yes, times change, and song lyrics reflect that, of course.
But usually we think of the changes as showing that our culture has become more permissive, and how songs today would have been censored a couple decades ago.
But it’s also true the other way round:
Some songs from back then would be totally censored today.
Tom Jones–Delilah.
About a jealous stalker who sees his girlfriend’s shadow thru the curtains kissing another guy, so he proudly stabs her to death. Yeah, that’s a good idea for a song
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap-- Young girl
Sure,he doesn’t explicitly say that he’s fantasizing about kiddie porn. But he doesn’t deny it , either.
I’ve heard every one of those songs on the radio within the past year.
If anything, radio is even more liberal as far as what does and doesn’t get played. I know of several rap stations in my area that play uncensored versions of songs, complete with the endless bleatings of THAT** word, and far as I know, not only has no one complained, but the stations are routinely among the top ranked in the area.
I don’t think the singer of Kissing Booth would be arrested, but the reaction to the lyrics might be quite different now. It is a song by Bill LaBounty, from my private collection, partial lyrics:
Pardon me, Compadre
May I have this place in line?
You see, the woman I love is standing there
Underneath that cardboard sign.
That’s saying,
Fifty cents a hug at the kissing booth,
To buy a little love at the kissing booth.
Loan me fifty cents for the kissing booth.
…
I want a little more,
I need a little more,
Give me alittle more love…
A sweet young thing of 16 thought that she’d step out one night
Alone to get the thrills in life she’d missed
She met a youth, a bit uncouth, although he seemed all right
She’d known him but a moment when they kissed
When she came home next day with swollen head
And her girlfriend asked “did you have fun?” she said:
(several stanzas of what would amount to date rape today, excised here for copyright reasons)
Am I glad? Holy gee
Have I had? You’re tellin’ me
Was I drunk? Was he handsome? And did my ma give me hell?
What makes you think that singers today have any more restrictions on them than they did “back then”? I take it you have never picked up a hip-hop album.
For example, Eminem had a small hit a few years back called “Stan” about an obsessive fan who eventually kills himself and his girlfriend. Even had Dido and Elton John singing on various versions of it.
I worked for a college radio station when it came out, and it was getting pretty popular. Then came the memo that the song was unplayable. Couple weeks later the new memo came out saying that the song was not racist. That lasted for about a week and then the song was banned for good.
I can’t believe I’m the first on this one. Maybe Mick wouldn’t have gotten arrested, but he certainly would get his clock cleaned had Brown Sugar been listened to a little more closely.
Gold Coast slaveship bound for cotton fields
Sold in the market down in New Orleans
Scarred old slaver knows he’s doin’ alright
Hear him whip the women just around midnight
Then he goes on about how hot it is for white guys to have sex with their black slaves…
Geesh, and FTR, I’m a huge Rolling Stones fan. But when I was like, 12, and looked up the lyrics to this one, I was shocked.
…If I could find that heina and that sancho that she’s found,
Well Id pop a cap in sancho and I’d slap her down…
…Tell sanchito that if he knows what is good for him he best go run and hide.
Daddy’s got a new .45.
And I wont think twice to stick that barrel straight down sanchos throat…
I don’t see how that’s much different from the OP’s example of Delilah.
