Journeys With Jani… Let’s Talk About It…

This morning on the way to work I heard an oldie & I was singing right along like I had a house payment due & a record deal waiting…

“I’m having daydreams about night things, in the middle of the afternoon.”

Same exact enthusiasm I had as a kid, too. Which is hilarious… & mildly concerning.

Because why were we allowed to sing this stuff? Not whisper it. Not hum it quietly while staring at the floor. No ma’am. We sang it with chest. We sang it in the car, in the living room, in the kitchen, in front of adults who absolutely knew what those lyrics meant.

And that, my friends, is the true mystery of the 70s & 80s.

So today we’re airing out the hamper. Here’s my Dirty Laundry List… a little trip through 1975 to 1987 featuring hit songs that were either outright explicit or full of those sneaky little innuendos that went right over our heads… while the grown folks pretended they didn’t hear a thing.

First, the song that started my whole spiral–

😮 Daydreams About Night Things (1975) – Ronnie Milsap

Written by John Schweers

Listen. The title alone is a whole situation. This is not about a nap. This is not about thinking of your vacation. This is “I’m at work but mentally I’m not at work” and Ronnie said it with a smile.

And as a child, I heard it and thought, “Cute! Daydreaming!”

Ma’am. No.

🤔 Category 1: The “Sounds Sweet Until You Think About It” Songs

These are the ones that felt harmless… until adulthood walked in, turned on the light & said WHAT THE HELLLLLLLL

😮 Afternoon Delight (1976) – Starland Vocal Band

Written by Bill Danoff

This song is the granddaddy of accidental childhood innocence. It’s upbeat, it’s catchy, it sounds like something you’d hear at a picnic… & then you grow up & realize it is absolutely not about a picnic.

😮 Ring My Bell (1979) – Anita Ward

Written by Frederick Knight

If you still believe this is about doorbells, I have some oceanfront property in Bartow County to sell you. It’s smooth, it’s flirty, it’s not subtle & we all danced anyway.

😮 You Sexy Thing (1975) – Hot Chocolate

Written by Errol Brown & Tony Wilson

This one wasn’t exactly hiding, but it had that disco glow that made it feel playful. Meanwhile, the message is basically: “Hello, you… yes you… you’re fine.”

🤔 Category 2: The “Not Even Trying to Hide It” Songs

These are the ones where the artist was like, “Here it is” & society just shrugged & bought the single.

😮 Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) (1976) – Rod Stewart

Written by Rod Stewart

Rod was not leaving room for interpretation. He was not being poetic. He was being Rod.

😮 Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? (1978) – Rod Stewart

Written by Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice & Duane Hitchings

Also Rod. Again. The man stayed committed to a theme. And we stayed singing along like we were discussing algebra.

😮 Hot Stuff (1979) – Donna Summer

Written by Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer & Keith Forsey

Donna Summer was the queen of making grown-up songs sound like a party. This one is basically a confident request with a beat.

😮 Love to Love You Baby (1975) – Donna Summer

Written by Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte & Donna Summer

🤔 Category 3: The “Rock Songs That Were Basically a Wink” Collection

Rock music in this era loved a metaphor. Sometimes the metaphor was subtle. Sometimes it hit you with a frying pan.

😮 Paradise by the Dashboard Light (1978) – Meat Loaf (featuring Ellen Foley)

Written by Jim Steinman

This is not a song. This is a whole cinematic experience about teenage hormones, promises, panic & consequences… with baseball play-by-play as the soundtrack. Iconic. Also, absolutely not something kids needed to be screaming in the backseat.

😮 Pour Some Sugar on Me (1987) – Def Leppard

Written by Joe Elliott, Mutt Lange, Phil Collen, Steve Clark & Rick Savage

An innuendo piñata. Every line. And yet the entire world, myself included, yelled it like it was a national anthem.

🤔 Category 4: The “1980s Said: We’re Doing This Now” Era

Somewhere in the early 80s, pop music got bold. And parents got tired.

😮 Physical (1981) – Olivia Newton-John

Written by Steve Kipner & Terry Shaddick

The sweet lady from Grease looked America in the face & said, “Let’s get physical.” And people lost their minds. Kids, meanwhile, were like, “This is fun!” Sure is, honey.

😮 Sexual Healing (1982) – Marvin Gaye

Written by Marvin Gaye, Odell Brown & David Ritz

This one is so smooth it should come with a warning label. Title is the plot. No surprises. Just vibes.

😮 Relax (1983) – Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Written by Peter Gill, Holly Johnson, Brian Nash & Mark O’Toole

This song caused a whole uproar back then & somehow that only made everybody want it more. It’s bold, it’s explicit & it’s one of those “how was this on the radio” moments.

😮 Sugar Walls (1984) – Sheena Easton

Written by Prince (under the pseudonym Alexander Nevermind)

Prince said, “I will write it” & Sheena said, “I will sing it” & parents everywhere said, “Turn it off.” Naturally we turned it up.

😮 Darling Nikki (1984) – Prince

Written by Prince

Not a big radio single situation, but culturally it hit hard. This is one of those songs that had adults making angry phone calls & teenagers making mixtapes.

😮 Push It (1987) – Salt-N-Pepa

Written by Hurby Azor (and built around the “You Really Got Me” groove)

If you don’t hear the innuendo here, you are choosing peace. And I respect it. But yeah… it’s not about shoving furniture.

So what have we learned today?

We have learned that:

✏️ Our childhood playlists were wild

✏️ We had no idea

✏️ The adults absolutely knew

✏️Nobody stopped us

✏️We still know every word

And honestly? I wouldn’t trade it. These songs are time machines. I can hear one line & I’m back in a car with the radio too loud, feeling like life was big & bright & full of possibility… even if the lyrics were clearly written for somebody paying taxes …maybe in an adult movie!

So yes, I’m calling it exactly what it is: Dirty Laundry.

And I’m proudly hanging it up …dirty! Ready for tomorrow!

If you’ve got one I missed, tell me in the comments. The more “how were we allowed to sing this,” the better.

XOXO, Jani