MY NEW PET HATE: "Daughters" by John Mayer.

[asthmaticeog]

Anybody else heard this horrific mountain of crap yet? I first heard it yesterday, on the only radio station I could get when I was stuck behind a turnpike accident in Western Ohio, and then I just heard it again in the deli while I was in line to pick up my lunch. The lyrics:

I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
and she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change

And I've done all I can
To stand on the steps with my heart in my hand
Now I'm starting to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers be good to your daughters, too

Ooh, you see that skin
It's the same she's been standing in
Since the day she saw him walking away
Now she's left cleaning up the mess he made

<snip>
OK, nothing TOO repellent so far - maybe the guy just had a kid and felt compelled to write a treacly daddy-song. Which is OK, it happens, whatever. I fully support parents treating their kids well. But then we get to this:

Boys you can break
You find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong and boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without warmth from a woman's good, good heart

On behalf of every man, looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world

<snip>
Do I even have to explain why this bugs the shit out of me? Hell, I don't often see social issues through a gender-based filter (social class is my polit-kink), and this just enrages me. If the song merely sucked (which it DOES, good people, it SO does), I could let it slide; if I got apoplectic about *everything* in pop-cult that was merely lame, I'd have died of an anyeurism at age 16. But this is just fucking offensive.

[xultar]

1. So, like, it's just a song.

:shrug:

[lenidog]

7. It is just a song

but music has the power to inspire people, inform people,give them ideas, change their minds and view on things. I mean if it didn't why would their be protest songs if the only thing the song would accoplish is to give the writer a venue to vent. That is the point he is trying to make.

[xultar]

21. Welp lets ban all music t obe safe. You never know! n/t

[Left Is Write]

55. Nobody said anything about banning it.

He doesn't like it because he feels it sends a bad message.

[sundog]

2. why not just hate John Mayer & be done with it all?

why stop at one song?

worked for me :P

[xultar]

3. and his mama.

[asthmaticeog]

5. It's the only song of his I've ever heard.

Though if it's representative, I'll galdly just pre-emptively hate all of his work.

[Magrittes Pipe]

6. You've never even heard "Your Body Is a Wonderland?"

You are indeed fortunate.

[Lex]

11. LOL!

Earworm . . . . argggghhhhhh.

[asthmaticeog]

14. Wow, just the title sounds icky. (n/t)

[Susang]

24. I wish to god that I'd never heard it

It damaged me deeply. :cry:

[sundog]

8. save yourself the pain

do a pre-emptive strike

[lenidog]

13. In this case it is totally justifiable

[lenidog]

12. After listening to "Wonderland" (?) I more or less took the opinion

that this guys music suck and I will never listen to it again.

[Magrittes Pipe]

4. Don't let Koolzip hear you say that.

He LOVES John Mayer.

[RandomKoolzip]

15. Is wishing for your death considered "calling out?"

[Magrittes Pipe]

18. Your Body Is a Wonderland, RKZ.

Unfortunately, it is EuroDisney.

"It's a small world after all...."

[Debbi801]

9. I agree. It creeps me out everytime I hear it...

Between that song and his "Wonderland" song I've decided I can't stand him.

Debbi

[undeterred]

10. I'm sick of hearing it over and over again

but they don't play it on Air America!

[Misunderestimator]

16. Yeah, I hate that song.

Women, after all, are only here to serve men, who are their kind and generous masters (gods)... that's the gyst of it. :eyes:

[Susang]

22. It's pretty fucking sexist

Towards men and women, IMO. Men are these randy cads who only need the love of a good woman to heal them. :puke:

Plus, I really hate John Mayer, so that doesn't make it any easier to stomach. ;-)

[Iris]

30. Yeah - "Boys you can break; find out how much they can take"

Nice way to race a son.

[asthmaticeog]

39. Exactly - isn't that what scum who train pit bulls for dogfights do?

[Iris]

54. good analogy.

[Mad_Dem_X]

33. First time I heard the "god" line

I couldn't believe my ears. :wow:

Glad I'm not the only one who finds it repulsive.

[redqueen]

17. Yeah I quit listening to the radio, mostly.

Good thing, it seems.

