Would you let your kids listen to U2?

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I have no problem letting my kids listen to U2 (not that I have any, but when I do...). Sure, there are some sexual references, but they're pretty tame and not very explicit. My brother listened to AB when he was 6 years old, and I'm pretty sure he had no idea that "on your knees, boy!" or "you can swallow..." had any kind of sexual meaning.
 
Moonlit_Angel said:


Exactly. Most little kids sing along to songs without really paying attention to what the lyrics mean.

Hell, I just found out what the Stones' "Brown Sugar" was about a few years ago. Until then, I'd listen to the song happily, and then a few years ago, I caught some of the lyrics, and it hit me: "Ohhhh...

Kids will only get curious about the music if the parents make a big deal out of the words and immediately forbid their kids to listen to the music.

So yeah, I would definitely let my kids listen to U2.

I just think restrictions on what kids can hear or see is pointless, personally. They will learn about this stuff eventually, might as well just let 'em know it exists now. I wouldn't consider someone a bad parent for not being strict with what their kids watch or hear.

But that's just my opinion. :shrug:. This could have to do with the fact that my parents were never strict with what I watched or listened to (for cripes' sake, I watched "Beavis and Butt-head" when I was a little kid!).

Angela
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I totally agree with everything you said! :yes: :applaud: It's very true, I have seen examples many, many times with real people I have known. The more a kid is forbidden something, the more it only sparks their interest and makes them more curious, and they will eventually find out and it will be worse, like the forbidden fruit, wondering, what's so bad that this was hidden from me? Most kids would never notice if you just let it play and think nothing of it. Yes, my kids listen to U2, and watch the videos, and have never picked up on anything. (I never saw anything so bad about any of their stuff anyway!)

About the 'sexual innuendo' stuff, kids will never notice if you don't point it out to them, or tell them not to watch until they start asking somebody why. My little girl saw thrusting Bono and just laughed. She thought he was crawling backwards! :lol: I remember seeing shows and movies as a kid and never got the dirty jokes, girations and insinuations, and then I'd see it again older and would also go 'Ohhhh..' ;) But it never hurt me as a kid because I never suspected a thing. :angel:

Anyway, it's not like the 1950's anymore. There is no way to hide kids from cuss words, they WILL hear them anyway, in the street, school, someone else's house. It is indeed pointless, and hopeless, and could even be more harmful by making a big deal out of things. Just let it be, and it will all work out. :yes:
 
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Bono's shades said:
I didn't "get" most of the sexual innuendo on AB until someone pointed it out to me, and I was over 21 when I first heard it! :reject:
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Me too :eek: Honestly nobody ever 'pointed it out' to me until I got onto these U2 sites during the tour. I still don't really see anything so bad about it :shrug: If Bono's shades and I didn't see it at our age, a kid isn't likely to see anything shocking;)

One more thing to bring up: that 'sexual healing' thing is only on the Irving Plaza bootleg, not the real AB. There's really nothing dirty on AB unless you read things into things, and you could really do that with just about any song but again, kids aren't going to do that.
 
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oi...now she's listening to Popmart Mexico...:lmao:

its like she's obsessed with them this week.

this is a bit off topic, but today she wrote a story about 9/11 and the fires that came out of the buildings. so you see, i can't help but be anal when it comes to my baby...she's very precious to me and everything she absorbs she asks me questions about, so i am very concerned with everything she learns in and out of school. she'll be 7 in a couple of weeks...i want to keep as much of the innocence in her as possible. it will be hard, but i can sure try.

in any case, im not going to stop her from listening to her U2 cd's. i have to agree with everyone here. its a hell of alot better than everything else thats out there.
 
*Is glad to read what U2Kitten says :D.

Basically, I just feel people should be honest with their kids. Children will ask questions, that's part of life. Children are inquisitive. And some people would be surprised at how mature and how intelligent children's responses to some topic can be. Just tell them up front about all this stuff, 'cause if they're brought up to believe the world is all roses and flowers and happy-tra-la-la, when they enter the real world, man, are they gonna be in for a shock.

I mean, if a parent doesn't want their kid repeating swear words or sexual innuendos, especially in front of adults, or in public, that's fine, I would totally understand that, simply because it's just not the right place for that kind of thing. Hiding it, that's just not gonna work well.

Besides, how many of today's parents out there remember defying their parents and listening to music their parents thought was awful when they were kids? ;).

Headache in a Suitcase said:
you mean brown sugar isn't about a tasty confection? :scratch:




or is it? :evil:
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:lol:...oh, lordy...

