History WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids / Music

* Creator/JackBlack is heavily associated with being a kid-friendly comedian thanks to films such as ''Film/NachoLibre'', ''Film/SchoolOfRock'', and ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''. His band Music/TenaciousD has had PG hits, like "Wonder Boy" and "Tribute"[[note]] Though the latter ''is'' about the band having to play "the best song in the world" in order to avoid getting their souls eaten by a demon. [[/note]]; however, much of their material is not clean.

* In the late '90s/early 2000s, Music/{{Aerosmith}} somehow became seen as a "family-friendly" band due to stuff like the Rock'n'Rollercoaster at the Disney Hollywood Studios theme park, their appearances on the Kids Choice Awards, and even a song on the ''WesternAnimation/RugratsGoWild'' soundtrack. Of course, nobody ever thought to look at the lyrics of their albums, which are full of explicit sex (as well as isolated songs about violence and drug abuse). Heck, this is the group that had a song ''titled'' "[[ElevatorGoingDown Love In An Elevator]]", a song that has the immortal line "Living it up when I'm going down". And it's featured in said roller coaster (though retitled "Love in a Roller Coaster"). As well as other IntercourseWithYou songs, such as "Young Lust" and "F.I.N.E."[[labelnote:*]]"[[FunWithAcronyms Fucked Up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional"]][[/labelnote]]

* Country music is often seen as family-friendly due to the themes of family, religion and patriotism, and there are several family-friendly songs in the genre. However, around the 2000s, more and more artists started adding more overtly sexual lyrics into their songs, as well as some minor profanities. The bro-country movement in particular seemed to embrace this, and while that subgenre has pretty much tapered off and most of those bands have gone back to lighter fare, some of those elements still remain (such as Music/LukeBryan's 2019 single "Knockin Boots"). Even "classic" country though had themes of infidelity, alcoholism, drug addiction, and even murder.
* Generally, any song in the public domain is automatically considered a children's song regardless of context or meaning. Most notably, old minstrel show songs like "Camptown Races", "Oh Susanna" and "Jimmy Crack Corn" as well as Tin Pan Alley songs like "Yes, We Have No Bananas", "Bicycle Built For Two" and "In The Good Old Summer Time". This is likely because they are free to use, simple and repetitive.

* Music/LilDicky's "Earth" is an [[GreenAesop environmental]] CharityMotivationSong with a brightly coloured AnimatedMusicVideo starring various music stars as animals. It's also full of profanity and VulgarHumor not uncommon in Lil Dicky's style. He did release a [[JustForPun "clean"]] version of it so viewer's kids can watch, which censored most of the swears with animal noises but still leaves Music/JustinBieber saying "my anus is huge".

* This trope can apply to many of the songs, or at least artists, chosen to be played on Radio/RadioDisney stations. Besides the cases where a Creator/DisneyChannel or Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}-connected IdolSinger may opt for DarkerAndEdgier or HotterAndSexier content [[ContractualPurity as they grow older]], often artists outside of the Radio Disney/tween/family-friendly orbit like Music/FloRida, Music/BoB, Music/KatyPerry, Music/JessieJ, Music/{{LMFAO}} or Music/{{Pink}} might be found on their playlists, in spite of recording many explicit lyrics (or at least less than G-rated) albums and singles. Often, the songs are [[{{Bowdlerise}} edited for content]], but it may give those artists an impression of being more appropriate for children than they are. Often this is true of PG-13 or R-rated artists like Music/LadyGaga who are freely and frequently namechecked on the [[{{Kidcom}} kidcoms]] as well.

* The North American folk song, "The Big Rock Candy Mountain," describes a fictional hobo's paradise, and is now considered a children's classic. However, the version most children are taught uses the lyrics popularized by Burl Ives, which strip the references to liquor and cigarettes (and lines like "Where they hung the jerk/That invented work"). Furthermore, Harry [=McClintock=], who recorded and wrote the song, claimed in interviews the song contained missing lyrics describing a more sinister frame story: the "Big Rock Candy Mountain" was a fairy tale used to lure children into the hobo's life, possibly for sexual purposes. The song was originally intended to a warning for younger children. It is very similar to (and most likely descended from) the English folk song, "The Appleknocker's Lament," a song that explicitly warns of child abuse.

