# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/81 "2024-08-21T10:31:42Z")
The original meaning of “faggot” (or “fagot”) is a piece of firewood, hence its being used as a slang word for cigarette. **EDIT:** Ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/82 "2024-08-21T10:34:53Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > > [@Gyrate](#): > > > > The Andrews Sisters later claimed that they thought the song was about being waitresses and were embarrassed when they discovered what it was really about. > > Oh, right. Yeah, I _suppose_ it is _possible_ to say that it’s just about waitresses, because prositution isn’t explicitly mentioned. But still, it’s ambiguous, and in an unpleasant way. Plus, it seems that the original lyrics were even worse. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/83 "2024-08-21T10:37:30Z")
If this one doesn’t offend you, you ain’t PC! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/i9AtE1h9hx0/maxresdefault.jpg "Standing On the Corner") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9AtE1h9hx0) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/84 "2024-08-21T10:41:56Z")
When I was working on the radio, we sent this one out as a “Special Dedication from OJ to Nicole!” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BUh3Hj2-cCo/maxresdefault.jpg "Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Official Soul Train Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUh3Hj2-cCo) ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/85 "2024-08-21T10:57:31Z")
I have to think that _Illegal Alien_ by Genesis wouldn’t fly today with the exaggerated Mexican accent coming from a British singer. _PYT (Pretty Young Thing)_ by Michael Jackson is problematic for other completely different reasons. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/86 "2024-08-21T11:06:13Z")
I always wanted to get up on stage and sing this one at the Red Stocking Coffee House up the street from Macalester College. Nothing would be surer to incite a mob of radical feminists: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/91WZUR42-ys/hqdefault.jpg "The Girl That I Marry [Song by Irving Berlin] 1946") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91WZUR42-ys) ---
**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:** [August 21, 2024, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/87 "2024-08-21T11:19:54Z")
_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. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6EqFVWzOfN8/hqdefault.jpg "JIMMY SOUL-"IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY"(LYRICS)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EqFVWzOfN8) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/88 "2024-08-21T11:35:30Z")
I thought it was more “marry an ugly woman because other men won’t want to sleep with her and thus she’ll be faithful by default”. Basically the opposite of the song “When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman”. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2024, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/89 "2024-08-21T11:41:16Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I thought it was more “marry an ugly woman because other men won’t want to sleep with her and thus she’ll be faithful by default”. Oh, it’s both. > [@](#): > > A pretty woman makes her husband look small > And very often causes his downfall > As soon as he married her and then she starts > To do the things that will break his heart > > But if you make an ugly woman your wife > Ah you’ll be happy for the rest of your life > An ugly woman cooks meals on time > She’ll always give you peace of mind ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/90 "2024-08-21T11:52:47Z")
This reaches w-a-a-a-a-y back into the Tin Pan Alley days. My high school buddy’s grandfather had some really old Victrola records that we used to play for a hoot. There was a song called “Hey Wop”, with lyrics like “Hey, wop! Get up and go down to the barber shop!”. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/91 "2024-08-21T12:10:50Z")
> [@Moonrise](#): > > Yeah, I _suppose_ it is _possible_ to say that it’s just about waitresses, because prositution isn’t explicitly mentioned. But still, it’s ambiguous, and in an unpleasant way. > > Plus, it seems that the original lyrics were even worse. Wasn’t it aimed at GIs who were rotated to Trinidad for R&R? ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/92 "2024-08-21T12:28:14Z")
Peggy Lee had a hit in 1947 with “Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)”, later covered by others–Dean Martin comes to mind. It was a bit of lighthearted humor at the time, but the stereotypical accent and the message has passed its “best by” date. I eat two or three apples every day, so when my wife occasionally announces that she is going to the store and asks what I need, I sing out with “Manzana, manzana!” (apple), to the tune of “Mañana” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/93 "2024-08-21T12:43:54Z")
How are you going to sing a song with Spanish lyrics if you don’t use an accent? The same applies to any other language. Only native speakers have flawless accents. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/94 "2024-08-21T12:54:33Z")
As I mentioned in my other post, that mitigates the story somewhat, but his intent is clear and the fact that she is 17 makes it statutory rape in many jurisdictions and creepy everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/95 "2024-08-21T13:13:24Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Was _Bitchin’ Camaro_, Dead Milkmen, ever really popular? I loved it, but I do now cringe during the AIDS portion. I don’t often listen, except when I need a nostalgia hit. I have a lot of punk from that period that is similar. They also had a song on the same album titled “Takin’ Retards to the Zoo.” And “If you Love Somebody, Set Them On Fire” was a few years later. When your entire persona is “obnoxious bratty punk” you can always claim irony. I assume that’s how The Bloodhound Gang and Dynamite Hack sleep at night. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/96 "2024-08-21T13:17:00Z")
I’d say **In the Summertime** ticks more than one box - if you’re not convinced the ambiguous wording of “do what you feel” refers to assault, then “have a drink, have a drive” should be unambiguous enough for you. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/97 "2024-08-21T13:20:41Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > How are you going to sing a song with Spanish lyrics if you don’t use an accent? > > The same applies to any other language. Only native speakers have flawless accents. The song has one word in Spanish…“Mañana” The rest is in English, sung with a stereotypical Hispanic accent. That’s where the song departs from modern acceptable standards. It’s similar to people speaking with stereotypical Asian accents switching their Rs and Ls for comedic purposes. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ou5vsdpsoAE/maxresdefault.jpg ""Mañana" (Official Video) - Peggy Lee") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5vsdpsoAE) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/98 "2024-08-21T13:24:27Z")
I thought Illegal Alien was by Cheech Marin. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/99 "2024-08-21T13:44:32Z")
Cheech Marin’s commentary on the topic was “Born in East L.A.” > **[Genesis - Illegal Alien (Official Music Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqQv3qef21A%2F)** > > \*\*CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE GENESIS OFFICIAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL\*\*https://found.ee/GenesisYouTube\*\*WATCH GENESIS' OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEOS\*\*https://www.youtube... > **[Born In East L.A. (Cheech And Chong) \[HD\]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFUFw1GH6ic%2F)** > > Born in east L.A. Lyrics:(Cheech:)Took a walk to the corner storeJust to buy a loaf of bread and a box of s\`moresUp pulled a guy in a yellow vanShiny gold ba... ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956/100 "2024-08-21T13:45:25Z")
> [@veryfrank](#): > > They also had a song on the same album titled “Takin’ Retards to the Zoo.” And “If you Love Somebody, Set Them On Fire” was a few years later. When your entire persona is “obnoxious bratty punk” you can always claim irony. I assume that’s how The Bloodhound Gang and Dynamite Hack sleep at night. Good point. You could also lump Ween into this conversation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-popular-songs-that-are-no-longer-socially-acceptable/1005956.md?page=6)