What great song was "ruined" once you really listened to the lyrics?
10.06.2025 08:50
Many years ago, (mid-90s), I worked in a factory, and we’d play country radio one day and rock the next over the floor’s main speakers. It was a country day, and a woman called in wanting to dedicate the Reba McIntire cover of Bobbie Gentry’s “Fancy” to her 13-year-old daughter on her birthday. The DJ got quiet and asked why. The woman replied that it was an inspiring song for young girls and hoped her daughter would grow up to be just like Fancy in the song.
It didn’t ruin it for me, but I have a funny story about a song that was ruined for someone else.
All across the factory, people stopped and looked around at one another. The song is about a mother who turns out her daughter to be a prostitute. They’re so poor that the mother can’t afford food to feed all her children. So she buys the daughter a sexy dress and tells her to “just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy, and they’ll be nice to you.”
The DJ had to explain to this woman over the air what the song was about. She was like, “Oh, I didn’t realize that. I just liked the song. Well, that’s not good at all!”
The DJ played something else for the daughter.