-->''Nails scratchin' that back tatt''
-->''Eyes closed while you scream out''
-->''And you keep me in with those hips''
-->''While my teeth sink in those lips''

* Music/{{Madness}}: "House of Fun" sounds like a cheerful and bouncy song about balloons, birthday parties and having fun. On a closer listen to the lyrics however, it's actually about a teenager trying to buy condoms on his 16th birthday (the legal age for sex in United Kingdom), but he is misunderstood by the shop assistant and directed to a party supplies shop called the "House of Fun." There's a bit of LyricalDissonance here because it's such a bouncy song, but the lyrics go right over the heads of many people in the U.K. who play the song at children's parties and on kids' TV!

* The Muppet chickens performed a clucking cover of Music/CeeLoGreen's "Fuck You" in ''Film/TheMuppets''. The title alone makes it clear it's not exactly a kid-friendly song, and the song also makes use of the word "shit" and the phrase "gold digger", but since there was already a [[{{Bowdlerise}} clean version]] titled "Forget You" also circulating, the producers likely assumed the target audience were more familiar with the clean version (the film's soundtrack even refers to the cover by the clean version's title).

* Music/{{Aqua}} had a huge hit in the 90's with "Barbie Girl". Because the song mentions a line of dolls for young girls, it was very popular with children, despite its very sexual lyrics. Mattel even uses it in Barbie commercials, albeit with the lyrics changed to actually be about Barbie.

* [=LeaF=]'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC-bVtpIMd4 "MopeMope"]] features a cute kiddy song...[[SurpriseCreepy that occasionally glitches out into sounds from Hell and then turns into a nasty hardcore arrangement of itself]], while the music video features cute happy smiling flowers and hopping spherical critters that turn into nasty otherworldly horrors. At some point, [=YouTube=]'s content-detection system flagged the video as a [=YouTube=] Kids video, forcing the creators to slap on a warning at the top of the description that the song is very much ''not'' suitable for kids.

* Music/StarBomb does songs about kids' favorite video games, from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' and ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' to ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' and ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''! No wonder explicit labels are put on them, they have [[ClusterFBomb frequent profanity]] and [[SubvertedKidsShow subvert the innocence of your favorite video game characters]]. One example would be [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog "Sonic Best Pal"]], which features Tails taking drugs as a result of being in Sonic's shadow and [[EnfantTerrible then going on a shooting spree]].

* The Muppet chickens performed a clucking cover of Music/CeeLoGreen's "Fuck You" in ''Film/TheMuppets''. The title alone makes it clear it's not exactly a kid-friendly song, and the song also makes use of the word "shit" and the phrase "gold digger", but since there was already a [[{{Bowdlerise}} clean version]] titled "Forget You" also circulating, the producers likely assumed the target audience were more familiar with the clean version.

* Music/BizMarkie got this often during his lifetime too, since he played a major role on ''Series/YoGabbaGabba'' People often took their kids to his concerts, thinking his music would be similar to what's heard on the show.

* "Clementine" has become a well-known children's song and has been covered countless times on various kids' [=CDs=]. It may seem like a song about a cute young girl, but if one listens closely to the lyrics, it's about her tragic death when she accidentally falls into a river. This is made worse by the fact that some versions of the song include a verse where her father jumps into the river after finding out that she drowned.
** Tom Lehrer's ''hilarious'' take on it (in several ''very different'' musical styles) features the line "when she said I could have her, her sister's cadaver must surely have turned in its crypt."

* Music/JesseMcCartney was a preteen and teen sensation in the 2000s with songs like "Beautiful Soul" and "Because You Live". On the same album as "Right Where You Want Me", there are songs like "Daddy's Little Girl" (which is about a girl who recently turned 18 and wants to experience "adult things" now). It doesn't help matters that his songs were frequently played on Radio Disney and that he starred in [[Film/AlvinAndTheChipmunks several]] [[Franchise/DisneyFairies kid-oriented]] [[Literature/HortonHearsAWho projects]].

