Okay so this has nothing really to do with books but I was thinking the other day about song lyrics, and it occurred to me how many songs were about sex. Or love, or both. Now the idea of love songs is of course nothing new, but it's kind of amazing to me just how much we are listening to/ making music about love, in all its varieties. Then as I was thinking of lyrics I thought- were songs in the past more sexual? And that led me to think of some examples, which of course... I'm going to share.
So... thoughts. Is popular music now more about other things than just love and sex? Or is it still that way? What are your favorite songs about love or... you know?
Montrose- Rock Candy
But you're rock candy baby
Hard, sweet and sticky
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
I want your psycho, your vertigo shtick
Want you in my rear window
Baby you're sick, I want your love
Love love love, I want your love
The Bangles - In Your Room
I love it in your room at night
You're the only one who gets through to me
In the warm glow of the candlelight
Oh I wonder what you're gonna do to me
Dorothy - Bang Bang Bang
I'd do you where you stand
So take a look at me
Lay your head down
Down, down
The Divinyls - I Touch Myself
I love myself, I want you to love me
When I feel down, I want you above me
I search myself, I want you to find me
I forget myself, I want you to remind me
When I think about you, I touch myself
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
We're up all night til the sun
We're up all night to get some
We're up all night for good fun
We're up all night to get lucky
Prince - Darling Nikki
She said how'd you like to waste some time
and I could not resist when I saw little Nikki grind
and I could not resist when I saw little Nikki grind
Whitesnake - Still of the Night
Now I just want to get close to you
Taste your love so sweet
I just want to make love to you
Feel your body heat
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Seriously, did these guys sing about anything else???
Christina Aguilera - Get Mine, Get Yours
Can you put your hands my waistline
Want your skin up against mine
Move my hips to the baseline
Let me get mine, you get yours
Foghat - Slow Ride
Slow down, go down, got to get your lovin' one more time
Hold me, roll me, slow ridin' woman you're so fine
Alison Krauss & Union Station - Let Me Touch You For Awhile
I don't hardly know you
But I'd be willing to show you
I know a way to make you smile
Let me touch you for a while
So there you have it- some of my picks that came to mind. And since there a ton more, I'll be doing a Part II of this post. I'm sure you can't wait. :) But in the meantime, sound off in the comments and let me know what you think.
The saying "Sex Sells" is 100% true. I have a playlist on Spotify named "Cheesy Love Songs." It's my favorite list too LOL
ReplyDeleteElle @ Keep on Reading
So very true! I may have a guilty pleasure playlist or two- I'm not telling!
DeleteThe first one that came to mind for me in regards to sexual lyrics was Closer by Nine Inch Nails. I'm not even sure that song is really about sex, but... Also Bad Touch by the Bloodhound Gang. That one is definitely all about sex lol. (Sorry if I stole any of Part II's songs!) There are so many songs I can think of about sex, probably even more about love, if you also count things like unrequited love, breakups, etc. But I can probably also think of some not about those things if I try hard enough :-P And a lot of songs are simply up to interpretation. I have no idea if anything has changed in music over time though. I think there will always be some songs that are about sex or love and others that aren't.
ReplyDeleteOoh good one. I don't know the other one... and yes don't steal Part II's songs ha ha. And good point- there are a TON. In fact I got thinking about non- sexual songs about love- they might be a project too. :)
DeleteI agree about interpretation- I like it when they're sometimes vague, you can put your own spin on it.
Admittedly I don't listen to a whole lot of current music (just random stuff now and then) but I don't think sexy lyrics are anything new. I mean, you have several examples from the 70's and 80's. They may be more explicit now but they've been singing about it for years. I recently caught Grease on TV and actually listened to the lyrics of Greased Lightning. Wow, that went totally over my head at the tender age of 10 (when I saw it at the theater in 1978). LOL And in the 80's it was George Michael coming right out (no pun intended *wink*) and declaring "I Want Your Sex."
ReplyDeleteOoh George Michael- how did I miss him? lol and Greased Lightnng now I want to go look at those lyrics- I had no idea. You're right though- it's been w/ us as long as we've had popular music, and is probably worse now- I was looking at a few songs that I didn't dare put on here!
