They sang *what*?

[Thang-y]

For no good reason, I looked up Lance Percival recently and found this song. Reminded me how much times have changed. So what other songs are out there which make you shake your head in disbelief that they were once generally acceptable?

[Hugh]

An actual Calypso song, rather than one of Lance's own, for which he was famous. Peter Tosh recorded it as well.

[Thang-y]

Really? Comes over as a dreadful parody. My mistake.

Question stands though, what songs are not just dated but shockingly so?

[Tactful Cactus]

"I can see that you're 15 years old, I don't want your ID"
Surely that was sleazy even in 1968!?

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

Actually, the song has a wonderful history: it dates from 1943.

I guess Lord Melody's is the most famous. I recall having heard it quite a number of times in my youth ('60s, '70s'). Only when I had been taught English, in grammar school, I understood what was being sung.

Times were different. Many 'odd' relationships were not seen as that weird, degenerate (if you will). Livin in a commune was perceived as outlandish, but not as abnormal.

People in stable marriages, nice families, didn't make too much fuss about 'doing things different'. They just shook their heads and laughed a bit.

(This is what I noticed, but it's not what I think or feel, anno 2017.)

Now this is important: neither my parents, nor anyone in the larger family sphere had a basic knowledge of English. So people generally found it a nice tune, and chanted along with the chorus, in some phonetic private interpretation of the sounds they heard.

I guess this is an essential difference.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shame_%26_Scandal

(A feast for trivia fans.)

[HotRats]

I mean, this is SO out there, it's hard not to believe it was a parody even then. But I don't think it was..

Wives and Lovers...Bacharach and David, 1963...

Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your make-up
Soon he will open the door
Don't think because there's a ring on your finger
You needn't try any more
For wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
I'm warning you
Day after day, there are girls at the office
And the men will always be men
Don't stand him up with your hair still in curlers
You may not see him again
Wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
He's almost here
Hey, little girl, better wear something pretty
Something you wear to go to the city
Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music
Time to get ready for love
It's time to get ready for love
Yes, it's time to get ready for love
It's time to get ready, kick your shoes off, baby

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

I mean, this is SO out there, it's hard not to believe it was a parody even then. But I don't think it was..

Wives and Lovers...Bacharach and David, 1963...

Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your make-up
Soon he will open the door
Don't think because there's a ring on your finger
You needn't try any more
For wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
I'm warning you
Day after day, there are girls at the office
And the men will always be men
Don't stand him up with your hair still in curlers
You may not see him again
Wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
He's almost here
Hey, little girl, better wear something pretty
Something you wear to go to the city
Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music
Time to get ready for love
It's time to get ready for love
Yes, it's time to get ready for love
It's time to get ready, kick your shoes off, baby

...the work of the devil...

[naughty boy]

"I can see that you're 15 years old, I don't want your ID"
Surely that was sleazy even in 1968!?

I guess so, yeah.

And it's not the only example from those two...

[George P. Smackers]

Actually listening to the lyrics to "Brown Sugar" is more than enough to get me to go "yikes!"

[Matt Wilson]

"I can see that you're 15 years old, I don't want your ID"
Surely that was sleazy even in 1968!?

I guess so, yeah.

And it's not the only example from those two...

When they sang it live, the line was changed to "13 years old."

[Count Machuki]

An actual Calypso song, rather than one of Lance's own, for which he was famous. Peter Tosh recorded it as well.

Everybody recorded that.
Tosh's version was with The Wailers feat. The Skatalites

[Tactful Cactus]

"I can see that you're 15 years old, I don't want your ID"
Surely that was sleazy even in 1968!?

I guess so, yeah.

And it's not the only example from those two...

When they sang it live, the line was changed to "13 years old."

I’d love to see a chart evolution of the song compared against the political correctness of the time it was performed. 2017=29
What do you think would happen if RS released a song like that now? Media outcry, public apology, song withdrawn…. police investigation?