By the way, I think it's great that a lot of you do have or will have your kids to listen to U2...this is more proof of U2's talent and importance in rock history...they have staying power, they're gonna continue to attract fans for years to come. Yay! :).

Angela
 
Bono's shades said:
I didn't "get" most of the sexual innuendo on AB until someone pointed it out to me, and I was over 21 when I first heard it! :reject:
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LOL, I had no idea about those either until I saw those explanations on this site.

(interference is bad that way...) ;)

I would say that lyrics can be interpreted many ways, and even now, knowing that, I still have a different explanation for the "innuendo" lines.
 
Moonlit_Angel said:


Basically, I just feel people should be honest with their kids. Children will ask questions, that's part of life. Children are inquisitive. And some people would be surprised at how mature and how intelligent children's responses to some topic can be. Just tell them up front about all this stuff, 'cause if they're brought up to believe the world is all roses and flowers and happy-tra-la-la, when they enter the real world, man, are they gonna be in for a shock.

I mean, if a parent doesn't want their kid repeating swear words or sexual innuendos, especially in front of adults, or in public, that's fine, I would totally understand that, simply because it's just not the right place for that kind of thing. Hiding it, that's just not gonna work well.
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Yes, yes, yes! :applaud: :up: Very, very true!!

Besides, how many of today's parents out there remember defying their parents and listening to music their parents thought was awful when they were kids? ;).


Angela
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Again, right on! I have seen it so many times, in the kids I grew up with, relatives, friends, and neigbors. The kids with the 'strict' parents ended up being the more rebellious and getting into more trouble, and avoiding their own homes, than kids whose parents were cool with them. I would never let my kids watch a porn movie or anything (not that I would even want to :no: ) but I don't have a problem with Southpark. I mean, a lot of kids go around quoting it anyway, and these days, it really isn't anything nobody has heard before. I always thought Beavis and Butthead was hilarious and cute, especially the "Do America" movie! Crap, I hear gangsta rap being blasted out of cars at gas stations and red lights, "kill the white cop" and "you fucked my bitch now I'm gonna shoot yo' ass" lyrics and all. So there is really no way to hide a kid from it these days, unless you want to go live in a cult commune in the middle of the desert with no TV or radio or computer. (of course no one here would do that!)
 
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hey 'cell :wave:

i was listening to achtung yesterday, and i was thinking about you.

you're right. even better than the real thing is one DIRTY SONG :ohmy:
 
wb icelle...and daisy.

Well my kids, grew up surrounded by music (including U2) and rock musicians ( some of whom use colourful language). They heard songs with lyrics that referred to all sorts of strange human behaviour(including sex).
They are now adults. Balanced, honest, kind-hearted, perceptive young men.The music hasn't harmed them. I think it depends on what grounding you give them, how you explain some of the less savoury aspects of humans, what tools you give them for judgement and decision making. I think if children are just given access to more adult concepts and left on their own, problems may develop, but you are there for Daisy, to help her through. She is only young yet. As she gets older she will become more independent and exposed to more things, that is when you may worry. You can't be with them all the time, or choose their friends...or their music.
Your mother reacted...but I think that's what grandma's do. They are from a different generation , with different experience of the world.
I actually have a great big old soft spot for U2 when it comes to my kids. All I Want Is You is the first song I taught them on guitar. It seems like not that long ago....and now they electric guitars and amps...and sizzling lead riffs. I:heart: it!
My middle son is doing his final year of high school. He has his music performance exam this afternoon. I know I'm nervous. His teacher is away today too...I hope the examiner realises he is self-taught, as most of the students aren't. He's playing "Romanza" on our crappy old nylon string guitar, the odds are stacked against him. Good luckBB.
Isn't it incredible how much you can love your children?
:hug:icelle, I'm glad you're back :yes:
 
I DID let my kids listen to U2. My son is 23 and he loves U2. In fact, going to U2 concerts is something we still enjoy doing together (His first was Popmart!) My 3 step-sons also listened to U2 whenever they visited us. The oldest one, 21, commented that he had never heard anything but U2 at our house and weren't we bored yet...dork...

:wave:
 
hippy said:
lol

What about kids making their parents listen to U2? *has forced entire family to also take up the habit*
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:yes: and siblings too




oh, and if the EBTTRT video is dirty, then i'd really like to hear everyone's opinion on rap videos.
 
Re: wb icelle...and daisy.

Exactly, U2Kitten (not to mention, most of the rap music out there is not glorifying a certain lifestyle-when they talk about shooting and drugs and women selling themselves and all that-they're talking about what life is like where they live, they're hoping to bring attention to the crap that goes on in their neighborhoods, hoping someone will actually do something about this crap so they don't have to go through it anymore).

