I see many lyrics sites think they recorded this, but it was actually Robert John doing his best Barry Gibb impression. Unless the Brothers Gibb did a version I’m unfamiliar with, in that case I apologize in advance.
To continue the Stones theme, “Stupid Girl”.
And “Treat Her Like a Lady”, which has this gem- strange as it seems/you know you can’t treat a woman mean.
No one has mentioned Cocaine?
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer - a cheerful little ditty about a born killer with anger issues.
Franky and Johnny
Tom Dooley - not glorifying, but he’s about to hang because he killed his girlfriend.
Lots of old folk song have various murders and what-not. I’m afraid I’m not enough of an old folk song fan to be able to pull out titles.
“Queen of Hearts”
Lying out another line
Thinking bout a life of crime.
If that’s what I have to do
To keep me away from you.
It might be harder to come up with a list of songs that glorify good citizenship.
The narrator of Fulsom Prison Blues was no peach:
How about Mack the Knife? He’s a killer, a love-em-and-leave-em ladies’ man, and in some versions a child murderer and pimp.
This song has been debated to death by fans.
According to Steven Van Zandt, the song was intended as basically a good natured rebuttal to Neil Young’s “Southern Man” which the band thought came off as too sweeping. They were trying to say that not all southerners were racist rednecks. Here’s a quote from [url=]Van Zandt himself:
The Wallace line was intended as a rejection of Wallace not as an endorsement. the lyrics are as follows.
In Birmingham they love the governor
(Boo boo boo)
Now we all did what we could do…
In other words, some of us tried to stop it. Don’t blame us (the follow up line about Watergate rhetorically asks if everyone in the North is responsible for Nixon).
More from the band:
Van Zandt also followed that verse up with the ad libbed shout “Montgomery’s got the answer!” which was a refernce to MLK.
A couple of more interesting notes: in spite of the perceived feud between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young, he and Steven Van Zandt were actually good friends and mutual fans. Young has professed to love “Sweet Home Alabama” and has sometimes performed it live himself. He was also a pallbearer at Van Zandt’s funeral. The calling out of Young in the song was never intended to be serious smackdown but as a good natured riposte from one friend to another.
As to any implication that the band supported Nixon or approved of Watergate, Skynyrd publicly supported Jimmy Carter in '76 and performed on his behalf.
I would add Led Zeplins “Ramble on” and The Temptations “Papa was a Rollin’ Stone” to that list and I always thought Elton John’s “Rocket Man” was a metaphore for ditching your family.
The Raveonettes “My Boyfriends Back” is basically about how her boyfreind is going to beat the crap out of everyone.
And of course there is a whole category of songs about prostitutes (“Roxane” by The Police being one of the most famous.)
I don’t know how many folk songs have the theme “He threw her to the ground and ask-ed no man’s leave” after which the girl chases down and wins her “true love”.
Tamlyn is a famous one of that genre, although he has sort of an excuse as he was a member of the fairy troop at that time and presumably had no soul.
Not to mention the innumerable versions of “sailor goes off to sea for seven years, returns in disguise, and acts like a douchebag to his girlfriend by pretending he’s a random sailor trying to seduce her before he finally takes out the ring once she proves that she’s true”.
[mild hijack]I’ll be honest with you–I’ve heard this meme over and over again: “People think it’s romantic”, “People think it’s a love song”, etc.
Does anyone actually think that anymore? Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know it’s about obssession–either because they’ve listened to the song, or they’ve had someone persistently remind them–“You know, that song’s actually about STALKING”? I’ve been to plenty of weddings whose participants grew up with the Police, and I’ve never heard this played once. Ever.
It’s almost become like Richard Gere’s gerbil–everyone knows someone who knows someone who doesn’t know what this song really means, but I have never once encounted firsthand anyone who actually doesn’t. Back in the 80s? Sure, perhaps. But now? Uh-uh.[/mildhijack]
Mama Tried by Merle Haggard (covered by the Grateful Dead, among others):
I came in to post the same. Even in the upbeat Darrin version, Mack’s still a murderer, thief and hangs with prostitutes.
Not to bring politics into it, but a month or so ago, I heard someone from the McCain camp on the radio suggest calling McCain “Mac the Knife” for his tax-cutting efforts. I laughed and, thankfully, that idea seemed to die on the vine.
To the topic of girlfriend killing–“Used to Love Her” by Guns N Roses.
Most of Dusty Springfield’s songs (“I’ll Do Anything,” “Only Want to Be With You,” “Wishin’ and Hopin’”) are about doing anything to get the guy you want.
And then there’s the domestic abuse ones…“He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)” comes to mind.
Whoo … I’m asking about bounders and cads and people come up with killers …
And by “classic” and referencing Sinatra and Dean Martin and the age of gentlemanly behaviour, I thought I was drawing a line in the pre-rock ‘n’ roll era.
So, come on people, dig deeper. The Rolling Stones? They were never admired by our grandparents for being upstanding, clean cut citizens.
Oof … and serial killers? Let’s step back from that kind of stuff.
Bounders and cads, people, bounders and cads!
Call me a sentimental sap with my head stuck in the late thirties, but I always assumed the girl was getting married to someone else.
The pregnant part I didn’t pick up on at all; pop songs didn’t mention such things then. (There were a lot of things pop songs didn’t mention then.)
Funny, but I keep thinking up more & more:
From Tammy Wynette:
From Hot Tuna 99 Year Blues:
Aint Nobody’s Business - jazz standard, but famously done by Billie Holliday:
How about “One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” which endorses drinking & driving (although that could you turn you into a killer instead of a mere bounder)
Love for Sale (not a euphemism)
Makin Whoopie (stop cheating on you wife or you alimony will be high)
Short People (the bridge seems to indicate that short people are, in fact, OK. They are not.)
Hey, thanks! Always thought it was the Bee Gees - ignorance fought!
I don’t recall Papa Was A Rolling Stone as glorifying such behavior, but rather showing the resulting pain of such irresponsibility.
As for the thread, how about “I Shot The Sheriff”? “Thanks for not shooting Deputy Fife, Mr. Marley, but we’re still pretty upset about you whacking Sheriff Taylor. Yes, I understand he badmouthed your garden.”
But he swore it was in self defense. Freedom came his way one day and he started out of town. All of a sudden he saw Sheriff John Brown aiming to shot him down, so he shot, he shot him down. And now they say it is a capital offense.