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Reddit user u/TakeOnMeByA-ha asked music fans of the community: "[What are some] songs that [have] caused a lot of controversy?"
Well, unfortunately, there were too many problematic songs to choose from. There are tunes out there that should've never been recorded, and I honestly don't know how musicians got away with it.
So, here are some disturbing songs that haven't (and will NEVER) stand the test of time.
Note: Some submissions are from this Reddit thread by user u/82h8z4 and this post from the BuzzFeed Community.
Note: This post contains subjects of sexual assault, domestic violence, and rape. Please proceed with caution.
1. "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number," written by R. Kelly for Aaliyah (1994)
"'Age Ain't Nothing but a Number' is wrong on so many levels because it was written by R. Kelly for Aaliyah when she was only 14 or 15 years old — it’s like a pedophile's anthem. The fact that R. Kelly married her when she was underage makes this song (and entire album) more than problematic."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Age ain't nothing but a number/Throwing down ain't nothing but a thing/This loving I have for you/It'll never change."
View this video on YouTube
2. "#Rihanna" by Glasses Malone (2012)
"It’s a pretty terrible song."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Treat it like Rihanna/Beat it up, beat it up/'Cause playin' with the pussy ain't enough/I'mma treat it like Rihanna, bitch/Call me Chris Brown."
View this video on YouTube
3. "Does Your Mother Know" by ABBA (1979)
"With the way our society feels about young women having relationships with older men (especially with the #MeToo movement), 'Does Your Mother Know' by ABBA should be cancelled."
"'When I Kissed The Teacher' should raise some eyebrows too with the power-dynamic issues."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "I can read in your face that your feelings are driving you wild/Ah, but girl you're only a child/Well I can dance with you honey, if you think it's funny/Does your mother know that you're out?/And I can chat with you baby/Flirt a little maybe/Does your mother know that you're out?"
View this video on YouTube
4. Eminem's verse on "Roman's Revenge" by Nicki Minaj (2010)
"I’m forever mad at Nicki for letting Eminem say horrible things on what was otherwise an amazing track."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Caught her stealin' my music/So I tied her arms and legs to the bed/Set up the camera, pissed twice on her/Look, two pees and a tripod/The moral to the story is/Life's treatin' you like dry sod/Kick it back in its face, my God."
View this video on YouTube
5. "Jailbait" by Ted Nugent (1981)
"Ted Nugent isn’t even trying to hide anything — it’s about his attraction to a 13-year-old, her mom giving him permission to have sex, and it ends with him getting arrested and telling the officer to cuff the kid instead so they can 'share her.' He’s a well-known piece of shit, but this song is completely appalling and disgusting."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Well, I don't care if you're just 13/You look too good to be true/I just know that you're probably clean/There's one little thing I got to do to you/Jailbait, you look so good to me/Jailbait, won't you set me free."
View this video on YouTube
6. "More Than Words" by Extreme (1991)
"'More Than Words' by Extreme is not a love song. It's about a guy trying to manipulate a woman into having sex with him to show how much she loves him. They basically sing: 'Shut your yapper and put out.'"
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Now that I've tried to talk to you/And make you understand all you have to do/Is close your eyes and just reach out your hands and touch me/Hold me close/Don't ever let me go/More than words is all I ever needed you to show."
View this video on YouTube
7. "Daughters" by John Mayer (2003)
"'Daughters' by John Mayer is disturbing, tbh. Him singing, 'Fathers, be good to your daughters' and 'Girls become lovers who turn into mothers' just gives off a really creepy vibe. He sees women as objects and how they're only good for loving men and making babies. The song plays at my work all the time, and it disgusts me."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "On behalf of every man/Looking out for every girl/You are the god and the weight of her world/ So, fathers, be good to your daughters/Daughters will love like you do/Girls become lovers, who turn into mothers/So, mothers, be good to your daughters, too."
