The song that I chose was Date Rape by Sublime
For those of you who arent familiar with the song, Its a really fast paced song that talks about how a guy got a girl drunk, and rapes her in his car, and then he gets thrown in jail. The song is actually very upbeat in rhythm but what it actually is about and says is not a topic that should be sung so lightly in my opinion because its such a serious issue. But the way this song is sung, kind of takes away the shock value of it being about rape and you kind of lose sight of what your singing about when youre listening to this song.
Here are the lyrics:
Let me tell you about a girl I know
Had a drink about a hour ago
Sitting in a corner by herself
In a bar in downtown Hell
She heard a noise and she looked through the door
And saw a man she'd never seen before
Light skin, light blue eyes
A double-chin and a plastic smile
Well, her heart raced as he walked through the door
And took an empty seat next to her at the bar
'My brand new car is parked right outside
How'd ya like to go for a ride?'
And she said, 'Wait a minute I have to think'
He said, 'That's fine, may I please buy you a drink'
One drink turned into 3 or 4
And they left and got into his car
And drove away someplace real far
Now babe the time has come
How'd ya like to have a little fun?
And she said
'If we could only please be on our way, I will not run'
That's when things got out of control
She didn't want to, he had his way
She said, 'Let's Go'
he said, 'No Way!'
'Come on babe it's your lucky day
Shut your mouth, were gonna do it my way
Come on baby don't be afraid
If it wasn't for date rape I'd never get laid'
He finished up and started the car
He turned around and drove back to the bar
He said 'Now baby don't be sad
In my opinion you weren't half-bad'
She picked up a rock
Threw it at the car
Hit him in the head
Now he's got a big scar
Come on party people won't you listen to me
Date rape stylee
The next day she went to her drawer
Look up her local attorney at law
Went to the phone and filed the police report
And then she took the guy's ass to court
Well, the day he stood in front of the judge he screamed
'She lies that little slut!'
The judge knew that he was full of shit
And he gave him 25 years
And now his heart is filled with tears
That night in jail it was getting late
He was butt-raped by a large inmate, and he screamed
But the guards paid no attention to his cries
That's when things got out of control
The moral of the date rape story
It does not pay to be drunk and horny
But that's the way it had to be
They locked him up and threw away the key
Well, I can't take pity on men of his kind
even though he now takes it in the behind
Date rape!
She didn't want to
She didn't want to
She didn't want to
She didn't want to take it!
Colleen
I honestly have never heard this song and it is weird how such a fast pace song is about such an awful topic. You would think of lyrics like these to be sung slow, not up beat. So it is an interesting way to sing a topic and story like this one. I did like how the guy who date raped the girl get his when he got sentenced to prison and then he was raped in jail. So in the end I am glad he got what was coming to him. I love crime stories where people get what they deserve back.
ReplyDeleteYea I think this may be a bad thing but this song reminds me of middle school. I listend to so much Sublime in the 6th grade and I knew all of the words to this song before I really ever knew what it was about. To this day the song reminds me of hanging out with my friends and it brings back happy memories. Which is probably not good since it contains such terrible subject matter. But I do think it is interesting listening to this song now because it is almost funny listening to the story being told. Some black humor I guess. But the fast tempo and sick baseline really distract you from the awful lyrics in the song.
ReplyDeleteI just listened to this song yesterday believe it or not. I was explaining the song to my girlfriend.. and once I told her it was about date rape she just kind of looked at me. It really is a serious thing but it is sung in such an upbeat manner you really don't think about what is going on. I find humor at the end of the song when it talks about how the guy now takes it in the behind. Amazing song though
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm going to have to echo everyone's sentiments that if you are going to write a song like this and have anyone take it seriously it cannot have the same normal Sublime tempo. An interesting case where the tempo can actually change our perception of the song.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this song before and when i read the lyrics i was really shocked that people would like to listen to a song about rape.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard this song either but honestly, I do like that the guy gets paid back in jail..that part is pretty funny and I also liked that they brought the judge and sentencing in and from what I remember, 25 years is in the guidelines but usually people don't get that much unless other stuff is involved. Crude words though I can say...I was a Sublime listener too, but then again I think we like the tempo more than the words.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great song musically but pretty messed up if you actually look at the lyrics. I think that by speeding it up, it discredits the issue of date rape. They sing the song in such an upbeat manner that it is almost as if they are advocating for it and making it seem ok to do.
ReplyDeleteI love this song and its upbeatness. Sublime is a SKA band. What sets SKA apart from other genre's is its ability to take depressing or deep stories and make it musically upbeat. I used to be obsessed with SKA and I know of many bands and songs that do this same thing. It is one of the characteristics I like about it. It isn't morbid sounding, but does it have to be? The message of "date rape" by Sublime is explicit and you can hear it in Bradley Noel's voice as he sings it. I like the song a lot. Just because it is upbeat, doesn't mean it's not serious. I think they did a good job of balancing the two. I don't think it discredits the meaning of the song, I think it just resembles the genre of music they are playing in.
ReplyDeleteDate Rape is possibly Sublime's most memorable and popular song.
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing this back in Middle School. This was back when I, and everyone else, had a maturity level that was way too low to properly understand and appreciate the seriousness of the subject matter that was presented in the song.
I think that many parts of the song are meant to be humorous, which is a little weird, but it remains to be Sublime's most famous/popular songs. I don't really think it was appropriate to air on the radio though...
Love this song. I always get way to into it for the subject they are talking about. It is pretty gratifying that a more fitting justice was served instead of just doing time. I think it plays into the perception that rapists and child molesters are treated poorly by other inmates because they recognize the weight of those crimes over others.
ReplyDelete