A fluffy entry about music and my youth

[gordonzola]

While listening to my iTunes on shuffle, I was reminded of how many songs I misinterpreted before I was acquainted with English slang. Partly because my obsession with English music was in my pre-early teen years I made up explanations that really, in the end, made no sense at all.

For example, The Specials "Too Much too Young", a pro-contraception song, had the mysterious ending lyrics of "Keep a generation gap / Try wearing a cap!" I know those English winters were cold, but was wearing, as I imagined, a wool hat actually going to keep people from having sex? Was there a big problem of people just fucking to keep warm? The adult world was so mysterious.

That it was referring to cervical caps, contraception not available in the States at that time, made it extra obscure. Now it’s more of a quaint look back at the pre-AIDS world.

The classic English-ism, misinterpreted by generations of political punks was, of course, the end of "Anarchy in the UK". Hearing "Get pissed! Destroy!" as an American was a call to arms. Understand who is oppressing you and rise up against them! Get angry at this fucked-up society and take action!

It was disheartening to discover the message of Get drunk! Break stuff! later in life.

Anyone else have some to share? Misinterpretations, not mis-hearings.

Comments

[slantedtruth.livejournal.com]

not to do with music, but i often forget to say trousers instead of pants. emma has learned to interpret me, but i often get strange looks when speaking publicly of pants as they assume i am talking about my underwear. it's obviously infiltrated my thinking too -- when i was searching for new trousers on american ebay today, i was aghast at all the 'pants' staring back at me.

[fluxions.livejournal.com]

I was going to do a bunch of outdoorsy stuff in Wales so I went to buy some waterproof pants at a sporty store. The woman was very confused until I corrected myself and asked for waterproof trousers. I still have them, but I'm now too fat to get them past my knees.