# Once-popular songs that are no longer socially acceptable **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 20, 2024, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956 "2024-08-20T20:18:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/241 "2024-08-23T18:55:55Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > " **They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!**" i Hilarious novelty song. > [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love” is still performed, but usually without the original opening lines: I have never ever heard those lines, not even in old movies. > [@Gyrate](#): > > “Short People” was popular but controversial in its day. Now I suspect it would just be considered to be in generally poor taste. It is satire about bigots. _[(Short people are just the same as you and I.)_ _A fool such as I._ _(All men are brothers until the day they die.)_ _It’s a wonderful world._ I mean you have to understand it. > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The original lyrics to “I’ve Got a Little List” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” contain this line: > > “and the n\*\*\*\*r serenader and the others of his race” I found a cite that claims it has the original and it is “banjo serenader”. > **["I've Got A Little List!" - History, Mystery and a Little Romance](https://saraleeetter.com/2016/06/15/ive-got-a-little-list/)** > > One of the most famous (and most often-parodied) songs from The Mikado is Koko’s “I’ve Got a Little List.” Koko, a cheap tailor about to be executed for the crime of flirting, finds himself suddenly elevated to the rank of Lord High Executioner by... **Ko-Ko.** _There’s the banjo serenader, and the others of his race,_ _And the piano-organist — I’ve got him on the list!_ Goot one for yours? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/242 "2024-08-23T19:30:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > > > The original lyrics to “I’ve Got a Little List” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” contain this line: > > > > “and the n\*\*\*\*r serenader and the others of his race” > > I found a cite that claims it has the original and it is “banjo serenader”. > ["I've Got A Little List!" - History, Mystery and a Little Romance](https://saraleeetter.com/2016/06/15/ive-got-a-little-list/) > **Ko-Ko.** > _There’s the banjo serenader, and the others of his race,_ > _And the piano-organist — I’ve got him on the list!_ > > Got one for yours? My copy of W.S. Complete Operas by W.S. Gilbert, published in 1932, has it the way I quoted it. [Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Mikado/Act_I#ANCHOR) shows it the way I quoted it. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado#Modernised_words_and_phrases), it referred to blackface minstrelry, and was reworded for an American tour of the D’Oyly Carte company in 1948. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/243 "2024-08-23T19:51:55Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > They also missed Bianca’s line in _Kiss Me, Kate_: It gets worse: BIANCA & SUITORS: A dicka dick, A dicka dick, Even funnier given Cole Porter’s proclivities. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > Believe it or not, there were sequels and imitations, which you can find listed on the Wikipedia site I’ve got the Josephine version and the Nuts Hunt the squirrels sequel recorded from a WBCN rare tape night around 1972. Also a comedy single about a guy doing a Jerry Lewis bit about people coming to your door to ask for donations to fight the “Big N” - necrophilia. As for the pronunciation of lied, all you need to remember is Tom Lehrer: “As someone once remarked to Schubert Take me to your lieder.” ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/244 "2024-08-23T20:09:58Z")
Tom T. Hall had a hit in 1975 with his paean to alcohol conviviality [I Like Beer.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8i5k4I1AOEI&pp=ygULSSBsaWtlIGJlZXI%3D) In 2021 Hall died of a self-inflicted gunshot, while under drug therapy for anxiety and alcoholism. In an unfortunate coincidence, this was the 1975 sleeve art: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/I_Like_Beer_-_Tom_T._Hall.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/I_Like_Beer_-_Tom_T._Hall.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/245 "2024-08-23T20:18:48Z")
Another song from **The Mikado** originally had the lyrics: > The lady who dyes a chemical yellow > Or stains her grey hair puce > Or pinches her figure > Is blacked like a n——r > With permanent walnut juice Later productions changed the last two lines to > Is painted with vigor > And permanent walnut juice which also adds some very Gilbertian zeugma. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/246 "2024-08-23T20:30:06Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > from a WBCN rare tape night around 1972. Ah, memories of BCN. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/247 "2024-08-23T21:01:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It is satire about bigots. Like _Stuart_, by The Dead Milkmen. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/248 "2024-08-23T21:51:29Z")
John Mulaney talks about how to make a song socially unacceptable, at least to a specific group of people… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Mw7Gryt-rcc/maxresdefault.jpg "John Mulaney Plays “What’s New Pussycat?” 21 Times on a Diner Jukebox") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7Gryt-rcc) ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/249 "2024-08-23T22:06:46Z")
Since someone has mentioned the novelty hit “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” by Napoleon XIV… how about the novelty hit “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me (than have to have a frontal lobotomy)” by Randy Hanzlick MD? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/250 "2024-08-24T01:30:05Z")
Which was referenced in _Existential Blues_ by Tom “T-Bone” Stankus. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/251 "2024-08-24T03:16:30Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > how about the novelty hit “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me > (than have to have a frontal lobotomy)” by Randy Hanzlick MD? I just read the lyrics, why would that song be objectionable? I don’t think most people would want a frontal lobotomy. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/252 "2024-08-29T21:17:00Z")