* Music/BrunoMars seems to have a following with kids. A few of his songs have been covered on Music/KidzBop albums and nominated for [[Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} Kids' Choice Awards]], and songs co-written by him were featured in [[Film/TheMuppets both modern]] [[Film/MuppetsMostWanted Muppets films]]. [[note]] Though bear in mind that Franchise/TheMuppets were originally aimed at adults, but it later was aimed at families, these performances might as well have been {{Parental Bonus}}es. [[/note]] His songs' lyrics talk about things that kids would not understand, and sometimes contain swearing.

* "Yaranaika" is a song that's a parody of one from [[Manga/KirarinRevolution a children's anime]], but while it does retain most of the lyrics from the original song, much of the changed lyrics are inappropriate for children. For starters, the title, "Yaranaika", means "Shall we do it?", with the "it" [[IntercourseWithYou refering to sex]]. However, the song has popped up in videos intended for children such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAnfX6Z3KVc this one]].

* "Lone Digger" by Music/CaravanPalace has an [[AnimatedMusicVideo anim]][[AnimationAgeGhetto ated]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbQgXeY_zi4 music video]] starring a trio of anthropomorphic cats, among other FunnyAnimals. But just ten seconds in, the building the cats are walking to is revealed to be a ''strip club''. That's not all; inside, the cats meet a trio of dogs, one of whom is smoking a cigar. Two fights eventually break out, one between the cats and the dogs, the other between a bull and a snake; both completely avert BloodlessCarnage. At the end of the video, [[spoiler:[[KillEmAll everyone in the club sans a deer, who could be seen pole dancing throughout the video, has been killed.]]]] [[SarcasmMode Sweet dreams, kiddos!]]

* Music/{{Gorillaz}}. "[[AnimationAgeGhetto They're an animated band, so they must be for kids, right?]]" Wrong! Not only does the animated band consist of a drug-addict, a middle aged sexually-frustrated satantic bassist, a demonically possessed drummer, and a Japanese super soldier who's the last remaining member of a top-secret government project, but there are also a lot of serious, heavy themes in the music lyrics, including philosophy, depression, loneliness, terrorism, war, etc. It doesn't help that they would later temporarily add Ace from ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' to their lineup, or that the aforementioned super soldier was initially depicted as an adorable ten-year-old girl.

* "Yaranaika" is a song that's a parody of one from [[Manga/KirarinRevolution a children's anime]], but while it does retain most of the lyrics from the original song, much of the changed lyrics are innapropiate for children. For starters, the title, "Yaranaika", means "Shall we do it?", with the "it" [[IntercourseWithYou refering to sex]]. However, the song has popped up in videos intended for children such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAnfX6Z3KVc this one]].

* "Yaranaika" is a song that's a parody of one from [[Anime/KirarinRevolution a children's anime]], but while it does retain most of the lyrics from the original song, much of the changed lyrics are innapropiate for children. For starters, the title, "Yaranaika", means "Shall we do it?", with the "it" [[IntercourseWithYou refering to sex]].

* Music/{{Ween}} composed an original song for a ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode and their song "Ocean Man" was played at the end of the movie. The rest of their songs are not kid friendly.

* Music/BillyJoel is seen as a family-friendly singer due to goofy novelty songs like "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me", along with his reputation for singing [=AC=]-friendly ballads, however a lot of his material, especially in his earlier albums, is not that family-friendly (the line "But don't come bitchin' to me" in "Big Shot" would have earned ''Music/FiftySecondStreet'' a Parental Advisory sticker had it been released in modern times).

* The soundtrack to ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'' contains a cover of Music/RodStewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". The song may appear to be about being attractive and popular, but in reality, it's yet another IntercourseWithYou song. It also features a cover of Music/{{Radiohead}}'s "Creep," a song about personal feelings of inadequacy with a few {{PrecisionFStrike|s}}.

