# Hit Songs in Bad Taste **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784 "2019-05-30T16:39:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/21 "2019-05-30T17:47:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The song is definitely against wife beating. I know, and I’ve always known what the song was about. I think the people who thought it was about menstruation didn’t listen to much more that the title. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/22 "2019-05-30T17:49:34Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When a song hits the Billboard Top 20 it is considered successful whether _you_ heard it or not. I don’t doubt it. And I’ve already proclaimed by song ignorance, but if something is really successful, it become ubiquitous and eventually, you’d think, I would have heard it. Not the case with this song at all. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/23 "2019-05-30T17:51:18Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)” by the Crystals in 1962, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King (!) > > ETA: not sure if it was a, um, “hit” though This one, too, was included in the Dave Barry book. I don’t recall hearing this one, either. But back in 1962 I wasn’t paying close attention, so it’s not surprising. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/24 "2019-05-30T17:53:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Why is this one in bad taste? Yeah. I agree it’s kinda silly, and very 70’s, but honestly it’s not that bad. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/25 "2019-05-30T17:56:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Definitely a wide Gap age-wise in _that_ Union. Nope. Oh you can _infer_ one, but she could be 18 from all that the lyrics say. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/26 "2019-05-30T18:11:33Z")
[_Run For Your Life_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzHXtxcIkg4)-The Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/27 "2019-05-30T18:21:34Z")
[Boom Boom (Out go the Lights)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4XbV3gCm2Y) by Little Walter, but a hit for the Pat Travers Band in the 70’s. I never been so mad before When I found out she ain’t mine no more If I get her in my sight Boom, boom, out go the lights There are plenty of blues songs with similar themes (getting back at my cheating girl) but something about the audience participation on the “Boom Boom” part makes it particularly disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/28 "2019-05-30T18:27:17Z")
_Brown Sugar_ by the Rolling Stones. Glorifying slavery and misogyny in one fell swoop. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/29 "2019-05-30T18:27:24Z")
Except the singer in _Young Girl_ is specifically telling her to run away from him. He does admit to being tempted, but that was when he thought she was older and once he discovers she’s too young, he ends it. In the rest of the mini-opera, the girl comes back when she’s of age (“Lady Willpower”) and they have sex (“This Girl is a Woman Now”). But she tires of him and starts looking for other men (“Woman, Woman”). When she finally leaves, he is hurt (“Over You”). ---
**Author:** ![Helmut\_Doork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e8c25b/32.png) [@Helmut\_Doork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helmut_Doork)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/30 "2019-05-30T18:33:21Z")
> [@xnylder](#): > > _Brown Sugar_ by the Rolling Stones. Glorifying slavery and misogyny in one fell swoop. I think you may have the winner here, plus it hit number one! ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/31 "2019-05-30T18:58:48Z")
“Short People” by Randy Newman was No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, according to Wikipedia. It was song _against_ prejudice so I’m not sure it qualifies as in bad taste, but most listeners missed the point he was making. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/32 "2019-05-30T19:13:44Z")
“Fulsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash. I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/33 "2019-05-30T20:04:39Z")
Deservedly panned in the recent past, Baby it’s Cold Outside deserves a mention. And what a story - _after_ having been called for being suggestive of date rape, [it made the Billboard download top ten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby,_It%27s_Cold_Outside#Lyrics_controversy). It gets weirder - the Wiki page tells the story of it being suspended by radio station > [@](#): > > KOIT in San Francisco You couldn’t make it up. j ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/34 "2019-05-30T20:09:34Z")
[Rum and Coca Cola.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_and_Coca-Cola) Both mother and daughter are whores servicing Yankees. Just because it whooshed over the Andrew Sisters’ heads doesn’t make it any less offensive. eta: and what exactly is misogynistic about the Eagles? I can’t think of a single song that fits. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/35 "2019-05-30T20:12:37Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I think Heart’s awful song _All I Wanna Do_ is pretty tasteless. I suppose there have been women who picked up total strangers and boned them for the sole purpose of getting pregnant because their partner couldn’t, but maybe lets not sing about it. Truly words to live by. You slew me with that one! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/36 "2019-05-30T20:22:16Z")
Benny Mardones claimed that the problematic lyrics of \*Into the Night \* were totally innocent and about a neighbor he was fond of like a younger sister. The video feels just a little different… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zWHjJt4833I/hqdefault.jpg "Benny Mardones - Into the Night ( Full Original Video 1980)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWHjJt4833I) Definitely a hit. It charted in the top 20 twice. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/37 "2019-05-30T20:32:55Z")
> [@Helmut\_Doork](#): > > Some may point to Ram Jam’s Black Betty, but that was of course not an original but a remake of a Leadbelly tune, plus the song lyrics mention race, but aren’t racist per se. And, though I suspect that the origins of the song are lost to history, there are a lot of theories about what “Black Betty” refers to, which have nothing to do with race (or even people) – [Wikipedia has a number of cites](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Betty), suggesting that the term might be referring to a gun, a whip, a whiskey bottle, or a penitentiary wagon. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/38 "2019-05-30T20:36:03Z")
Don’t know if it counts as a hit, but Elvis Costello’s _Alison_. Linda Ronstadt did a very pretty cover of it, but ISTM that murder is in bad taste. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/39 "2019-05-30T20:44:25Z")
Somewhat off-topic (thought I consider most hit songs to be in poor taste), but this reminds me of when my son was in a band. When it came to song selection, violence against kids (like Foster the People’s big hit) was off-limits, but songs with spousal beating/killing were allowed. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784/40 "2019-05-30T20:46:39Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Don’t know if it counts as a hit, but Elvis Costello’s _Alison_. Linda Ronstadt did a very pretty cover of it, but ISTM that murder is in bad taste. > > Regards, > Shodan For some reason I thought that was his ONLY hit, but apparently that didn’t even chart and his only Top 40 hit was Veronica. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-in-bad-taste/834784.md?page=3)