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Lyrical Landscape.

Is anyone been paying attention to the lyrics of the songs our children are listening to?  I'm certain that I sound like my mother right now, but I cannot get over the title ("S & M") and the accompanying lyrics that I hear my kids singing along to in the backseat.  Have you ever heard an 8 or 10 year-old sing this song in its entirety?  It's quite shocking.  The only saving grace is that - in all likelihood, they have no idea what they are singing about.

I'm disturbed.  I know that throughout time, music lyrics have referenced sex and drugs and other things that may not be appropriate for people of all ages.  But I really do think the "artists" have taken this notion to an unprecedented extreme.

Here is a quote from an article that appeared on the cover of the New York Times (By Jon Pareles, 3/15/11) last month:

"Three of the Top 10 hits on last week’s pop music chart have choruses that can’t be played uncensored on the radio and won’t have their original lyrics quoted in this family newspaper. All three use variations on a familiar, emphatic, percussive four-letter word."

I don't want to censor the radio - but I need some warning the next time a fifth grader asks what S & M is...

Comments

Anonymous said…
yes, look up the lyrics to 3 by britney spears, completely about threesomes; however, pretty sure the cat is out of the bag on this issue, and not with this generation of pop stars - see "Baby, Its Cold Outside" in the 40s or the Stones or "Lets Spend the Night Together" in the 60s, and any number of others.

B
April 1, 2011 at 12:49 PM
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
April 1, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Unknown said…
very well said (and therefore, written)
April 17, 2011 at 5:19 PM
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