Explicit lyrics Affecting Enjoyment of New Music?

I’m a 68 year old white guy. I grew up listening to Zappa, The Fugs, The Jefferson Airplane, The MC5, and John Lennon. I recognize that many members of our generation grew up listening to Barry Manilow, The Osmonds, The Carpenters, The Partridge Family and The 1910 Fruitgum Company. To each their own.

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Yes I guess you are right, but I still listen to songs like “Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth” by the Dead Boys. Does that give me any street cred or am I lost to geezerdom? :rofl:

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You sir, have offended me!
¡Dead Boys por vida!

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I don’t think it’s geezer-dom at all. The notion that certain phrases or words are obscene, not fit to be uttered in “polite” society, is a manifestation of bourgeois sensibility, a side-effect of the growth of a middle class, trying to ape what they imagined to be the behavior of the upper class to which they aspired. (But they were wrong about that behavior, as many exposes have shown.)

Cutting-edge artists, on the other hand, delight in affronting bourgeois sensibilities, so loading up their lyrics with words people “shouldn’t use” is pretty much to be expected.

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When I was young I never listened to the lyrics of songs. I just listened to their intonations within the song. I have absolutely no explanation or rationale why. This led to an unfortunate rendition of Jingle Bells later in life (I’m reminded every Christmas) . . . I started listening to the lyrics in songs right after that.

It is a by song thing for me now. Some songs it feels unnecessary. Others it is almost required.
Required? Yes.
Lord it’s a Feeling – London Grammar, California Soil.
Prison Sex. – Tool, Undertow

In both cases I feel the songs are better for the vulgarity. The later actually drives me nuts hearing edited. It’s the climax of the run and they just cut the time out. Ghouls.

If it is mostly vulgar odds are it isn’t musically very appealing to me anyhow. I recently saw an opening act that I can live without for this reason.

I’ll give everything 1 listen. I’ve had some great laughs.

It’s a cool topic to see opinions on, thank you.

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What upsets me is it seems like most of the new “music” is like that. Lots of cussing, men look like thugs and women have everything hanging out. Sex and violence. Look at the new releases on Apple or Tidal; 90% are like that.
Fortunately on Roon once I “like” a song it seems to suggest more ones that I like.

You obviously listen to very different new music from the new music that I listen to.

I started listening to Natural Brown Prom Queen by Sudan Archives. Very first track the singer refers to a woman/girl as a B----. That just detracts from a great song (to me). I have frail ears :flushed:

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We all just have different likes and dislikes.

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i mean… it’s named after his dear great-grandmother Perl and special recipe for jam. :stuck_out_tongue:
“reference to his great-grandmother Pearl. She was married to a Native American who had a special recipe for peyote-laced jam. However, in a 2006 interview, Vedder later admitted this explanation was “total b*.””

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I think everyone should listen to what they like and not worry about what someone else listens to. I find that over my almost 75 years, my taste in music has gotten broader and broader.

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When the lyrics fit the sentiments of the song I have no problem with explicit language and it can actually add impact to the song. Two songs that come you mind are one by Pink, the songs name escapes me at the moment, and the other is Marianne faithful why’d you do it from the unabridged broken English album. Both are great songs where explicit language adds greatly to the song. A more recent song I listened to by Beyoncé imho uses explicit language for no purpose and it adds nothing to the song rather it detracts from it. I think they do it so that giggly little kids will buy the song solely because of explicit language.

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And like in past decades, this “most of the new music” is not actually true. If we are going by release numbers, probably most new music doesn’t even have lyrics because it’s techno and similar

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Haha. Yeah…and yet, the real meaning of the name has been known since the 60’s. Weird. Stupid name for One of the most overrated bands to ever acheive relevance.

Yes, this is sad enough. I started to ban “artists” who behave inhuman and respectless in public. It started to be more and more aggressive and the indoctrination pushed by those people it making me at least sad. I tried to put all the pictures I saw (e.g., on YouTube how they behave) out of my mind… but unfortunately was not able to make it. So, a final ban was the only way to manage this (this is just my point of view… and no I will not provide any examples as it could violate their rights)

I don’t think that you have to be profane in order to fight the power, however, if the need is there then I am not offended by it either.

Language is an ever changing process and to be offended by a collection of letters is more about you, than it is about the words used.

In conclusion my view would be listen to what you like and makes you happy and ignore anything that doesn’t.

I am a 66 year old white guy who grew up in a lower class working family. Heard those words every day just was told not to say them. I have no problem if these guys choose to ignore that advice. Lots of music choices if we don’t like their approach we can go another way. That said I am not happy when they just drop them in for shock value but for me in the right song they can be completely appropriate.

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I myself am fed up with lyrics of that kind. So my own radio channel is rated G - and yet i am able to play hiphop, hardrock, contemporary pop tunes, whatever - they are just hard to find.
I think listening a whole day without getting cursed at or being told horrible stories makes a difference.
So, sorry to advertise, Mother Earth Radio does it without f-bombs, give it a try! High-res 96k24bits, roon-ready.
Let me know should someone enjoy it.

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I have to follow up this interesting post with the shocking truth about one of my favourite bands: Steely Dan…
https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-meaning-of-the-band-name-steely-dan/

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Brilliant. I think I heard this many years ago but this is a great write up. Thank you.