So, anything about sex is “problematic”? I wonder when the human population will die out. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/253 "2024-08-29T21:21:31Z")
Around 100 of the responses here are posters extremely reaching for anything they could conceivably find offense in or be offended on behalf of someone (who probably doesn’t need or want anyone being offended on their behalf), as well as obvious satire and stuff advocating the modernly correct POV, rather than content that actually endorses reprehensible behavior. And I find a lot of the comments about things being sexist are actually sexist themselves because they try to remove agency from women and make blanket statements about sex/love, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/254 "2024-08-30T00:11:34Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > _If You Wanna Be Happy_ by Jimmy Soul was a #1 on the Billboard charts in 1963, but the lyrics about the virtues of marrying an ugly woman so she’ll cook for you probably wouldn’t fly in any decade since then. And yet, it was practically the theme tune of _Mermaids_ (Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder), wasn’t it? That was 1990. Maybe they cleaned up the lyrics a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/255 "2024-08-30T00:42:02Z")
[Moderating] @actualliberalnotoneofthose , if you don’t want to take part in a thread, it’s really simple: You just don’t take part. That’s a lot easier than threadshitting. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/256 "2024-08-30T11:59:31Z")
oh… I just listened to a “fun” one … and headed for the lyrics - for your reading pleasure: Nat King Cole and Dean Martín _[Verse 3: Dean Martin, Nat King Cole , **Both**]_ _Let’s hear it, Nat_ _You know what, you know what, though (What?)_ _There’s just one way to handle a woman (Mhm)_ **Dean, we just got to treat 'em rough** _**You gotta slap 'em (That’s right )**_ _ **We gotta show 'em who wears the pants** _ _**Cut out that sissy, sissy stuff (Mhm )**_ _Now it ain’t no use to take abuse_ _Whenever they are cranky or cross_ _Let’s put the women in their place_ _And we’ll show them who’s the boss_ would not fly today 😉 > **[Dean Martin & Nat King Cole - Open Up the Doghouse...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRVBUs8PEaA%2F32)** > > The full title is "Open Up the Doghouse (Two Cats Are Comin' In)," but YouTube thinks it's too long, so I left it out. :) ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/257 "2024-09-02T04:03:05Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > “Snortin’ Whiskey” wouldn’t get airplay nowadays, like it did ca. 1980 when it was released. > > It’s an ode to cocaine. I have heard this one on the radio, along with many other ballads singing the praises of the Devil’s dandruff. For example, there is an Eric Clapton song that is straight up called “Cocaine”. Every song by Buckcherry is about cocaine except for that one song that is about a stripper… on cocaine. There is also “Semi-Charmed Life” which is a very upbeat pop tune that gets played on the radio every day. This song is a loving tribute to and contains lyrics about crystal meth. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/258 "2024-09-02T05:27:07Z")
Oh, heck, high school marching bands have played “Cocaine” and, for that matter, “Tequila”, because of the catchy tunes. The one thing I know about Buckcherry is that VH-1 created a show in the 00s just to give one of their videos a forum for airplay. I figured that out pretty fast. p.s. This is, to my knowledge, the only song ever to appear in the American Top 40 that is about an inflatable sex doll. The year was 1979. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U59z_KhAbnI/hqdefault.jpg "Bram Tchaikovsky - Girl Of My Dreams") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U59z_KhAbnI) ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/259 "2024-09-02T06:53:45Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > “The Homecoming Queen’s Got A Gun” was not played on MTV, but it was played on the much looser “Night Flight” on the USA Network. I’m pretty sure I saw it on MTV, and I did not watch Night Flight. Anyway, it should be noted that THQ’sGaG was not entirely acceptable on radio. “I mean, it was like the whole school was totally coked or something!” was changed to “I mean, it made me really proud to be a teenager!” And “Are you having a really bad period?!” was changed to “You’ll get suspended if you don’t quit it!” * * * Has anyone mentioned “Having My Baby” yet? Although I think that might have ground some gears even when it was new. I remember a friend of mine telling me, back in the '90s, about browsing a record-geek store with his then-SO, telling her, “If you see something, put it in my basket,” then saying “Not this!” when she added “Having My Baby”. “I’m surprised at you for wanting to own that!” They both would have been teenagers when it was new, FTR. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/260 "2024-09-02T08:02:39Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Has anyone mentioned “Having My Baby” yet? Although I think that might have ground some gears even when it was new. I remember a friend of mine telling me, back in the '90s, about browsing a record-geek store with his then-SO, telling her, “If you see something, put it in my basket,” then saying “Not this!” when she added “Having My Baby”. “I’m surprised at you for wanting to own that!” They both would have been teenagers when it was new, FTR. “Having My Baby” more or less became socially unacceptable as soon as it fell off the charts because it was, to quote the late Chicago DJ Larry Lujack, “a godawful piece of crap.” Somehow that song spent three weeks at #1 in the summer of 1974 even though no one ever admitted to buying–or even liking–the record. Since then, not even the most desperate oldies stations have it on their playlists. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956.md?page=14)