'the god and the weight'

I just about wanna start a race of amazon man-haters after reading that shit. hehe... only kidding. mostly. :P

[redqueen]

51. I take that post back... it's about daughters, not women.

So... that kinda changes the context of that last part.

[Marnieworld]

19. I really don't see why you are offended.

I can't listen to the song because it always makes me cry. For me it tells a story. The man character of the song is in love with a woman who had a fucked up childhood. Her father or mother or both damaged her and she has built walls around herself and has problems because of it. He, her love, sees the pain, tries to love her, but is faced with the obstacles created by her psychological damage. So it is a song as testament to the power of parenting and its impact and a plea that people stop abusing their children because of the lifelong impact. It's loving for the empathy towards this sad girl and I, an adult woman, still damaged by my less than kind parents, have a hard time hearing it for the truth and compassion of it. This and wonderland are both sweet songs. I just don't get the response.

[xmas74]

43. I always kind of liked it too.

I admit it-I have John Mayer cds. When he talks about being good to your daughters too I always viewed it as what I witnessed from some fathers (and mothers) where the daughters were treated w/ less value than the sons (even in this day and age). I always saw it as the idea of the parents are molding their childs future and they should be careful w/ how they treat their children.
But maybe that's just me.

[Tsiyu]

57. I suppose it wouldn't be vomit-inducing

if there weren't fifty billion other male-penned tunes about "women-as-damaged-goods" floating around. Not saying this isn't the case in reality, but men are just as fucked up by this wicked old world, so people should be good to all kids.

And the implication that it is always the female who can't "love properly" and that the all-knowing male could solve this problem for her if she would just let him have a go is really pukey. :puke:

Dude needs to examine why HE invests so much in being a hero, and why he is drawn to emotionally unavailable partners.

Just sayin'

[El Fuego]

20. I HATE it too.

Rates pretty high on the puke meter:

:puke::puke::puke::puke:

[elperromagico]

23. Only John Mayer's slurred singing style

could make "girls become lovers" sound like "girls with candelabras."

Other than that, no comment.

[CitrusLib]

25. Beats the hell out of songs that call women bitches and whores

or celebrate women's junk in the trunk, women who 'got bang' (Thank you Ricky Retardo Martin), yada, yada, yada.

I don't think the song is offensive. His voice grates, but the song is pretty mild all things considered, LOL.

[asthmaticeog]

26. You raise a *really* interesting point for discussion:

Which is worse, "bitches & hos" bullshit or "females are delicate little snowflakes that must be sheltered and coddled by big daddy at all times" bullshit? Though the former is certainly a more vulgar form of sexism, the latter is arguably far more insidious. For my part, I think I consider both viewpoints equally hateful.

On edit: or is it just hopeless scholasticism to try and qualify this stuff? :shrug:

[Iris]

31. If the little snowflakes don't allow themselves to be sheltered and

coddled, then they can simply be labeled as bitches and whole.

Same all or nothing attitude about women that has been around for generations.

[Susang]

32. Flip side of the same coin

Paternalism, no matter how you slice it. ;-)

[redqueen]

52. Except... if the song is about daughters, isn't paternalism a good thing?

I mean, considering he's talking to fathers in this song, about their daughters?

[chickenscratching]

27. hmmm

On behalf of every man, looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world

:rofl:

oh, that's rich!

not only is it sexist, but written very poorly. I can appreciate sexism if witty or extremely vulgar, but this...hmm...my legs just closed!

However, I guess I shouldn't make a peep, I allow Baio to watch over me every night.

[deadparrot]

28. I despise John Mayer.

Ever heard "Your Body is a Wonderland"?

Oh, the humanity...:puke:

[redqueen]

29. You know what? If, in that last part, he's referring to a parent / child

relationship... then it's not so bad at all.

[Marnieworld]

44. considering it's called "Daughters" I think he is

and dads are important to little girls. How they are affects the girl's relationships with men for the rest of their lives. How can a song that is about being good to girls be considered misogynistic? Both men and women have fragilities. Pointing it out in an empathetic way shows compassion. I think the OP should listen to the song again without a "women's studies" filter IMO.