View this video on YouTube
8. "Do Me!" by Bell Biv DeVoe (1990)
"'Do Me!' by Bell Biv DeVoe is disgusting. The lyrics just gross me out 🤮."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Backstage, underage, adolescent, 'How ya doin'?/'Fine' she replied/I sighed/I like to do the wild thing/Action took place, kinda wet, don't forget."
View this video on YouTube
9. "Run for Your Life" by the Beatles (1965)
"How about 'Run for Your Life' by the Fab Four themselves? They'd never write anything problematic, surely??? Yeah, even the Beatles could write some seriously dodgy music, like a song about a guy threatening to kill a girl if he sees her loving a different man."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Let this be a sermon/I mean everything I've said/Baby, I'm determined/And I'd rather see you dead/You better run for your life if you can, little girl/Hide your hand in the sand, little girl."
View this video on YouTube
10. "Island Girl" by Elton John (1975)
"I love Sir Elton John, but his song 'Island Girl' from the '70s is both racist and sexist (we can thank Bernie Taupin for the lyrics). It’s about a Jamaican sex worker who services white men — the song describes her as being 'Black as coal, but she burn like a fire' and asks the 'island girl' what she wants from the white man’s world since 'Black boy' wants her in his island world. It was a huge hit back then, but Elton doesn't perform it in concert anymore (for good reason)."
—[deleted]
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Black boy want you in his island world/He want to take you from the racket boss/He want to save you, but your cause is lost/Island girl, island girl, island girl/Tell me what you wanting with the white man's world."
View this video on YouTube
11. "Tron Cat" by Tyler, the Creator (2011)
"Most of Tyler, the Creator's stuff pre-Flower Boy. It's so interesting the way he gained all of his stans from Flower Boy who are all, 'uwu, my sweet, baby Tyler' when not that long ago, he was rapping about rape and being pretty misogynistic."
"The 'thoughts of raping really turns me on' lyrics from 'VCR/Wheels' is pretty awful."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "She running 'round this motherfucking dungeon, her legs loose/Until I accidentally get the saw to her head, oops!/Victim, victim, honey, you're my fifth one/Honey on that topping when I stuff you in my system/Rape a pregnant bitch and tell my friends I had a threesome/You got a fucking death wish?/I'm a genie, it'll get it done."
View this video on YouTube
12. "D.R.U.G.S." by Iggy Azalea and YG (2011)
"Iggy Azalea called herself a slave master in 'D.R.U.G.S.,' inspiring one of Azealia Banks’ infamous Twitter rants (but to be fair, she was right about that one)."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Tire marks, tire marks/Finish line with the fire marks/When it really starts, I'm a runaway slave master/Shittin' on the past, gotta spit it like a pastor."
View this video on YouTube
13. "Good Morning, Little School Girl" by the Grateful Dead (1967)
"Good Morning, Little School Girl," written by Sonny Boy Williamson and recorded by the Grateful Dead in 1967, is about an older man who's sexually attracted to a teenage girl he notices walking home every day after school. It's unfortunately one of many classic rock songs about an older man preying on a much younger woman, and yet it's a favorite among Dead fans.
—BuzzFeed
"The song title speaks for itself."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Good morning, little schoolgirl/Can I come home with you?/Tell your mama and your papa I'm a little schoolboy, too/Come on now, pretty baby/I just can't help myself/You're so young and pretty/I don't need nobody else."
View this video on YouTube
14. And: "Keep It in the Family" by Deodato (1982)
"The title says it all — this song is disgusting. I first heard it through Spotify on Discover Weekly, and it’s got a pretty cool disco beat, but then I listened to the lyrics. I was so shocked; I played a snatch of it to my partner to be sure I was hearing what I thought I had. I’m horrified this is still on Spotify — I tried to find a way to contact them because this is not OK."
The problematic lyrics at hand: "Just one night with you/That's my fantasy/Please don't tell anybody/We've got to keep it in the family."
View this video on YouTube
Note: Some submissions were edited for length and/or clarity.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.