# Popular songs that give terrible advice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 5, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343 "2023-02-05T16:00:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/201 "2023-02-14T15:54:44Z")
“You hang around, baby, with Jean and Joan and a _who knows who_” (emphasis mine) sounds to me like he’s suspicious that when she’s spending all this time out away from home doing whatever she’s doing, she’s not always just “out with the girls,” if you know what I mean. That would be his side of the story, of course, and as song listeners, we can easily assume we’re dealing with an unreliable narrator. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/202 "2023-02-14T16:19:02Z")
Don’t let Jimi stand next to your fire. He’ll just do something stupid with it… [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTW6P-MMWjjU_5Xn_uNB_ei7wftICyJzVt2rw&usqp=CAU) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTW6P-MMWjjU_5Xn_uNB_ei7wftICyJzVt2rw&usqp=CAU) ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/203 "2023-02-14T17:32:01Z")
Huh, that’s the first time I’ve ever that, and I think I’m just going to stick with ‘thoughts’, what a stupid line. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/204 "2023-02-14T17:38:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Do not trust online lyrics sites (if that’s where the “thoughts” version was pulled from.) No, I been singing and hearing thoughts since some time in the early 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/205 "2023-02-14T18:02:04Z")
OTOH, “Don’t sleep in the subway, darling” is excellent advice. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/206 "2023-02-14T18:42:07Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > OTOH, “Don’t sleep in the subway, darling” is excellent advice Yes, as already noted. > [@Popular songs that give terrible advice](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/82): > > “Don’t sleep in the subway, darling.” Sleeping in the subway is always an excellent idea. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/207 "2023-02-14T18:42:24Z")
somewhat similar to “que sera sera” which is basically fatalistic or Zenlike ---
**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:** [February 14, 2023, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/208 "2023-02-14T23:58:52Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Although based on the spelling he’s referring to British celebrity chef Delia Smith, so his meaning is unclear Nope, it’s an old blues song based on a girl who was murdered in 1900 > **[Delia Green](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delia_Green)** > > Delia Green (1886 – December 25, 1900) was a 14-year-old African-American murder victim who has been identified as the likely inspiration for several well-known traditional American songs, usually known by the titles "Delia", "Delia's Gone" or "Little Delia". > According to contemporaneous reports published in Georgia newspapers, Green was shot by 15-year-old Mose (or Moses) Houston late on Christmas Eve, 1900, in the Yamacraw neighborhood of Savannah, Georgia, and died at 3:00 a.m. on Christmas D... Dave Bromberg and Dylan both do versions, plus plenty of other people. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/209 "2023-02-15T00:14:57Z")
_Put down that chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight. It’s time to let your babies grow up to be cowboys. It’s time to let the bedbugs bite. You better put all your eggs in one basket. You better count your chickens before they hatch. You better sell some wine before its time…_ ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/210 "2023-02-15T00:21:13Z")
Also Let’s Get Tatoos by Carter USM is questionable advice: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YWMmYDTy6vI/maxresdefault.jpg "Carter USM - Let's Get Tattoos / Rubbish") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWMmYDTy6vI) Party on Dude Let’s buy some booze Go downtown And get tattoos ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/211 "2023-02-15T00:33:42Z")
I like the song _Take it Easy_ and it sounds, prima facie, to be good advice. Slow down, lighten up, don’t make yourself crazy. The issue is that the writer seems to think escaping his relationship problems can be achieved by calling out to a random woman, climbing into her truck and depending on her to save him, somehow. This will likely only further entrench his problems. Therefore, “take it easy,” by his own definition, is not good advice. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/212 "2023-02-15T00:38:52Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > “You hang around, baby, with Jean and Joan and a _who knows who_” (emphasis mine) sounds to me like he’s suspicious that when she’s spending all this time out away from home doing whatever she’s doing, she’s not always just “out with the girls,” if you know what I mean. Huh, I’ve always heard that line as “Gino Jones and who knows who.” I had this mental image of Gino Jones as a rather skeevy but smooth-talking dude. Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![RAWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343/213 "2023-02-15T00:44:52Z")
Follow your daughter home! Guess Who, 1973 “Lock her up, lock her up!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-songs-that-give-terrible-advice/979343.md?page=10)