Big Hands, I Know You’re the One
by Lisa Donovan
Does the fact the my two year old daughter goes around singing songs about masterbation make me a bad parent? I can’t believe I just opened up that can of worms. But I feel I have a problem. I’m not a prude, I promise. I know she doesn’t understand what the song is about - hell, I didn’t understand what the song was about until I was almost twenty. - and that she likes it for it’s uptempo beat and pop brilliance. But, “Blister in the sun” is her new favorite song - it has taken on a whole new dimension for me and, quite frankly, it is creeping me out.
We have gone through our “Hit the Road Jack” phase. Both my kids were (and on occassion, still are) obsessed with Ray Charles. At the worst, my kids were mimicking his soulful grunts and groans and talking about how he had some serious “lady trouble” (6year olds words, not mine). No harm there.
There were a few durge like Iron and Wine songs that she had gotten attached to - lots of references about the hangman and going home. That was weird - a 2year old singing about the “devil’s tree”. I still wasn’t phased.
I remember my son being infatuated with White Stripes and Bob Dylan when he was two. No real masterbation or sex referencing there. Just seriously great writing and riffs. He still loves them.
I did wonder and worry about him knowing all the words to Modest Mouse’s The Lonesome Crowded West album. There was a part he particularly liked about Cowboy Dan pointing his rifle up to the sky and telling god that if he had to die, so did god. I stopped playing it after I realized that, at three, he was reciting it all, word for word.
I have tried not to play kid’s music - with the exception of Dan Zanes who, in my opinion, is just as talented and un-obnoxious as my music. For the most part, I find kid’s music insulting to my children. It strikes me as the equivilant as someone baby talking to them - makes me feel icky. But, seeing my daughter walk around demanding to hear “bister SUN!” or, as she sometimes likes to call it “stain my sheets” - I start to see the beauty in furry little puppets singing about sunshine and lollipops.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 25th, 2006 at 9:32 pm and is filed under Child Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 25th, 2006 at 10:34 pm
I play what I want to play when we drive in my (daddy’s) car. I of course pick stuff that’s not too rock-licious, but I’m sure I’ve played more than a few songs that probably had some grown up themes in them. For now, my oldest is 3-years-old, and I don’t worry about it too much. But when she does start singing the lyrics “relax, don’t do it, when you want to come,” I may need to reconsider my music policy. Fortunately, I don’t own anything from Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
As for good kids music that both parents and kids can listen to, I really like Elizabeth Mitchell and her album “You Are My Sunshine.” The Smithsonian Folkways Children’s Music Collection is also excellent.
October 26th, 2006 at 6:02 am
Jack Johnson’s Curious George soundtrack is great for parents and
kids alike.
November 1st, 2006 at 7:12 pm
So, my kids like Gwen Stefani. Since my husband is a music producer and engineer, they are exposed to all kinds of music. I was so proud of myself, I had them singing, “this SHIP is bananas…” And then one day, Cara (my 6 year old) says, “Mommy, it sounds like she is singing S-H-I-T.” (yes, she actually spelled it out). Well, then followed a long explanation of why were weren’t going to sing that, even if she was.
The day I had to explain the history of the “N” word and why we definitely can’t ever use that (after listening to the “Golddigger” song by Kanye West), now that’s a whole other story…
November 1st, 2006 at 8:41 pm
that’s dangerous!
thank god i pretty much stick to punk, rock&roll and folk/blues.. i guess that isn’t THAT narrow of a scope… but Ray Charles definately never hollered the “N” word. thank god. he does have a line that goes “she knows a women’s place is right there down in her home” that i grumble through. joseph has picked up on the disdain and i calmly tell him that mr. charles is lucky that was blesed with a good voice and can rock the piano or else i would have to, proverbially, kick his ass. and i did say “ass”.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:14 am
the song is not about masturbation, so there really isnt anything to worry about
March 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Personally, I never understood “Blister in the Sun” to be about masturbation, really. You have to know the origin of the song to really understand the lyrics, but essentially, it’s mocking girls who are superficial and self-centered.