yamaha StagePass 300), I'd bring in a couple of guitars, etc. Altho there was very little info ahead of each performance, the audiences were consistently groups of older guys, a few from WWII, many who fought in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. I played songs from the 1920s-1970s. One day I showed up for an afternoon gig and it was a different sort of group with about 50 guys I'm guessing in the 20-60 age range. Thinking little of it, I set up and launched into Ain't Nobody's Business, "Champagne don't make me lazy, whiskey it doesn't make me crazy. They say candy is candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker and if you drink all the liquor down Costa Rica,...." A guy wearing a tie, more of a formal outfit than the vets, came running out of the back of the room, shouting "No, no, no, no!", waving his arms. I immediately stopped playing/singing. Apparently, this was a group in recovery from alcoholism and a variety of drug addictions - lyrics to be limited accordingly. News to me, I pointed out - but was definitely shook up. I looked at my playlist mentally crossing out another 7 or 8 songs. So, let's see, Memphis Slim's Beer Drinking Woman definitely not happening... I got through the gig but thereafter always asked about my audience when the VA called. |
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15 Sep 17 - 01:15 PM (#3877204) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: topical tom Uh oh! Rehab readjusted! |
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15 Sep 17 - 11:43 PM (#3877250) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: robomatic Three cheers for Randy Newman: Not only "Short People" which was written tongue deeply in cheek, but my favorite: "Political Science" which I used to sing to international students I picked up at the airport. Some might take: "Wedding in Cherokee County" and "Sigmund Freud's impersonation of Albert Einstein in America" and "Back on My Feet Again" as unacceptable in some venues, but they're musical gold. And Warren Zevon's wonderful song: "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" And Dan Bern's "Marilyn" or "The Day They Found a Cure for A.I.D.S." or "Hannibal" Sometimes you have to take a chance on a song that packs a punch. |
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16 Sep 17 - 10:35 AM (#3877295) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST Well, I would not go to a college campus and sing anything that had the word "right" in the title..they would have to give trigger warnings and set up safe spaces ! |
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16 Sep 17 - 01:30 PM (#3877306) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch The Yank's The Star Spangled Banner is the focus of a great deal of protest, as is the subject banner. Damn near any national anthem will do that to somebody in the audience. Been that way forevers. Never sing Yellow Bird to a Haitian audience. Though you might could pull it off as an instrumental if you went with Davy Graham or similar. |
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18 Sep 17 - 02:36 AM (#3877459) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Ernest |
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18 Sep 17 - 03:13 AM (#3877467) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: BobL Tourist: "What's the quickest way to the hospital from here?" Glaswegian: "Go into yon pub and start singing Danny Boy!" |
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18 Sep 17 - 03:43 AM (#3877472) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Nigel Parsons Mucky Kid (Liverpool Lullaby) by Cilla: "When he hears the things that you did, You'll get a belt from your dad." |
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10 Apr 23 - 02:17 PM (#4169628) Subject: My Beautiful Muff From: GUEST My Beautiful Muff - Maggie Graham 2023 @ 'Tuesdays at The Tap'; St John's Hotel, Hull https://youtu.be/KlJiiNMWhAA more/ref GUEST Date: 03 Sep 17 - 06:18 PM |
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11 Apr 23 - 03:24 PM (#4169696) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Felipa a presenter of a "magazine" programme on BBC Radio Foyle circa 1980 read out a wedding anniversary greeting to a local couple and then played Cliff Richard singing "We don't talk anymore" I've also seen a newly wedded couple take the floor for the first dance of the wedding, and heard the band play "The Tennessee Waltz" but it was the tune only and whose to say that different words couldn't be sung to it rather than "while they were dancin' My friend stole my sweetheart from me ... ... I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin' That beautiful Tennessee Waltz" |
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11 Apr 23 - 08:25 PM (#4169711) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: meself Fielding used the same metaphor in Tom Jones, btw. |
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12 Apr 23 - 11:52 AM (#4169750) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,Rossey At school a trad. standard in our music lessons in the 70's, was the 'Wee cooper of Fife'.. A bright and breezy song with a tongue twisting chorus. However a definite wokery no-no for its cheerful wife beating encouragement implication (well he beats a sheepskin, rather than her directly) -after the said wife refused to do her domestic duties, as a reasonable one should. I bet they don't sing that one at school anymore. |
