As children, we often listen to songs without fully understanding the lyrics or their meaning. But as we grow older and our ears become more attuned to the nuances of language, we realize that some of the songs we used to love may not be as innocent as we once thought. Take the 1997 hit “Barbie Girl” by Aqua, for example.
When I was a kid, I loved this song. I sang along to the catchy chorus and bopped my head to the upbeat tempo. But as I grew older and really listened to the lyrics, I realized that this song is not as innocent as I once thought.
First of all, let’s take a look at the opening lines of the song: “You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere.” As a child, I heard “and dress me everywhere.” Little did I know that the song was actually talking about undressing a doll, which is a little creepy to think about.
But it doesn’t stop there. The song goes on to say “Dress me up, make it tight, I’m your dolly.” Make it tight? Let’s not even think about the implications of this sentence. And then there’s the line “Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky panky.” Ken needs to stop.
The song also includes the line “You can touch, you can play.” But why did they have to go and make it so creepy, though? And let’s not forget the line “Make me walk, make me talk, do whatever you please.” “Do whatever you please,” is not exactly the empowering message I’d hoped for.
And then there’s the line “I can beg on my knees.” Blow job, much? And let’s not forget about the line “Come jump in, bimbo friend, let us do it again.” Wait, did Ken really just call Barbie his “bimbo friend”? And why the hell does Ken sound like a criminal with his deep scratchy voice.
This song is way filthier than I realized when I was a kid. And if you’re feeling a little traumatized now, you’re definitely not the only one. So next time you hear “Barbie Girl” on the radio, remember that it’s not just a catchy tune – it’s a song full of creepy and inappropriate lyrics.
In conclusion, as we grow older and our ears become more attuned to the nuances of language, we realize that some of the songs we used to love may not be as innocent as we once thought, and this is the case with the song “Barbie Girl” by Aqua.
