In our hypersensitive age, it is difficult not to offend someone. I suppose that a hundred years ago people took it all with a certain amount of equanimity, if not good humor. I find them very offensive, but I was born in 1944. That may make a difference. Brown University, by the way, has a collection of sheet music for old "coon" songs, all of which have the most offensive stereotypes of Blacks you can imagine. Should the University destroy them? No, that would be an attempt to rewrite history. Do you recall a few years ago when someone wanted to produce an edition of "Huckleberry Finn" with the offensive word bowdlerized?

As far as songs are concerned, if the sense would be altered by the changed word, it might be better to leave it as is. An example of the reverse might be the banjo tune called "Shaving a Dead Man." It was originally "Shaving a Dead Nigger," but since the race of the deceased is not the issue, why not change it?