On a more mundane level we sing a song called "John 'o' Greenfields Ramble" which is local to our area. It's about an Englishman leaving his home to fight abroad and has a line "Either Dutch , French or Spanish to me they're all one" and we innocently sang this while some Fench persons were visiting our folk club they took no offence beyond being grouped with the Dutch and the Spanish.

It appears they much prefer to be offended individually rather than homogenised with other nations.

As to the larger question of what is and isn't offensive in song , I would like to think that the intent is more important than the content. If the content offends but the intention was innocent then this would be acceptable to most people I think.

Spot