Violence in songs, poetry...

Doodledog

Banning is pointless. Banned songs go straight to the top of the charts and get more attention than others, Also, IMO banning things is lazy and authoritarian. Far better to educate people to think about lyrics and the context in which they are written, so they change their minds.

Absolutely agree. Like the statues of slave traders, they could be used to educate positively rather than arguing about banning or not banning.

I started this thread with tongue firmly in cheek, but I can see that some people may be hurt or triggered hearing them. I don't think most songs, books and poetry should be banned, though. I loved 'Little Black Sambo' as a child and now campaign against racism.

NotSpaghetti

The story is that Bohemian Rhapsody is his story of coming out - so maybe it will survive, choughdancer?

Ah I didn't know that! It was the 'just killed a man, held my gun against his head, pulled the trigger now he's dead' I was thinking of.

Banning is pointless. Banned songs go straight to the top of the charts and get more attention than others, Also, IMO banning things is lazy and authoritarian. Far better to educate people to think about lyrics and the context in which they are written, so they change their minds.

Casdon your YYY joke is very funny. It made me laugh out loud.

There was a lady on GN once who posted that her choir were going to sing Delilah and she wasn't happy. To my shame, I made a joke about it and said she should ask them why, why why? I didn't realise she would be upset at my post. I did apologise but I still feel bad about it. Engage brain before mouth (or fingers) Kate.

As I said, the list is endless. We could be flagging up songs for ever and a day. I think the problem with Delilah is that it is used as an anthem, not that it should be banned altogether. The vile lyrics in rap and punk songs may be worse but they are not used as anthems except maybe amongst their followers. Most people will never hear those songs unless they go looking for them.

Good for Tom Jones.
It`s his song and i can`t see why he should be told he can`t sing it.
At this rate a good 50% of songs/books/poems etc will be banned.
They were written in the past when Woke and the PC brigade didn`t exist.
The world has gone mad imo.

The Beatles 'Run For Your Life' is horrible. A jolly, catchy tune, and vile words.

I'm not in favour of banning songs or poems (My Last Duchess is a masterpiece), but I don't approve of actively teaching old rhymes and ditties to children if they are racist. Having said that, the song about monkeys (whatever its origins, which I can guess at) seems harmless. Changing the offensive words changes the meaning, and small children aren't going to make racist connections.

SueDonim

The nursery rhyme ‘Five Little Monkeys’ is being banned from children’s library book events in Scotland due to historical racism.

As was Enid Blyton and Little Black Sambo? My grandchildren love them.
You can look at anything in a bad light if you are so minded. Peter Pan all those mothers losing babies out of prams, and the babies have to go to Neverland. I have taken my dd's to theatre versions of it and they were enthralled not frightened.
My GD can't stop talking about the version of a Christmas Carol she saw at Strattford. It just goes on.

Oldwoman70

sazz1

Ridiculous banning it from Rugby in Wales. Lots of songs aren't politically correct. Try I'm gonna make you mine by Lou Christie now that's definitely stalking but it's not banned

As is "I'll be watching you" by Sting!

I agree with both of you. Some people are mistaken about I'll be watching you and have it at funerals. It is a stalking song he was watching his wife when their marriage broke up.

There are lots of songs that would be considered inappropriate today. Not just violent ones. Remember Young Girl by Gary Puckett?

The nursery rhyme ‘Five Little Monkeys’ is being banned from children’s library book events in Scotland due to historical racism.

Ilovecheese

It's still a horrible song. I'm not in favour of banning it at all, but I don't think it should be encouraged to be sung as an anthem. At least, as Grandmabatty says, he gets his comeuppance, but it is not a joke.
Nor are the other ones mentioned, just not funny any more, not clever, not "edgy" just horrible.

I don’t think anybody encourages Delilah to be sung as an anthem I lovecheese, it doesn’t have any official endorsement, it’s just grown through the years, by people singing it at weddings, sports events, karaoke etc. I don’t know how you’d envisage changing that - people are quite annoyed at the WRU, so I expect the ban to have the opposite effect to what they intended.

Chestnut

Once you start censoring anything there is no knowing where it will end. There are always going to be people who dislike a certain song, poem, movie, opera, painting, the list is endless. There are some really appalling movies, games and rap songs, so Delilah is pretty tame. If anyone is getting upset over that then they have problems.

This, absolutely. Once you start going down that route, it is a very slippery slope indeed. If anyone thinks Delilah is offensive, they should hear some of the stuff I have from the heydays of punk! Music has always been made to stir the emotions, both good and bad. There's nothing more cathartic (to me, anyway) than listening to the rock, metal, punk, emo music that I love - and which many probably would find offensive.

To be fair old woman, quite a few of Sting's songs are a bit creepy.

It's still a horrible song. I'm not in favour of banning it at all, but I don't think it should be encouraged to be sung as an anthem. At least, as Grandmabatty says, he gets his comeuppance, but it is not a joke.
Nor are the other ones mentioned, just not funny any more, not clever, not "edgy" just horrible.

We were once told in school that the cherries in the song “Cherry Ripe’ referred to prostitutes selling their wares.
‘I’m never going to let you go” could refer to bondage. I think you can find lots of things to object to, if you are of a mind.

sazz1

Ridiculous banning it from Rugby in Wales. Lots of songs aren't politically correct. Try I'm gonna make you mine by Lou Christie now that's definitely stalking but it's not banned

As is "I'll be watching you" by Sting!

Ridiculous banning it from Rugby in Wales. Lots of songs aren't politically correct. Try I'm gonna make you mine by Lou Christie now that's definitely stalking but it's not banned

Will Nancy Sinatra and "These boots" have to go because it proposes violence against men- "One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you" !!!

I don’t think Delilah is doomed, the ban will just make people sing it more - it’s an unofficial anthem in Wales. A little joke:

The perpetrator in Delilah gets his comeuppance though. No different to many ballads in days of yore. They were written as deterrents to violence, not glorifying it. The Banks of the Ohio? The three corbies? Different eras but similar messages

Once you start censoring anything there is no knowing where it will end. There are always going to be people who dislike a certain song, poem, movie, opera, painting, the list is endless. There are some really appalling movies, games and rap songs, so Delilah is pretty tame. If anyone is getting upset over that then they have problems.

The story is that Bohemian Rhapsody is his story of coming out - so maybe it will survive, choughdancer?