Monday 30 January 2012

Censoring Music



More and more I'm finding that I am needing to censor music from my children's young ears.

It's not like I'm listening to NWA or any heavy-handed lyrics. I'm talking everyday music that I once took for granted. Lily Allen. Gotye. Black Eyed Peas. I could go on, but I can't think of anyone else right now.

Apparently everyone's dropping the f-bomb in their lyrical miracles, and it's become au fait.

You're talking to PottyMouthMama here. I tried to delete swearing from my vocab the moment I birthed my first babe.

I'm not just playing Justine Clarke CDs over and over again, but help a girl out - what's your tactic when artists are getting their swear on? I'm not some little prude sitting in the corner. Surely I am not alone.

I want my kids to remain kids for as long as possible. To preserve that innocence for as many years as possible.

I remember vividly playing records on my Uncle Silas' record player, discovering the Beatles, Tiny Tim and many others as I worked my way through my parent's collection.

I remember puzzling over lyrics and wondering what they meant - and imagining my own innocent meaning - but I don't remember them cussing on the mike. Ever.

Now piles of CDs are relegated to times when I am alone, in the car, or if the smalls have gone out. Clearly, my music collection is somewhat refined when in their company - but their innocence is worth more to me than listening to a song. Can you dig?

10 comments:

Cindy said...

Mine hate the radio and always want CDs in the car and I was just having this dilemma the other day as I need some new tunes! I know Poppy would be happy to listen to the Fairies all day long but Caleb and I not so much. Jet and Eskimo Joe and popular and a bit of John Butler isn't too bad. They adore Spearhead but I have concerns on the swearing until I hear Poppy singing proudly "love is the ship that makes life bloom", bless her

Sarah said...

I am totally with you on this one as well.

The problem is I have a hearing loss so I don't hear the music words so well.

Two are teenagers so I have to be 'crafty' about it.

I have also found a website that http://www.youngmedia.org.au/ that reviews movies etc so I can make an informed decision...

SIGH parenting!!! And we keep going back for more!!!

Cath @ chunkychooky said...

Its all about the Jackson 5 and Aretha Franklin at the moment at our place, but i get what you mean. I am the same with watching the news, I don't want her to hear words like "rape" or "murder" so i rarely watch it...

Don't knwo that answer Lexi but I get what you mean.

Meg said...

Regina Spektor's "Begin to Hope" album was a big hit in the car with my nanny kids. Some themes are a bit adult, but not in a sweary way. They had a tendency to get hooked on just one song over and over and over. We rarely got past "and it breaks my he-ar-ar-ar-ar-ar-arrrt...".

Sally said...

We don't really worry about. We've told our children some words are for adults and thats that. My partner and I swear too often and our son has on occasion tried an adult word out but when his told its not ok for kids he accepts it. I struggle more trying to explain what the lyrics mean... But I do my best. Found myself discussing the cold war recently and the space race... Struggled big time to explain why.

Small Catalogue said...

You have an Uncle Silas? That is the coolest. Evers!

Rebecca said...

I'm just discovering this problem as my baby starts uttering her first words, we actually started a swear jar in fear that her first word would be a rude one. We're listening to lots of michael franti, and the new muppets green album is great for adults and children alike.

Mon Alisa Design said...

Dolly Parton, Doris Day, Wanda Jackson, Otis Redding, Arlo Guthrie, Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder. That's our playlist. If all else fails there's always local radio KRR FM.

jodesmac said...

YES I do. About school age was when i had to drop Lily Allen from the car. They started picking up too much on the words. I can't listen to whole albums due to f-bombs so I have a playlist that i have pre approved of top 40 hits that i like too(its a struggle to find). There are occasional songs where i have changed the swear word to something appropriate and sing it loudly and the eldest knows what i am doing and sings along with me.

Lisa said...

I have this issue too, I don't want the kids listening too swearing in music, so we sometimes have the iPod on instead where I have a playlist setup just for them. I did get a giggle the other day when my 6 year old was bopping around the room, no music was playing, but she was shaking her tush and singing "sexy and I know it"... obviously the small times I do have the radio on with the kids I wasn't paying attention!