32 Comments
Leave a Comment
Share:
Okay, so, yeah … we all know stalkers aren’t sexy. (Or funny. Yep, I know that. But stay with me here.)
I recently went onto iTunes and bought a playlist of ’80′s music. I’ve been in heaven. As a child of the ’80′s, I love all that cheesy pop. So today, I tooling around town with the radio cranked up singing along to some of my favorite tunes.
And then it hit me. All of the great romantic songs from the ’80′s are about stalkers.Previously, I’d thought of the ’80′s as an age of musical innocence. Okay, sure, there were plenty of sexual songs, but they were charming and romantic. Unimpinged by the sexist and misogynistic undertones of Rap (yes, I’m openly biased against Rap) Seriously. Don’t believe me? Let’s review:
Centerfold by the J Geils Band (“I was shakin’ in my shoes/Whenever she flashed those baby-blues”)
867-5309/Jenny by the Tommy Tutone (“Jenny, Jenny you’re the girl for me/ You don’t know me but you make me so happy”)
Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran (“Stalked in the forest/ too close to hide/ I’ll be upon you by the moonlight”)
Don’t Stand so Close to Me by The Police (okay, so that one’s obvious)
Every Breath You Take also by The Police (clearly, they have issues)
Even my beloved Jess’s Girl (by Rick Springfield) has stalkerish undertones. I mean, he barely knows her and yet he’s obsessed. These are songs I loved when I was a kid. I still love them. But … well, they’re just clearly about stalkers. How could I have been so misled? Maybe it’s because longing is romantic. Yearning is sexy. And you can’t yearn for what you already have.
So what do you think? Are you there any songs you love that don’t stand up to too close scrutiny?
Filed in: Jaunty Post
Jun 16th
2010
5:48 am
kris Said:
Wow, I never really thought all those songs from my youth were bad for me to listen to! There goes my entire childhood…thanks for that!! haha. I don’t think too much about the underlying message or meaning of songs I like. I just like ‘em.
-
Jun 16th
2010
6:45 am
Christi Said:
I agree with Kris I don’t listen to music for messages or meanings. I like to sing along to songs that the words fit together well and sound good together. I’m more from the 70′s and believe me there is no way I could have taken all those songs seriously or I’d be in the street addcited to – oh I don’t know – more drugs than I could count!
Christi
-
Jun 16th
2010
7:02 am
Shana Galen Said:
Yes! I am always making comments like this when I listen to the radio. I’m like, “How is that a love song?” But of course now that you ask I can’t think of a single example!
-
Jun 16th
2010
7:06 am
Catherine Kean Said:
Wow, Emily! I’d never thought of those songs in that way before. I have to admit, I listen to the music more than the words; I’m hopeless at remembering lyrics. By the way, I’m with you on loving 80′s tunes.
-
Jun 16th
2010
7:26 am
Kristan Higgins Said:
I’m with you, Emily. To the point of the ridiculous, even. Baby, It’s Cold Outside has a hint of date rape to me…How many times does she have to say she needs to go? And then… “What’s in the this drink?” Did he slip her some Rohypnol? Okay, I’m taking it a little far…
-
Jun 16th
2010
7:38 am
eap Said:
I know exactly what you are talking about–but I can’t think of a single example right now.
-
Jun 16th
2010
7:48 am
Christi Said:
Wow, I love Baby It’s Cold Outside. Maybe I need to start listing to the words and looking for meaning rather than just liking the sound, LOL.
-
Jun 16th
2010
7:56 am
Linda Henderson Said:
I enjoy Lady GaGa, but she has some lyrics that you don’t want your kids to listen to. I think most of the modern music is full of innuendo and just outright questionable lyrics. It doesn’t stop me from enjoying the music, I just don’t listen to music much when the kids are around.
-
Jun 16th
2010
9:54 am
Karyn Gerrard Said:
Great post, one song that is really, really naughty from the 1980′s is ‘Relax’ from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Yikes. Sound effects, groans and everything.
-
Jun 16th
2010
9:59 am
Kirsten Said:
I didn’t give it any though that some lyrics may be a bit stalky. I can’t always remember them and often get them wrong as well. Like, you all know that song by Justin Timberlake and Ciara, Love sex and magic. Well, for months I believed they were singing about: Love and second marriage. So I just don’t pick up on a lot of things. But if you take a closer look at the words it can be weird or inappropriate.
-
Jun 16th
2010
10:17 am
Crystal B. Said:
Great post. I had never really thought about it. You are so right about the songs sounding like a stalker song.
-
Jun 16th
2010
10:24 am
Quilt Lady Said:
I have never thought about these songs this way but you are right! These songs bring back memories and they are some of my favorites! I did’t think of them as stalker songs until you mentioned it!
-
Jun 16th
2010
10:25 am
Emily McKay Said:
Christi, you’re totally right about the drug use thing. The list there is endless. Between the ones about drug use or stalkers, pretty much all that’s left are the ones that just don’t make sense.
-
Jun 16th
2010
10:28 am
Emily McKay Said:
Ack, Kristan, you’re ruining a beloved holiday song!
But actually, I should have thought of it too, though it’s clearly the wrong decade. But last Christmas in the car my daughter actually asked, “Why won’t he let her leave?” She’s five.
-
Jun 16th
2010
10:30 am
Emily McKay Said:
Karyn, you’re so right about “Relax”!
It’s on my new playlist too and I was listening to it in the car just this morning. I thought to myself, “How did I not know this was about sex when it first came out???”
I clearly remember arguing about it with a friend who was trying to set me straight. I don’t know what I thought it was about, but despite the groaning and squirting sounds, I never imagined sex. I guess I was a very innocent 14.
