Parental Advisory – Explicit Content

Yesterday I was thinking about what I’ll do when Grayson finally gets old enough to start listening to his own music. What will he gravitate towards? If he’s anything like me or Oscar, it’ll probably be something we both despise (gangsta rap?? *shudder*). Oscar still listens to a lot of the music he listened to in high school, which really, is kind of tame compared to the garbage I liked during high school. Thankfully, I grew out of that nu-metal goth phase, broadening my horizons a little once I got to college.

Ridiculousness evidenced here, circa 2000 w/ my bff Jen.

My favorite band when I was 14 years old? Korn. Followed by Limp Bizkit, Deftones, Fear Factory, and System of a Down.

Anybody else remember this album?

You can take a second to laugh. I understand.

Finished? What’s even worse, is I probably still know most of the words (grunts? screams?) to the songs. I made a point to learn all the particularly foul lyrics to a song called K@#Ø%! off the album pictured above about the singer’s awful mother. I had the biggest crush on a guy who calls himself Munky. I am thoroughly embarrassed now, as all the girls who listen to Justin Beiber will probably feel 13 years from now. But I mean, 13 year olds are stupid. It’s been proven by science.

When I was growing up, I had lots of friends whose parents didn’t care or know what they were listening to. My parents were pretty strict on me though, it wasn’t until my 16th birthday that I was gifted the right to listen to whatever I wanted. Doesn’t mean it didn’t come into the house via unmarked mixed tapes, haha. I had friends who made me tapes so that I could sneak them in without my parents knowing, and then I’d use headphones. Boy, was I clever.  I’m sure they knew, though.

One specific memory I have is from when I was about 8 years old. I was singing the lyrics to Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Give it Away,” and my Mom heard me, appalled. “Do you know what the lyrics are about in that song??” Nope, I sure didn’t. It was catchy and on the radio ALL the time. “They’re talking about giving SEX away.” I don’t remember what I said after that, but I’m sure I stammered out an apology of sorts and didn’t bring it up again.

I sometimes wonder what music will be like in 13 years. Beeping renditions of Lady Gaga remixes? MOAR gangsta rap??? Who knows. But I do know that I’m going to try and play a part in what my children listen to. Yes, I intend to be the same kind of mother that my Mom was, because she did a damn fine job.

Of course now, I have the worst sailor mouth, but I slowly moved up to that. I evolved, dammit. (Insert dripping sarcasm.) But for serious, I don’t want my children coming out of my womb singing “what I got you gotta get it put it in you.” They have earn the right to listen to music like that, as I did.

And then, when they’re 26, they’ll think back laugh about all the horrible crap they put in their ears.