[Rayge]

Um, I didn't recognize the quote as from the rolling stones, so I googled it, and came across a reddit discussion on virtually the same subject, where this song was mentioned. Of course, it doesn't really fit the bill, as it was intended to be shocking and unacceptable, but I just thought I would share anyway. Not to be read while eating...

GWAR 'Rock & roll never felt so good'

[Verse 1]
Met her at a donkey show
She was minutes past 13
Sucking on a cherry yoo hoo
Reading 'Nugget' magazine
Cum splattered tube-top
Scrawny pre-pube tits
Then I saw she was a quadruple chick

[Chorus 1]
And I said, "Baby, you're looking good
That's when I noticed her legs were wood
I grabbed a stump
And dragged her out the door"
I need a hole, I don't need no hips
I laid a line of coke on her tits
That's when I ripped off her dirty shit
Filled drawers

[Chorus 2][2x]
Good, should, could
I think it feels pretty good
So good,so good. so good

[Verse 2]
It wasn't nothing pretty
She took my genital germ
Her limbless body thrashed around
Filled with infected sperm
I criss-crossed with my cable
I smashed her face through a door
That found her in a plastic bag
Down by Highway 64

[Chorus 1]
And I said, "Baby, you're looking good
That's when I noticed her legs were wood
And all you people
You just can't understand"
I need a hole, I don't need no hips
I need the taste of dick on my lips
I fucked her asshole
With a piece of frozen shit

[Outro]
Good, should, could
I think it feels real good
So good
Rock 'n' roll never felt so good

[Count Machuki]

I hate stuff like that. They are trying so hard to be shocking but it comes across like eavesdropping in a 13-year old boy's bedroom. I have no idea who GWAR are, but I bet they are very nice middle-class boys at heart.

They very much are. Art students from Richmond, VA

it was a joke band, so analyzing their lyrics, well....

Here's a pic:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwar

[Bent Fabric]

I mean, this is SO out there, it's hard not to believe it was a parody even then. But I don't think it was..

Wives and Lovers...Bacharach and David, 1963...

Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your make-up
Soon he will open the door
Don't think because there's a ring on your finger
You needn't try any more
For wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
I'm warning you
Day after day, there are girls at the office
And the men will always be men
Don't stand him up with your hair still in curlers
You may not see him again
Wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
He's almost here
Hey, little girl, better wear something pretty
Something you wear to go to the city
Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music
Time to get ready for love
It's time to get ready for love
Yes, it's time to get ready for love
It's time to get ready, kick your shoes off, baby

One of my very favorite songs by anyone ever (even in the service of "Eisenhower era, pre-women's lib propaganda" Bacharach and David were a hell of a team), but...holy SHIT, has a set of lyrics ever dated more badly. It is a measure of how far times have seemingly come that my wife and I can both enjoy that song and also just laugh at the backwards nature of it as if were looking at an old cigarette advertisement set in an emergency room with top surgeons joyfully puffing away.

[Fonz]

i really chuckled on first read of the GWAR, but actually it is pretty revolting

I can't imagine anyone really getting too upset, because it is so OTT it's ridiculous and should be judged as such

[bobzilla77]

I enjoyed seeing GWAR live but I can't say I ever listened to a word of lyrics.

It's probably a good idea the Mentors have never been on the Warped Tour now that they have a Safer Scenes monitor.

[Muskrat]

An actual Calypso song, rather than one of Lance's own, for which he was famous. Peter Tosh recorded it as well.

Everybody recorded that.
Tosh's version was with The Wailers feat. The Skatalites

[sloopjohnc]

I enjoyed seeing GWAR live but I can't say I ever listened to a word of lyrics.

It's probably a good idea the Mentors have never been on the Warped Tour now that they have a Safer Scenes monitor.

I guess Fist Fuck is out.

[clive gash]

That Peter Wyngarde thing.