DeleteI'm a singer, well I used to be as a kid, so music is a HUGE deal to me and I listen to it all the time. I've seen music evolve over the years, but it's still mostly about sex and/or love, and/or lust. (lol) There are still a few that focus on positive stuff like Unstoppable by The Score, or a messed up friendship like Bad Blood by Taylor Swift, and of course Weird Al.(lol) This is one of those topics that could cause me to take up a ton of space on your post Greg, so I'll just leave quietly.(lol) Hugs and Happy Monday! RO
ReplyDeleteNo I like seeing your thoughts, take up all the space you want! And I think you're right, a lot of music is just about, shall we say, the baser emotions. And love as well! I suppose sex and lust are big motivators ha ha, but s is love and longing and regrets, all that.
DeleteThe best is when you sing them as kids and don't even realize and then hear them again as adults and are all like, 'wait, what?!' lol
ReplyDeleteRight1?!??!! Can be embarassing!
DeleteTo be honest I just don't listen to this kind of music. Songs that have a lot of bad language and sexual content just don't interest me. I prefer listening to classic music with catchy tunes and good lyrics.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of explicit stuff either, which is why rap never worked for me. Although some of these are just as bad maybe??
DeleteLove and sex has definitely been sung about for years- so I don't think there is any more of it than there used to be. Like Sara said, it's funny when you hear older songs again as an adult and realize what you were actually singing about! I mean, even boy bands like Nsync had songs about sex - though more about just loving someone.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Right! And yeah I think you're right- I went back and looked at some old 70's tunes and it was like- okay then! They weren't really hiding what they were singing about!
DeleteWhat about Billy Idol? I went through a phase with his music and it all seemed sort of sex themed...or was that just him?
ReplyDeleteOoh Billy Idol. I have him on my Part II post... Cradle of Love??
DeleteI think music has always been smexy. 80's metal, Madonna, Heart, Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant even Cyndi Lauper (She Bop) had songs all about the sex. Now I listen mostly to classic rock. I can't stand the pop stuff on the radio.
ReplyDeleteI think so. 80's music in particular (hair bands?) were ALL about the sex, apparently! Warrant- I almost used Cherry Pie. She Bop.
DeleteDarling Nikki is one of my FAVORITE songs!!! Love Prince. It's funny how people will love a song, sing along to it and stuff, but not even know what it's about and what they're ACTUALLY saying.
ReplyDeleteI think lyrics may have gotten more explicit in recent years, but you're right that songs have been about sex for a long time! The explicit ones aren't my favorite, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The only ones I have heard from this list are Get Lucky and Bad Romance. Sometimes lyrics can get really specific with their explicit references, especially in pop! But I do think love and sex songs have been around for a long time...
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny - every generation thinks that the next generation's songs cross the line. lol
ReplyDeleteI grew up with Darling Nikki and AC/DC, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax - I mean...how did I NOT KNOW that was about sex??? lol
But then more recently is Hozier's Take Me to Church which has a super powerful video and almost sounds like a hymn. But in an interview he basically said it's about an orgasm and when you listen to the lyrics...yup. *Church* is actually great sex lol
Karen @ For What It's Worth
Love this post! And I must admit, I also kind of thought that today's songs put more focus on love and sex especially than older songs... but that's really not the case, isn't it? I think a lot of it is just because when I was younger I did not understand the lyrics yet :) I don't mind though, I love cheesy love songs if they are not too explicit, but the sheer quantity of them always makes me appreciate songs about other topics even more.
ReplyDeleteI think the vast majority definitely are! And you know, other angsty stuff. It's like either songs about love and sex in a positive way, or stuff about broken hearts and crushing pain. Probably depends on the genre ha. I didn't ever really think of it until I realized that Lena was singing the lyrics to K Flay's Blood in the Cut and I figured I was not winning any Mother of the Year awards. Now I cringe on the regular when they're singing along to songs, and then I realize that they'll not have a clue for a solid 6-7 years as to what any of it means, so maybe I'm okay haha. But yeah, I think these songs have always been a thing- a lot are probably just less subtle about it as time goes on? But then some are MORE subtle and using creative euphemisms and frankly, it's a bit impressive.
ReplyDeleteI always think people need to listen more to song lyrics than they do - Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis is played waaaaay too often as background music for things that isn't appropriate for!
ReplyDelete