# Classic Songs That Glorified Pretty Rotten Behaviour ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745 "2008-02-22T17:49:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/1 "2008-02-22T17:49:43Z")
Rap music gets a bad rap for glorifying promiscuity and misogyny, but it seems to me that there are some songs from the age of more rigorous social standards that seem to glorify some rather raw actions. In particular, I am thinking of: - “South of the Border” - I seduced an innocent girl in Mexico and now she thinks we’re getting married (and is perhaps pregnant) so I’m going to stay the hell away from Mexico. - “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” - I screwed you and screwed you over but keep your mouth shut about it and don’t ruin my chances with your friends. 'Cause that’s the only decent thing to do. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/2 "2008-02-22T17:54:22Z")
I suppose _Hey Joe_ would qualify, shooting his old lady for messin’ round, running down south to Mexico so the hangman won’t get him. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/3 "2008-02-22T17:55:01Z")
speaking of south of the border – Hey Joe. (upon preview I see that there is another closely related song, Rio by Duran Duran.) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/4 "2008-02-22T17:56:35Z")
**Under My Thumb** by the Rolling Stones would not be desribed as Feminist, by any means… There are countless threads that discuss songs portraying creeped-out behavior, but I always come back to **Possum Kingdom by the Toadies** , told from the perspective of a whackjob serial killer seducing his next victim “behind the boathouse, where she can stay young and beautiful forever” - I hate, hate, hate the fact that I love the groove and overall hookiness of this song… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/5 "2008-02-22T17:56:50Z")
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police. In spite of people often using this for a wedding song, it is a stalker song. You will never get away from me; I will always be following you around, regardless of your wishes. Aw, isn’t that romantic? ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/6 "2008-02-22T17:57:27Z")
The song from the Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disneyland might be considered “classic” and it lists more examples of glorified rotten behavior than anything else I can think of, encouraging people to be devils, black sheep, really bad eggs, mauraders, embezzlers, and dozens more. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/7 "2008-02-22T17:58:28Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] **Under My Thumb** by the Rolling Stones would not be desribed as Feminist, by any means…\ [/QUOTE] I turn this song off when it comes on the radio. I don’t want to revision history or anything, but this song is too much for me. Another example from the Stones would be “Brown Sugar.” So wrong, in so many ways. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/8 "2008-02-22T18:01:03Z")
I’ve always been bothered by **Sweet Home Alabama** , by Lynyrd Skynyrd, since it’s a retort to **Southern Man** , by Neil Young, a song decrying the racism and brutality of the South. **Sweet Home Alabama** is essentially saying, Fuck You, Neil Young, we like it here where (as Young sang) “I heard screaming and bullwhips cracking”. Too bad the hook is so catchy. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/9 "2008-02-22T18:04:03Z")
Lighting Strikes by Lou Christie. The guy wants his girl to be true to him while he sleeps around with every girl in sight. Because as a man he can’t help himself. Then after he is done screwing around he will marry the girl because, “every boy wants a girl he can trust to the very end”. That does not apply to him of course. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/10 "2008-02-22T18:05:04Z")
There’s kind of a category of songs like “Freebird” and “Ramblin’ Man” which are about men ditching women and explaining that they can’t stay because they have to “ramble.” They don’t _want_ to – they _have_ to. It’s not her fault, there’s just no way he can stay. This bird has to be free. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/11 "2008-02-22T18:06:00Z")
[QUOTE=Atomicktom] I’ve always been bothered by **Sweet Home Alabama** , by Lynyrd Skynyrd… [/QUOTE] Brief hijack… when they say: "_In Birmingham they love the governor ohh ooohh ohhh… Now we all did what we could do"_ is that a reference to the Wallace shooting or his support of segregation? ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/12 "2008-02-22T18:09:55Z")
Several by Warren Zevon. “Excitable Boy” and “Mr. Bad Example” are two that leap to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/13 "2008-02-22T18:18:06Z")
_You better run for your life if you can, little girl, Hide your head in sand, little girl, Catch you with another man, that’s the end. Little girl._ I like the Beatles version the best. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/14 "2008-02-22T18:18:48Z")
[QUOTE=Icerigger] Lighting Strikes by Lou Christie. The guy wants his girl to be true to him while he sleeps around with every girl in sight. Because as a man he can’t help himself. Then after he is done screwing around he will marry the girl because, “every boy wants a girl he can trust to the very end”. That does not apply to him of course. :mad: [/QUOTE] [hijack] I worked with a drummer who was Lou Christie’s drummer for years. Apparently, he is quite the swordsman and has…quite the sword. 😉 He had to be carefully…strapped in…before getting on stage… [/hijack] (sorry, not many places to drop “Lou Christie’s hung like a horse” type gossip these days… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/15 "2008-02-22T18:24:15Z")
Rod Stewart’s **Stay With Me** : > [@](#): > > In the morning > Dont say you love me, > 'Cause Ill only kick you out of the door. > > I know your name is Rita, > Cause your perfume smelling sweeter, > Since when I saw you down on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/16 "2008-02-22T18:24:26Z")
R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me.” The singer kills someone for what he said about his woman and then runs from the law. A) No matter what anyone says, they don’t deserve death. Sue for slander. B) If you do kill someone, suck it up and take it like a man, dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/17 "2008-02-22T18:25:58Z")
“ **Sad Eyes** ” by the Bee Gees. “My girlfriend’s coming back to town so I gotta take off. You were a good fuck. Stop crying, I told you this was temporary!” ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/18 "2008-02-22T18:26:57Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Brief hijack… when they say: "_In Birmingham they love the governor ohh ooohh ohhh… Now we all did what we could do"_ is that a reference to the Wallace shooting or his support of segregation? [/QUOTE] Next few lines: _Watergate does not bother me. Does your conscience bother you?_ If y’all had voted for Wallace in '68, Nixon wouldn’t have gotten in, wouldn’t have run again in '72, and we wouldn’t have had that crook for president. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/19 "2008-02-22T18:29:06Z")
[QUOTE=The New and Improved Superman] Rod Stewart’s **Stay With Me** : [/QUOTE] Also Maggie May, unless you think it’s okay for old ladies to seduce school boys. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745/20 "2008-02-22T18:33:09Z")
The song that _always_ comes to my mind when this subject comes up? Convoy, by C.W. McCall. It’s about a mob of truckers driving recklessly and causing massive property damage all across America for no discernible reason. Like, do I even _need_ a smiley for this? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-songs-that-glorified-pretty-rotten-behaviour/438745.md?page=2)