[redqueen]

48. D'oh! That might be a hint, yes.

I take it back... these lyrics aren't offensive in the least.

In fact, I kind of like the idea of it now... not sure I want to hear it, though. :)

[Marnieworld]

49. It's corny and he's not known for his voice

so you aren't really missing anything. :)

[stanwyck]

34. Has a "promise ring" vibe to it

which is totally creepy to me. The girl wears a ring she receives in a ceremony with her father. She "promises" to remain intact until she's married. When her father gives her (like a prize animal) to her new owner.
Yuck.
Maybe if this song was written in 1954, it wouldn't be so revolting.
But we "girls" don't need every man looking out for us. Thank you very much.
And many of us like to look out for the men in our lives.

[Mad_Dem_X]

35. Great post!

Promise Rings...((shudder))

[democracyindanger]

47. Insane post.

[ghostsofgiants]

36. The only worthwhile thing John Mayer has ever done was that Chappelle's...

...Show episode.

Otherwise, he simultaneously sucks and blows.

[Marnieworld]

45. That was hysterical definitely! n/t

[HughBeaumont]

37. Small wonder why there's been no antenna on my car since 1997.

And HELL NO I ain't paying for radio, sanka verrah mooch.

[tjdee]

38. I like the song, hate John Mayer.

I think he's basically saying that fathers are important to daughters. He's what, 10 years old, so his songwriting abilities aren't sophisticated enough to say it unawkwardly.

He's basically saying that a girl's relationship with her father colors her relationship with men, and that he's saying 'on behalf of every man looking out for every girl', remember that as a father, you are the 'god and the weight of her world'.

I think it's really hokey, but it has a charm to it. I agree with whoever above said it's *way* better than come over here and lick me, or whatever they're saying nowadays.

Otherwise, I don't dig John Mayer at all. I find his pseudo-whisper voice fake and annoying. But then, he's much better than Ryan "My hair is too long for this haircut" Cabrera.

[redqueen]

53. Agree about the 'come lick me' crap.

What is it with music today?

Crap... WTF am I saying "today" for? When I was a teen I got to hear the same thing, as did generations before me.

[grace0418]

40. Hate the lyrics, like the song. Sorry.

I do agree it's sexist though. I'm surprised to find a young, male singer-songwriter type writing gender-profiling lyrics like this in this day and age.

[donheld]

41. Would you like it better if the song was "Sons?"

:rofl:

[4_Legs_Good]

42. Gah! That's awful

Pretty lame throughout, but you're right there at the end - that's horrific.

Boys you can break?



david

[Piperay]

46. I HATE that song and

it is one of those idiotic things that stick in my head just to make it all even worse. :puke:

[neuvocat]

50. I heard that crap the other day.

Ugh! Talk about some preachy, sugury sweet bullshit the other day. It's enough to make you gag.

Is he the same asshole who had that "Butterly Kisses"? I swear that gave me some creepy vibes, as if the guy who was singing it was going on about child molestation. Bleh!

[The Great Escape]

56. Then Some Jerk Will Sing About Her Body Being A Wonderland...

in a few years.


We got the afternoon
You got this room for two
One thing I've left to do
Discover me
Discovering you

One mile to every inch of
Your skin like porcelain
One pair of candy lips and
Your bubblegum tongue

'Cause if you want love
We'll make it
Swimming a deep sea
Of blankets
Take all your big plans
And break 'em
This is bound to be a while

Your body Is a wonderland
Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands)
Your body Is a wonderland

:wtf:

[Scout]

58. thanks for identifying the "artist" for me...

so I know to avoid. I've been hearing that piece of shit song on the station we listen to at work (limited choices due to poor reception).

Ickkkk. The whole song is bad, but I really hate

girls become lovers
who turn into mothers

right, like there, that's it! those are your choice! fuck a man, bear a child...

bleah, I stopped following pop music a long time ago.

[musiclawyer]

59. Yeah, I hate him too

Would never have been signed by a major record label in the 60's-80's. Same goes for a lot of these corporate created "artists" In the old days talent had a lot more to do with getting a recording contract.