posted
So, last night, I was cooking before some friends came over, and had my ipod shuffling a bunch of Rolling Stones tunes.
Let's Spend the Night together came on, a song I remember jumping on beds to with girlfriends in jr. high, and also remember, as the years passed, as being one of quite a few tunes from the 60s and 70s (and we had some in the 80s, too, but that's the time it seemed like tunes like this started to be more rare) which presented a sexual invitation or exchange as this mutually-beneficial, non-prescribed-gender roles, plain old happy, fun thing. Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On," was similar.
Heck, this one even had dudes singing about feeling flustered, being totally fine if some of the kinds of sex they wanted didn't happen, and wanting to make sure their ostensibly female partner had a good time.
(However, it was considered so scandalous by some when it came out, that on a TV show they were to perform it on, they had to sing it as "Let's Spend Some Time Together," instead.)
Some of the lyrics:
quote:Don't you worry 'bout what's on your mind (Oh my) I'm in no hurry I can take my time (Oh my) I'm going red and my tongue's getting tied (tongues' getting tied) I'm off my head and my mouth's getting dry. I'm high, But I try, try, try (Oh my) Let's spend the night together Now I need you more than ever Let's spend the night together now
I feel so strong that I can't disguise (oh my) Let's spend the night together But I just can't apologize (oh no) Let's spend the night together Don't hang me up and don't let me down (don't let me down) We could have fun just groovin' around around and around Oh my, my Let's spend the night together Now I need you more than ever Let's spend the night together
Let's spend the night together Now I need you more than ever
This doesn't happen to me ev'ryday (oh my) Let's spend the night together No excuses offered anyway (oh my) Let's spend the night together I'll satisfy your every need (every need) And I now know you will satisfy me Oh my, my, my, my, my Let's spend the night together Now I need you more than ever Let's spend the night together now
Anyway, it occurred to me that it doesn't seem like there are a lot of, if any, songs like this anymore. Most of the popular songs that address sex either comes with sexism or posturing, commodify it a lot, aren't just kind of light (and involve love/romance if they are presenting sex as something mutually fulfilling, too), etc.
But perhaps I'm missing something? Can any of you think of any songs that are fairly current that are about sex, but just present it as something fun and human like this?
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63416 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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posted
You know I definitely had to think about this one before I could answer it (and the first song that did come to mind was Second Hand News and we can hardly call Fleetwood Mac contemporary) so I'd agree with you that there's a serious lack of recent songs in that vein. After a quick browse through my itunes though I remembered this gem though: "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" by Ida Maria. The song didn't do too well in the States but it was pretty popular in Europe when in came out in 2008 (or so a quick google search tells me) and it's a fun up beat song about being flustered over a guy and wanting to get it on. I'd definitely put it in the happy sex category.
Posts: 195 | From: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
Just looked at the lyrics: that's not a bad one at all! Agree, it seems to be something contemporary in a similar vein.
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63416 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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posted
In defence of the 80s, IIRC that was the decade that gave us two awesome cheesy pop songs about masturbation by The Divinyls and Cindi Lauper
Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is certainly one of the more interesting examples as well. But if you're looking for help from us young un's to find new (ish) music with positive sexual messages, I'd probably agree with you that there's a lack of songs like these now (but of course I am aware of only a small fraction of what's out there).
Here's what I can think of looking through my iTunes (this isn't necessarily a comprehensive list as I have a lot of stuff in my iTunes):
Michael - Franz Ferdinand - Written by a member of the band who is straight after they ended up dancing while drunk with another guy at a club/bar/party, I guess you could argue with the inclusion of this song, but I'm grasping at straws here, and it's certainly pretty positive on the whole, being forward and loud without being aggressive or mean.
The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side - The Magnetic Fields - I'm including this song not because it's about sex (as it isn't really) but because it does have a relaxed attitude to just wanting to hang out with someone who you feel attracted to for the fun of it - in other words it has a somewhat casual take on romance unlike the serious drama that accompanies many songs on the topic, being about dating more than big important relationships, I thought that might be of interest. (it's kind of like Estelle's American Boy in that respect, but with a totally different musical style and a different cultural backdrop).
American Boy - Estelle - You could probably make a case for this as an enjoyably flirty song, though I can see how it could be considered commodifying and maybe sexist... it's hardly the worst example though.
Night and Day - Hot Chip - Has love/romance elements, but is at least more explicitly sexual, very much a skin hunger kind of song.
I dunno, I agree that there's a shortage of songs like this these days. I really like that one you shared skiesofgreen, will totally listen to it again when youtube is working on my computer again (it appears to have crashed today).
-------------------- Always knock before entering my room when I am in there alone, as I may be doing all sorts of wonderfully thrilling things that I'd rather you didn't see. Posts: 839 | From: UK | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Heh. You don't need to defend the 80s and music from the 80s to me.
And agreed, both that Divinyls tune -- which was actually written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who ALSO wrote Lauper's True Colors and Madonna's Like a Virgin, no less -- and Lauper's jilling off tune were goodies!
Must to check out all your suggestions here: I'm literally familiar with none of the new ones!
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63416 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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posted
Oooh! I just thought of a good one - Oh My Gosh by Basement Jaxx. It's a nice, happily flirtatious song, and the video is awesome as it casts elderly people as the characters in the narrative
-------------------- Always knock before entering my room when I am in there alone, as I may be doing all sorts of wonderfully thrilling things that I'd rather you didn't see. Posts: 839 | From: UK | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Oh! Jill's reminded me of one, too! (By the way jill, that video is totally awesome, I was grinning the entire time) What about "Oh my God" by P!nk/Peaches?
It's kind of about one woman saying to another "so, some shit's going down in your life. There are two ways to fix this: 1. you can tell me all about it and I'll listen to you spill your guts or 2. and this, by the way, is the much better option I hope you'll agree, we could have lots of fun orgasms together. So, whaddaya think? Not a hard decision really, is it?"
I always liked it because... two women! Having sex with each other! Having awesome orgasms and things! But I dunno if other people would interpret it in a different way? And I mean, hopefully they don't have sex instead of talking out issues EVERY time, otherwise that wouldn't be so good Posts: 1123 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Definitely not a current one, but for me, Donna Summer's "Love To Love You, Baby" was my first. *Blush* I must have been 12 or 13 at the time, and ohmygosh, just hearing her moans sent me reeling.
For more recent ones, I'd like to add Lovage's "Stroker Ace" just for the suggestive double entendre/wordplay, and because my power animal is the much beloved feline cat.
Let's see... *digging through iTunes* I also know of a song that is about two women having sex, and the music is set at a sexy, slow and seductive pace; it's called "Mariposa (en Havana)" by the artist Si*Se. The song is sung in Spanish, and while the lyrics aren't explicitly sexual, it's still beautiful because they come off as poetic.
And let me not forget Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You" What a voice!
-------------------- “I’m breaking my attachment to physical power and possessions, because only through destroying myself can I discover the greater power of my spirit.” ― Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club Posts: 86 | From: Hawaii | Registered: Feb 2013
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posted
Sadly, that song was one Donna Summer -- despite her being the one who brought the idea to the table, including recording it the way she did with all the moans -- later renounced (right around the time she became a born-again Christian) and refused to perform for a good 25 years.
It's always made me so sad to know she clearly felt shame over it.
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63416 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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I must have been 12 or 13 at the time, and ohmygosh, just hearing her moans sent me reeling. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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