I've been playing and teaching some absolute classic songs with sketchy messages and often stop to talk about it. Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix talks of "goin' down to shoot my ol' Lady". Boom Boom by Muddy Waters likewise. I'm a Christian who is asked to, and does, teach Black Sabbath and Metallica songs among others. I make a point to discuss the lyrics, and how very often they can be put into context, or interpreted in different ways. Many of the old blues standards have lyrics that are questionable today but they live on. I know some modern women who rock out to these songs but would not, for one second, condone the lyrics. It's the beat. It's rock. It's fun. God knows your heart and lets you chose to play fun songs. What can I say?
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Neil M, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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