# I don't think that song means what you think it means: sneaky subtext **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [May 28, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128 "2021-05-28T22:01:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/1 "2021-05-28T22:01:45Z")
ITT: songs with a yawning chasm between what they’re pretending to be about vs. what everybody knows they’re really about. With the substitution of one anatomical noun for another, for example, an ostensibly innocent tribute to an unbreakable father-daughter bond becomes possibly the dirtiest song in the American songbook: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wwQjLZ8OOFs/maxresdefault.jpg "My Heart Belongs to Daddy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwQjLZ8OOFs) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/2 "2021-05-29T03:21:58Z")
Not a clue what you’re on about with this. This song is about a sugar daddy, not a genetic daddy. And it’s ribald, not dirty (unless you’re a puritan). “I never dream of making the team, 'cause my heart belongs to Daddy.” One of the better lines, from one of the verses that isn’t usually performed on records. Porter often wrote several extra verses for his songs, not sure why, maybe just to exercise his cleverness. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/3 "2021-05-29T08:37:57Z")
When she sings “Because Daddy, he treats it so well,” is the “it” referring to her heart? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/4 "2021-05-29T08:59:35Z")
On a related note, I have a sneaking suspicion that Krokus’ “Long Stick Goes Boom” might not have been about dynamite. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dsYPCEIF4Bg/maxresdefault.jpg "Long Stick Goes Boom (Remastered)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsYPCEIF4Bg) ---
**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 29, 2021, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/5 "2021-05-29T12:09:14Z")
They left out the introduction, which makes it clear that “daddy” is a “sweet millionaire.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MZa7uvmJ1U8/maxresdefault.jpg "Mary Martin - My Heart Belongs To Daddy 1939 Cole Porter Songs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZa7uvmJ1U8) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/6 "2021-05-29T14:24:45Z")
She’s not talking about her heart. (Where’s Cheri Oteri when you need her?) ---
**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 29, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/7 "2021-05-29T14:39:02Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > When she sings “Because Daddy, he treats it so well,” is the “it” referring to her heart? Grammatically, yes. But Porter was certainly well aware that it could mean something else. Note that “finnan haddie” is a type of fish dish, but also could have another meaning the way it’s used here. The double entendres were deliberate and probably noted upon from the start. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/8 "2021-05-29T15:49:17Z")
In the early 1950s most records were still 10" in diameter, even though the 12" long playing (the source of the LP) disk by Columbia was making inroads. I say that because when Bull Moose Jackson whipped out his version of Fred Weismantel’s “Big Ten Inch Record,” he might not, possibly, have been referring to just a disk. > Last night I tried to tease her > I gave my love a little pinch > She said now stop that jivin’ > Now whip out your big ten inch > Record of a band that plays the blues Aerosmith’s cover is far better known. ---
**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 29, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/9 "2021-05-29T16:49:58Z")
Porter also wrote “Let’s Do It,” which also has a double meaning. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lXYKGL6MgKM/hqdefault.jpg "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) by Ella Fitzgerald") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXYKGL6MgKM) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/10 "2021-05-29T17:02:19Z")
I remember when this song came out. Took a while for folks to figure out about what a teenaged girl meant by her brand new pair of roller skates and a teenaged boys brand new “key”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lKcpodt0YCU/maxresdefault.jpg "Melanie - Brand New Key (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKcpodt0YCU) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/11 "2021-05-29T17:10:05Z")
No, she was clear in that the song had a double meaning, so she meant _both_ the innocent and the sexual meaning. Cool song. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/12 "2021-05-29T17:14:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, she was clear in that the song had a double meaning, so she meant _both_ the innocent and the sexual meaning. No she wasn’t. At least Not at first she wasn’t. She didn’t acknowledge the double meaning until an interview several years after it was released. And while she recognized there was a double meaning she denied that was her intent. Prior to that a lot of people amazingly did not detect it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/13 "2021-05-29T17:17:54Z")
Yes, that is true, in fact she did not _write it_ to have one: wiki _Melanie has acknowledged the possibility of detecting [sexual innuendo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_innuendo) in the lyrics, but has denied any deeper meaning:_ _\> [The song], “Brand New Key”, I wrote in about fifteen minutes one night. I thought it was cute; a kind of old thirties tune. I guess a key and a lock have always been [Freudian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud) symbols, and pretty obvious ones at that. There was no deep serious expression behind the song, but people read things into it. They made up incredible stories as to what the lyrics said and what the song meant. In some places, it was even banned from the radio. My idea about songs is that once you write them, you have very little say in their life afterward. It’s a lot like having a baby. You conceive a song, deliver it, and then give it as good a start as you can. After that, it’s on its own. People will take it any way they want to take it.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_New_Key#cite_note-3)_ _In an interview with [Examiner.com](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Examiner.com), Melanie described what she claimed was the inspiration for the song: “I was fasting with a 27-day fast on water. I broke the fast and went back to my life living in [New Jersey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey) and we were going to a [flea market](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flea_market) around six in the morning. On the way back… and I had just broken the fast, from the flea market, we passed a [McDonald’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s) and the aroma hit me, and I had been a vegetarian before the fast. So we pulled into the McDonald’s and I got the whole works… the burger, the shake, and the fries… and no sooner after I finished that last bite of my burger… that song was in my head. The aroma brought back memories of roller skating and learning to ride a bike and the vision of my dad holding the back fender of the tire. And me saying to my dad… ‘You’re holding, you’re holding, you’re holding, right?’ Then I’d look back and he wasn’t holding and I’d fall. So that whole thing came back to me and came out in this song.”[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_New_Key#cite_note-1)_ So she didn’t mean a double meaning but later she agreed it could be interpreted that way. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/14 "2021-05-29T18:21:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Porter also wrote “Let’s Do It,” which also has a double meaning Very nearly “single entendre” in my book. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/15 "2021-05-29T18:23:30Z")
I’ve mentioned this in other threads. Some thought it was a love song. Some kind of sweet ditty about his lovely lady. In fact it’s actually depressing. The guy is completely miserable. He’s suspicious. He’s paranoid. He’s constantly worried she’s going to cheat on him or one of his buddies will steal her away. He feels alone and is very unhappy. It’s a sad song, really. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uVXVO_vF2Io/maxresdefault.jpg "Dr Hook - "When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVXVO_vF2Io) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/16 "2021-05-30T02:50:09Z")
“Hot Child in the City” by Nick Gilder is basically about child prostitution. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/17 "2021-05-30T03:00:55Z")
Yeah, I agree, completely. I used to think it was about some little chick walking around looking for something she didn’t understand she really didn’t want to get, but when I saw the movie Angel (1984) I realized what the song was all about. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/18 "2021-05-30T04:03:55Z")
So we’re clear that the organ being referred to, figuratively, is not the heart. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/19 "2021-05-30T15:01:46Z")
I’m pretty sure “Squeezebox - The Who” isn’t about an accordion. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZXoxH8HI7z8/hqdefault.jpg "the who-squeeze box") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXoxH8HI7z8) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128/20 "2021-05-30T15:38:29Z")
But Chuck Berry’s ding-a-ling really is just a toy made of bells on a string, right? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-that-song-means-what-you-think-it-means-sneaky-subtext/943128.md?page=2)