I’m keeping this blog a PG affair, but this is a blue topic. Fair warning, that was.
I keep finding that my perceptions of history are flawed. Things that seem to have sprung up overnight rarely do and humankind hasn’t evolved nearly as fast or as far as we think it has. For example, as a kid (back when the world revolved me), I assumed that suggestive lyrics began only when they first suggested something to me.
Perhaps some of my confusion came from my awareness that the birth of rock ‘n’ roll was not welcomed by parents or church leaders. Of course, I thought they were really reaching to read something bad into the popular songs of that day. Plus, I had yet to hear anything more suggestive than, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” when that impression of empty concern was formed. So, I sort of got the notion that songs before 1955 couldn’t possibly have anything objectionable about them. I’ve since been schooled.
I think credit goes to the PBS show, “History Detectives.” Maybe if your a blues student, you already know this, but there’s a whole collection of old blues songs that are bona fide naughty. Is that funny? Is that disturbing? I don’t know. I guess in a sad way, I find it comforting that the media world—the internet, television . . . movies with sound—isn’t the singular spoiler it’s sometimes been made out to be; that is, human beings were already a mischievous sort.
If you’re curious, check out the song titles and audio samples of the CD “Raunchy Business: Hot Nuts & Lollypops” on Amazon.com. Here’s a sample of lyrics recorded in 1935 by Lil’ Johnson:
“Look what you can get cheap! Only five cents, boys! Nice and brown, too! Everyone’s crazy ’bout my nuts!”
The song’s called “Get ‘Em From the Peanut Man (Hot Nuts),” and I still can’t believe my eyes/ears. Think of it: there’s a Parental Advisory—Explicit Lyrics sticker on pre-WWII material.
Say, is that his real name?
