Behind these hazel eyes....

(Well, my eyes are green but - you get the point.)

So, I'm going to go on a limb and make myself sound "old" with this post.
Yet it's relevant and "in my face" so to speak, so I can't resist.

I'm a huge music afficianado -- all genres, all artists -- and if you didn't already know that about me, well now you do.

Growing up, the stigma regarding music was "hidden messages" in heavy metal songs - specifically those by Ozzy Osbourne and songs such as "Suicide Solution". There was concern that the song wasn't about alcoholism, but contained subliminal messages that if the album was played backwards, might inspire young minds to end their lives. (Seriously??!!?? Seriously!!!) And so I, being a complete lyrical fantatic used to love to analyze all the lyrics to songs and point out to people how songs by groups such as Metallica, Megadeth, Ozzy and the like weren't about dark topics -- sort of "don't let the loud guitar riffs fool you". (Hello, as if "Master of Puppets" wasn't the best anti-drug song ever?!?!)

But today...well, who needs stigmas and fears? Songs are blatantly overt in their sexual overtones, as well as discussions about drinking and partying. Listen - I love the songs myself, but where I struggle is that there are very few songs that my children can listen to without feeling like "oh, shoot - do they really understand what they're singing?" It's unrealistic to keep them away from it, nor do I really feel that I should; but at the same time, at risk of sounding like a prude -- I wonder how to manage what they hear.

At one point, they knew they couldn't listen to "I kissed a girl" by Katy Perry; though I told them it was because my son is too young to think about kissing girls at this tender age. But who doesn't love Kesha's catchy tunes - and to have them singing about "getting drunk", "touching junk" (um, who wants to explain what that means? I just told them it means their belongings, like purses, wallets, etc....) or having the "police shut them down". To their tender minds, when the police come it's to save you -- not get you in trouble.

So, as a Mom who's trying to maintain the innocence of her children but yet not stifle them -- I'm running into a bit of an obstacle. Let alone the fact that I'm all about expression in it's purest form of music; but just wondering at what point will music become entirely inappropriate for children under a particular age?

And equally as important --how sad would that be.....?