How the times they are a-changing

If I, as a 4 year old, back in the early 80's, had been caught singing anything other than "Edelweiss" and "Jesus Loves Me", my parents would have definitely raised a disapproving eyebrow or two and warned me not to repeat the refrain in public.

If my grandparents had ever caught a whisper of "Blue Suede Shoes", or, heaven forbid, "Wake up Little Suzy", well, there would have been some serious scolding to follow I'm sure.

But oh, the times have changed, haven't they? Not only do my children sing the entire ABBA album backwards, they've cottoned onto some more recent artists too. Mika, Katy Perry, and the girl who sings "Mercy" are all hot favourites amongst the girls. (Note my musical expertise coming through. Ahem. - what's that chick's name, anyway?)

And it's not that they just hum along, but we actually get them to rehearse their version of a particular song for the mild amusement and listening pleasure of our friends. (See, this is why we even have kids: cheap entertainment!)

So then, is something rotten in the state of Denmark? By encouraging the wild musical flavours of the current times are we nurturing rebellion, low morals and social disintegration? I don't think so. After all, we grew up with the music of the eighties. And even with the birth of techno and grunge mixed into the brew of our musical nutrition, we didn't (all) turn into delinquents, criminals or rodent sacrificing satanists.

Perhaps our generation has learnt that sticks and stones can break our bones but words can never harm us? It's an understanding our parents never quite had, fearing our souls would be lost forever if we listened to too much rock 'n roll or heavy metal. Maybe we don't regard words with as much fear and respect as our predecessors did. Maybe we are more flippant and careless with the language we use. Maybe.

But, when all is said and done, you have to admit that it is still a hoot to watch your parents cringe at words like "Fart", and even more so when it's your tiny little angel saying it.

Yes, we have less fear of the effects of music and lyrics on our offspring. Our concerns are more focussed on technology and the internet and what effects cellular phones will have on our children's lives. And who knows, maybe in twenty years time our kids will scoff at our concern over things like radiation. Maybe they'll put their babies in their microwave ovens to warm them up on a cold day, and joke about how we react to that.

Maybe.