Naughty Music Mommy?

One of the things that our family enjoys is listening to music together.

Among the four of us, we love pretty much every genre one could think of, and we like to listen to most of it loudly.  We have an iHome set up in the living room (dominated by a large dining room table because we do so much entertaining), and we play Pandora from an iPod almost continuously.

As our children have aged into their teen years, we have enjoyed sharing our love of music with them.  On our car radio presets, we have a Christian station, Cities97, a country station, and Minnesota Public Radio.  I think that the huz’s car has some talk radio too, but that is extraneous to this post!

As I have noted, we have pretty diverse music likes, so it is no wonder that we have had some troubles over the years with our music and our children.  A memorable moment with my mom when our kids were little was when the Dixie Chick song “Goodbye, Earl” came on the radio and the girl pronounced to Grandma that, “this is my favorite song!”

Because the song is about a couple of women killing off an abusive husband, you can imagine that my mom was not too pleased with the fact that my daughter knew all of the words and thought it was her favorite song.  I do not know if it was more shocking to mom that her daughter liked the song as well or that her son-in-love, a seminary student, did not put a stop to the listening.

My naughtiness has continued, and the kids and I have a recent fun song that we enjoy together – mostly in the car driving to school each day.  In fact, the other day the song came on the radio in the morning after I dropped the kids off at school, so I texted them some lyrics so that they could join me in the experience.  As I did that, I stopped and realized that we should probably talk about the content of the lyrics and why this song should be a bit concerning.  So we did.

Disclaimer:  When you read the lyrics which are talking about multiple relationships, people getting high, and people getting so drunk that someone (in this case – of the opposite gender) has to carry them home, I would guess that you will think, “What is she thinking?”  I don’t have a really good answer for you.  I love the beat and the tune, and I will keep listening to it.  I do want to say that I am against everything in the song.  In fact, it is a really sad song, and I hope that my children are never in a position to be singing this song to anyone.

I have a strange pull as a Christian, an educator, and a parent between enjoying music regardless of the lyrics and then needing to really examine them.  I think that, as with most things, if we put ourselves on a healthy diet of good stuff, we will be able to discern through the bad stuff – even when it comes with a super catchy tune and really fun music.

The song is “We are Young” by Fun.

The lyrics:

Give me a second I,
I need to get my story straight
My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State
My lover she’s waiting for me just across the bar
My seat’s been taken by some sunglasses asking bout a scar, and
I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you’re trying to forget
But between the drinks and subtle things
The holes in my apologies, you know
I’m trying hard to take it back
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I’ll carry you home

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Now I know that I’m not
All that you got
I guess that I, I just thought
Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart
But our friends are back
So let’s raise a cup
‘Cause I found someone to carry me home

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
Carry me home tonight (Nananananana)
Just carry me home tonight (Nananananana)
Carry me home tonight (Nananananana)
Just carry me home tonight (Nananananana)

The world is on my side
I have no reason to run
So will someone come and carry me home tonight
The angels never arrived
But I can hear the choir

So will someone come and carry me home
Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I’ll carry you home tonight

What do you think?