And even for those who do talk about the big money and the women-yeah, well, rock musicians, pop musicians, musicians from all kinds of genres sing about that sort of thing, too, it's not just rappers that sing about that stuff.

cass said:
Well my kids, grew up surrounded by music (including U2) and rock musicians ( some of whom use colourful language). They heard songs with lyrics that referred to all sorts of strange human behaviour(including sex).
They are now adults. Balanced, honest, kind-hearted, perceptive young men.The music hasn't harmed them. I think it depends on what grounding you give them, how you explain some of the less savoury aspects of humans, what tools you give them for judgement and decision making. I think if children are just given access to more adult concepts and left on their own, problems may develop, but you are there for Daisy, to help her through. She is only young yet. As she gets older she will become more independent and exposed to more things, that is when you may worry. You can't be with them all the time, or choose their friends...or their music.
Your mother reacted...but I think that's what grandma's do. They are from a different generation , with different experience of the world.
I actually have a great big old soft spot for U2 when it comes to my kids. All I Want Is You is the first song I taught them on guitar. It seems like not that long ago....and now they electric guitars and amps...and sizzling lead riffs. I:heart: it!
My middle son is doing his final year of high school. He has his music performance exam this afternoon. I know I'm nervous. His teacher is away today too...I hope the examiner realises he is self-taught, as most of the students aren't. He's playing "Romanza" on our crappy old nylon string guitar, the odds are stacked against him. Good luckBB.
Isn't it incredible how much you can love your children?
:hug:icelle, I'm glad you're back :yes:
Click to expand...

Exactly (good luck to your son, by the way).

hippy-I don't need to force my dad to listen to U2, he's always loved their music. :D.

My mom likes their stuff, but she says some of it is awfully moody and that she has to be in the right mood for that stuff. But she loves songs like "Angel Of Harlem" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and all that.

And my sister teases me sometimes about them-but she does like some of their songs-she even made a mix CD recently that was nothing but U2 songs! A lot of them were those remixes from the "1990-2000" CD (haha, I told her that some people here weren't too thrilled with the remixes from that CD-she loves them, especially the Gimme Some More Dignity mix of "Numb"). And she's put U2 songs on other CDs she's made, too, so...:).

Basically, she likes their music overall, she just doesn't have a crush on Bono, like I do (she likes Larry, she thinks he's cute).

Angela
 
BrittanyNova said:
One thing I don't get is, if somebody is already a U2 fan for years and then has kids, wouldn't they already know U2 is a GOOD thing for kids? :shrug: How could a fan think of anything else?
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i guess you'd have to have kids to find out. im not saying u2 is a bad influence, its just some of the lyrics that were a bit suggestive that i wouldnt let my daughter listen to again after hearing her sing the 'sexual healing' part in mysterious ways from irving plaza show.

oh well. whatever.
 
icelle said:

i guess you'd have to have kids to find out. im not saying u2 is a bad influence, its just some of the lyrics that were a bit suggestive that i wouldnt let my daughter listen to again after hearing her sing the 'sexual healing' part in mysterious ways from irving plaza show.

oh well. whatever.
Click to expand...

Well I don't yet but a lot of mothers have posted to say their kids were just fine after being exposed to U2. I don't hear anything in any of their stuff that any little kid would see as dirty because they wouldn't understand it anyway. I guess seeing a kid dancing around singing about sexual healing is not good, but if that's the only thing, or maybe that f-ed up world thing, be happy and proud to let her be a U2 kid! Sorry but a person would have to be really, really nitpicky to find anything inappropriate in U2's songs.
 
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heh...yeah, i guess i'm really nitpicky to find anything thats not kid friendly, after spending 19-20 years singing to U2 songs that i really love. one time when i was 14, my mother grounded me from listening to U2 for ONE FRIGGEN YEAR because i was beginning to not care about anything else but them. did i take that lightly? hell no i didnt lol. i managed to sneak some in here and there. its my conscious that tells me to be aware of everything that daisy absorbs.

i should have taken pics of her jumping up and down with her guitar to Elevation. i'll have to sneak it next time...
 
Sorry but that was mean of your mom. It reminds me of when my grandmother tried to make my parents get rid of my puppy because I loved him so much and cared more about him than anything. Then he got run over and she said it was meant to be because I cared too much for him and not enough about school! I don't believe that. I hate it when people get like that. You canb't tell a person how to feel inside. Because your mother was like that I hope you'll have more feelings and not treat your kid that way. Post the Elevation pics when you can, we would love to see them!
 
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