* Creator/JackBlack is heavily associated with being a kid-friendly comedian thanks to films such as ''Film/NachoLibre'', ''Film/SchoolOfRock'', and ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''. His band Music/TenaciousD has had PG hits, like "Wonder Boy" and "Tribute"[[note]] Though the latter ''is'' about the band having to play "the best song in the world" in order to avoid getting their souls eaten by a demon. [[/note]], however much of their material is not clean.

* Speedcore artist ''Renard'' (which made albums under the [=LapFox=] label) has a dedicated small demographic of 9 year-olds. Most of his tracks are indeed kid-friendly (heavy SensoryAbuse notwithstanding), but some others are just fucked up, with outright lovely names like ''Team Murder''. These lines from the track ''Big Shot'' drive the point home:

* Music/TravisScott has a very large audience of kids and teens, especially after the highly-attended VideoGame/{{Fortnite}} virtual concerts, however, his music couldn't be more adult if he tried. In the Dirty South Texas tradition, most of his songs are about sex, drugs, and violence. What are you doing buying your kid an album where the opening song is called "Pornography", anyway?
* The song "Sexy and I Know It" is being used in commercials for both [=M&Ms=] candy and ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted'', and was also used quite a few times in ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania''. First of all, the band is called Music/{{LMFAO}}, which supposedly stands for "Loving My Friends and Others", but more frequently means "Laughing My Fucking Ass Off". Second, a majority of their songs involve having sex with ladies, and have ridiculously large amounts of swearing, drinking, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking party rocking]] (and the less said about [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyx6JDQCslE&list=UUk78ZcA6kflEvBR0UrGDH0Q&index=4&feature=plcp its video]], which doesn't a have a parental warning on Website/YouTube [[FanDisservice for nothing]] - the better)

* Music/TheyMightBeGiants try as hard as they can to avoid this by splitting their tours in two to join to their two distinct fanbases (their original alternative rock fans and their new children's music fanbase). The "adult shows" (the one where they play their non-children's material and back catalog) have a 18 (or 21 in some places) cover for when someone tries to bring their kid into an adult TMBG concert expecting to hear music from their children's albums. In addition to the difference in content, this is because "adult shows" tend to take place in venues that serve alcohol, so bringing someone under 18 would generally be illegal.

* Music/LinkinPark has always had a following amongst tweens and young teens despite not being aimed at them. Their first few albums were favorable amongst parents because, though the songs were gloomy and dark, there wasn't much violence, sexuality, or cursing. Their album "Minutes to Midnight" caused controversy because it featured profanity.

* At their height in popularity, Music/{{Paramore}} were huge tweens, not helped by their music being featured on numerous film soundtracks. One of their first hit singles, "Misery Business", is an angry rant against a woman with an emphasis on explicit SlutShaming.

* Music/{{Paramore}} is a popular rock band with tweens, not helped by its music being featured on numerous film soundtracks. One of their first hit singles, "Misery Business", is an angry rant against a woman with an emphasis on explicit SlutShaming.

* UsefulNotes/MonsterJam, a monster truck racing series popular with kids, has been known to use rock and metal songs as theme songs for the series' trucks, often without bothering to check the lyrics first:

** "Doperide" by Music/{{Saliva}} (Max-D theme): "Getting paid in the last days / Rage of the teenage / Coming out strong and hard and on the front page"

* "''[[Music/{{Aqua}} I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world...]]''" "''You can brush my hair, undress me anywhere...''" What do you mean the lyrics are sexual? It's about {{Franchise/Barbie}}! It's kid friendly! Barbie itself even began using it for commercials eventually.

* Music/BillyJoel is seen as a family-friendly singer due to goofy novelty songs like "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me", and his reputation for singing [=AC=]-friendly ballads, however a lot of his material, especially in his earlier albums, is not that family-friendly (the line "But don't come bitchin' to me" in "Big Shot" would have earned ''Music/FiftySecondStreet'' a Parental Advisory sticker had it been released in modern times).