My son the punk rocker writes songs for the specific purpose of offending people, and then he's taken aback when people are offended or repulsed.

Yes, lyrics can offend people. Some lyrics offend some people and not others, and some are more universally offensive - you have to second-guess your audience on that. If causing offense is what you want to do with your lyrics, then you ought to be prepared to accept the fact that some people may dislike you for it.

On the other hand, causing offense with lyrics may be a good way to get people thinking.

Goddamn, self-righteous prigs....

-Joe Offer-