-
Jun 16th
2010
12:19 pm
Barbara Elness Said:
You’re right, a lot of those 80′s songs are pretty stalkerish. Speaking of holiday songs, I always thought “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” was pretty creepy, way to make the kid think his mom’s stepping out on daddy.
-
Jun 16th
2010
12:24 pm
Emily McKay Said:
Oh, Barbara, that ones bothers me too! I mean, Mommy is kissing “another man” … that’s not charming and funny to kids. They take that stuff pretty seriously!
-
Jun 16th
2010
12:42 pm
RobynDeHart Said:
It’s amazing what you don’t notice as a kid. Case in point, listened to Sugar Walls anytime recently? Wow, I had no idea when I sang with that as a teenager. And frankly I’ve always found the Police creepy…but really you shouldn’t mess with Rick Springfield.
-
Jun 16th
2010
2:02 pm
runner10 Said:
I love 80s music. I am glad to see my daughter “checking out the oldies from the 80s”. Hmmmmm………..
-
Jun 16th
2010
3:14 pm
donna ann Said:
there’s a number of songs (old and new) that are fun to listen to — great beat, great for dancing or chilling, or such — untill you actually listen to and figure out the words. then you suddenly realize how raunchy
or unnerving 
it is. the worst though are those that you love to hear on the radio untill you figure out the words and then realize how utterly stupid and rediculous they are and can never enjoy them again. 
there are a couple songs out there that as soon as the words start registering i have to turn the station no matter how much i was enjoying bebopping along with till that point. sometimes it’s better to just be clueless. 
-
Jun 16th
2010
3:27 pm
Emily McKay Said:
Donna, that’s certainly true.
A friend and I from college were talking about this a couple of months ago. I brought up One Night in Bangkok, which is a song I’ve never understood. This is–seriously–how the conversation went:
Me: I’ve never understood that song, but it always seemed so sordid. I’d be so disapointed if someone told it was about something really boring like … I don’t know. Chess.
Her: It is about chess.
Me: Na uh!
Her: Yep. Chess.
Me: No way!
Her: Seriously. It’s about a chess tournament.
Me: You’re kidding. It’s not about opium dens or white slavery?
Her: No. Chess.
I went back and listened to the lyrics. It’s really about chess. My illusions are shattered.
-
Jun 16th
2010
4:27 pm
Mary M Said:
I used to think the song “Grandma got run over by a reindeer” was funny but it would be a tragic accident.
-
Jun 16th
2010
5:15 pm
Mitzi H. Said:
I’m more of a product of the 60′s and 70′s rock music. I still love to listen to those golden oldies….but I must admit some of them were pretty rauncy. I don’t think I understood Their Is A House In New Orleans referred to a whore house until I was in my late 20′s!!! Hahaha.
Come on baby light my fire…..Hehehe
-
Jun 16th
2010
6:05 pm
Jane Said:
I always thought of Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop” as an upbeat pop song, but then I heard it was about self pleasure. I heard the same about “Turning Japanese.”
-
Jun 16th
2010
9:03 pm
Stephanie Said:
This might be why I like listening to songs sung in languages I don’t know, lol. Oftentimes it is better if you don’t know what they’re singing.
Someone brought up Lady Gaga. I couldn’t get over the first line in “Bad Romance” (I want your ugly, I WANT YOUR DISEASE). Why do you want his DISEASE??? Now that song just makes me think of herpes.
-
Jun 16th
2010
9:07 pm
Stephanie Said:
Yikes, I wish this had an edit function for messages you’ve already posted. I certainly don’t want anyone who has herpes to feel bad/ashamed. I just brought it up because it’s something I don’t necessarily want to think about in a pop song that has to do with sex.
-
Jun 16th
2010
9:12 pm
Maya M. Said:
I admit I never really listened to the lyrics that closely for all those songs, but this post reminds me about how much more I liked ‘Music and Lyrics’ with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore than I thought I would, and it was in no small part because he nailed the parody of the music videos of that decade so spot on. The opening sequence had me practically rolling on the floor, which my teenage son (of course!) didn’t get at all.
-
Jun 17th
2010
11:47 am
KathrynSmith Said:
I think Dido had a song about stalking. David Boreanez was in the video.
Hungry Like a Wolf was a favorite of mine growing up, but I listen to the lyrics now and think, “It’s all about sex!”
-
Jun 17th
2010
12:51 pm
chey Said:
Usually, I don’t really pay attention to the meaning of the song. More to the melody an the beat. I do remember one time, hearing a song again, really listening to it and thinking that I hadn’t known that was what the song was about. Maybe I shouldn’t be listening to this.
-
Jun 17th
2010
8:27 pm
Gail C. Said:
Oh my gosh, I didn’t really think about this till now. What does that say about us? Never mind, really don’t want to know.
But know that you mention it, I love Golden Earring’s Twilight Zone to dance to, but when I actually read the words I was floored. Just keep listening to the beat and dancing and I’ll be fine.
There’s another one from the 80′s, can’t think of the name but it goes “She’s just 16 years old, leave her alone they say..”
Let’s just not go there and what that one means.
-
Jun 17th
2010
11:14 pm
Nancy Robards Thompson Said:
That song Baby’s Got Back… it’s so danceable, but I’d never listened past the part where he says, “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” After that I was too busy thinking, Props to the guy who likes full-figured women! Yeah, baby! And I’d shake my groove thing. Then I listened to the words… and I thought, Oh… OH! Wow…
-
Jun 18th
2010
9:48 am
Margay Said:
Every Breath You Take is the one that really creeps me out on further inspection. Talk about the theme song for stalkers!
Margay
-