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12 Apr 23 - 12:51 PM (#4169757) Subject: ADD Version: Wee Cooper of Fife From: GUEST It depends how the songs like "wee cooper" are presented, it couldbe used in school to discuss the subject of wife beating. is it better to discuss the song than pretend it never happened and not sing it. there is more to this song than just violence, it can be discussed as how two people should not behave in a relationship, it is all about how the song is used and how its presented, it can then be pointed out that the message is wrong, that violence does not sort out laziness WEE COOPER OF FIFE There was a wee Cooper wha lived in Fife, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, And he has gotten a gentle wife, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. She wadna bake, nor she wadna brew, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, For the spoiling o' her comely hue, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. She wadna card, nor she wadna spin, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, For the shamin' o' her gentle kin, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. She wadna wash, nor she wadna wring, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, For the spoiling o' her gowden ring, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. The Cooper has gane to his woo' pack, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, And he's laid a sheep's skin on his wife's ba'ck, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. It's I'll no thrash ye for your gentle kin, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, But I will thrash my ain sheep's skin, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. Oh I will bake, and I will brew, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, And nae mair think o' my comely hue, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. Oh I will card, and I will spin, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, And nae main think o' my gentle kin, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. Oh I will wash, and I will wring, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, and nae mair think o' my gowden ring, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue. A! ye wha ha'e gotten a gentle wife, Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo, Just you send for the wee Cooper o' Fife, Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal, A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue |
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12 Apr 23 - 01:20 PM (#4169759) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,RJM Why did she not want to do these jobs that somebody had to do? was she able to do the coopering?if he did the house work the song can be presented to school children to get them to think of relationships and people working together etc , she thought she was of too gentle kin to do anything and yet they could not afford servants, the answer is not to beat her.... yet why did they get married etc use it as a thought provoker |
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12 Apr 23 - 02:21 PM (#4169762) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Steve Gardham Wee Cooper is a variant of Child 277 The Wife Wrapt in Wether Skin and there are 100s of versions. Compared with most other Child Ballads it's quite tame. First of all it's a joke, not a real situation. Secondly rightly or wrongly it passes as a piece of history from at least 300 years ago. (The story is much older, The Wife Wrapt in Morrel Skin.) If you start editing out pieces like this there'll hardly be any folksongs left. With any historical song you have to be careful where you sing it and hopefully be able to give an intro validating your performance of it. Singing about something does not mean you condone it. Whaling/hunting/murder and a host of other unPC subjects. |
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12 Apr 23 - 02:46 PM (#4169765) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,RJM Good Post Steve. in my opinion this song is an appropriate song to be sung to children if it presented thoughtfully and in a though provoking way, |
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12 Apr 23 - 02:48 PM (#4169766) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,RJM It also shows how some tradtional songs are still very relevant today |
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14 Apr 23 - 03:53 PM (#4169928) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Neil D At the old country church, the pastor went on an anti-drinking tirade. He said "If I could I would take all the beer in this town and throw it in the river. I would take all the wine and throw it in the river. I would throw all the whisky in that river too." After the sermon the song leader asked the congregation to turn their songbooks to hymn #42, "Shall We Gather at the River." |
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15 Apr 23 - 01:56 PM (#4169982) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Mark Ross Let us not forget Patrick Sky's magnificent record, a tribute to bad taste; SONGS THAT MADE AMERICA FAMOUS, subtitled Something to Offend Everybody. It took him 2 years before he could find a record company whose lawyers would let them release it! Mark Ross |
