This is not BS, Shambles, this is music commentary. I genuinely think "Afternoon Delight" is a very well written and performed song, and I launched it as a BS thread orginally through sheer force of habit...accidentally in other words.

Stilly - I think "Midnight At the Oasis" is also a darned good song. Super good, in fact. It sounds great, and it's a cool arrangement. Maria Muldaur sings it great. She deserved to get a hit with that song.

   Midnight At The Oasis
Words & Music by David Nichtern
Recorded by Maria Muldaur, 1974


DM7                G7 C7/9 Am7
Midnight at the o - a - sis --

DM7                G7 C7/9 Bb9
Send your camel to bed

DM7                  G7 C7/9
Shadows paintin' our fa -ces,

F7    Bb9    Em7    G/B      A7
Tra - ces of romance in our heads.


DM7                G7 C7/9 Am7
Heaven's holdin' a half-moon

DM7             G7 C7/9 Bb9
Shinin' just for us;

DM7                  G7 C7/9   F7   Bb9
Let's slip off to a sand dune, real soon

    Em7       G/B    A7
And kick up a little dust.



Refrain:


Cm7 F7   G#7          Gm7
Come on, Cactus is our friend;

Cm7         F7         G#7    Gm7
He'll point us out the way.

Cm7 F7   G#7             Gm7
Come on, till the evenin' ends,

C7/9    Bb9      DM7
Till the evenin' ends.


DM7               G7   C7/9 Am7
You don't have to an - swer --

DM7                G7 C7/9 Bb9
There's no need to speak

DM7                G7   C7/9 F7    Bb9
I'll be your belly dan - cer, pran - cer,

    Em7    G/B    A7
And you can be my sheik.



(Instrumental Interlude - 1 Verse & 1 Refrain)


DM7                   G7 C7/9 Am7
I know your Daddy's a sul -tan,

DM7    G7    C7/9 Bb9
A nomad known to all,

    DM7             G7 C7/9          F7   Bb9
With fifty girls to attend him, they all send him,

    Em7      G/B      A7
Jump at his beck and call.


    DM7               G7    C7/9 Am7
But you won't need no harem, honey,

    DM7   G7    C7/9 Bb9
When I am by your side;

   DM7                G7 C7/9 F7 Bb9
And you won't need no cam - el, no no,

       Em7      G/B    A7
When I take you for a ride.



Repeat Refrain:



DM7                G7 C7/9 Am7
Midnight at the o - a - sis --

DM7       G7       C7/9   Bb9
Send your camel to bed;

    DM7                  G7 C7/9
Got shadows paintin' our fa - ces,

    F7   Bb9    Em7    G/B      A7
And tra - ces of romance in our heads.


There are some neat lines in there. Why would anyone possibly object to a flirtatious song with a few double entendres in it and a great tune? Is there some law against musical flirtation that uses slightly offbeat metaphors in the lyrics? Not for me there isn't.

Regarding both "Midnight at..." and "Afternoon Delight", I think it is people's sheer lack of imagination and habitual literal-mindedness that prejudices them against the lyrics in those 2 songs. They're both a bit whimsical, a bit flirty, and they're fun...which is all they were meant to be.

Hey, I like "Gates of Eden". I like "It's All Right, Ma". I like "Acadian Driftwood". I love serious songs on weighty themes. But there is a place for light-hearted flirtation too, and these 2 songs have got it right.

Now, "Brand New Key"...you know, there was a time when that song was a lotta fun too. Again, what is Melanie doing in the song? She's being a bit flirtatious, and using a slightly offbeat metaphor to do it. So? Same point as the above 2. I don't rate it as high as Midnight or Afternoon, musically speaking, but it's fine as far as it goes. I'd call it a likeable song. I give it a "6". I give Midnight a "10", and Afternoon a "9 1/2"....I took off the "1/2" point for the "cutsey" aspect, as pointed out by M. Ted.

You want "awful"? You want "makes me want to rip out jugular veins with my teeth"? Listen to Sheena Easton singing "Morning Train". That has no clever metaphors in it at all.   It's just plain relentless, dimwittedly literal, and totally obnoxious...both in the musical and the lyrical sense.