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16 Apr 23 - 10:49 AM (#4170046) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,James Phillips I think you have to cater to your audience as required. It's called "diplomacy." For instance, I wouldn't necessarily sing an old English folk song which referenced "lily white skin" as a standard of beauty to a diverse American audience. I might alter the lyric. Of course lily white skin back in the days of the song was less about racial superiority than it was about the fact that pale skin was considered symbolic of not having to work outside in the sun, but good luck explaining that to an audience today. Another example: the following lyric from "The Collier Laddie": "And would she marry ane that's black Wi me sae braw and gaudy" "Black" of course referring to the soot-covered complexion of a miner. But will an audience today understand that? Some might, some might not. Potential for unnecessary controversy, would probably use one of the many versions of the lyric that doesn't use that line. What about this from "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye"? "Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg You'll have to be left with a bowl to beg" Some might find offensive today? |
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16 Apr 23 - 07:40 PM (#4170078) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST A few classic "fox paws" mentioned above. My worst audience reaction was to my rendition of the traditional (?) song "The Female Drummer" at a folk festival, which upset a group of young feminists who walked out shouting abuse and giving me various hand signals as they left. I never found out just what particular words/lines/subject matter they found so objectionable, but it led me to re-examine my repertoire to the extent that I axed 90% if my (mainly traditional} material, and in fact stopped singing for several years, reverting to performing only instrumentals. One has to be so careful, and, as some one earlier mentioned, there is always somebody who will find something objectionable in any song if you look hard enough.... |
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16 Apr 23 - 07:56 PM (#4170082) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,Rossey "I lost her to a student chap with skin as black as coal" in today's PC world..from the otherwise innocuous 'Dublin in the rare auld times', is probably an inappropriate line. Many Irish rebel or sectarian songs are inappropriate depending on the context. My brother fell foul of inappropriateness. He is a cheesy Scottish act, with the usual tartan and MOR fare, who performs in hotels to tourist parties from all over the world. This night a Spanish coach party was in. He sang and played the equally cheesy song of celebration 'Y Viva Espana'. How was he to know there were Catalonian separatists amongst them? They stormed out in protest, with a few parting comments on the way! |
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17 Apr 23 - 12:49 AM (#4170095) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Joe Offer I've been a Catholic all my life. I spent 8 years in the seminary until I discovered the opposite sex, and I've taught as a catechist for over 50 years. But I don't like to wear my religion on my sleeve. When I'm singing in an ordinary song circle, I don't sing songs that are religiously significant to me. But I often see a guy at song circles who is a fanatical Catholic, and he almost always sings religious songs. And that's embarrassing to me. Last week at the Mudcat Worldwide Singaround, I sang Woody Guthrie's "Jesus Christ," which is based on "Jesse James." I sang it because I thought it was an interesting song, Woody's near-secular view of Jesus. But it didn't seem to go over. Don't know why. Maybe I offended religious people. I'm sure my ultra-Catholic acquaintance wouldn't like it. |
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17 Apr 23 - 03:09 AM (#4170107) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: BobL I have been known to apologize in advance to anyone who has had the misfortune to experience the situation described in a song. Usually before "Dog in the microwave." |
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17 Apr 23 - 08:06 AM (#4170135) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: MaJoC the Filk > I sang [Woody Guthrie's "Jesus Christ"] because I thought it was an > interesting song, Woody's near-secular view of Jesus. But it didn't > seem to go over. For the record: it went down well enough with me, but then I'd sung "Father Forgive Them" the week before. |
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23 Apr 23 - 03:37 PM (#4170668) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: Charmion With regret, I have given up singing “It’s Sister Jenny’s Turn To Throw The Bomb”. Urban terrorism isn’t funny. Who knew? |
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25 Apr 23 - 03:51 AM (#4170780) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,RJM "Horst-Wessel-Lied |
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25 Apr 23 - 03:55 AM (#4170781) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: GUEST,RJM Happiness is a warm gun, not when its put in a microwave |
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27 Apr 23 - 12:04 AM (#4170917) Subject: RE: Inappropriate Songs From: reggie miles I think songs can be inappropriate when offered in the wrong company. I glanced to my side to see a bearded young woman sitting nearby and took a chance to offer a vintage novelty love song called The Bearded Lady. Afterward, her and her companion left without a word. Sometimes you just have to take the chance that the spirit of the moment will overcome any awkwardness involved. In that case, I think the awkwardness won. |