What You Can Play and What You Can't Play

We were taken aback to hear, on the once prudish CBC radio network, a song which had as its principal, if not only, lyric: "I want your body--Why don't you take your clothes off?"

The singer was Ria Mae of Halifax, and we presumed this was a new breakthrough for freedom of expression, but found that Ms. Mae's version was actually a reworking of a song originally released in 2007. 2007--in these fast-moving times, that makes the song a Golden Oldie.

We then thought how greatly radio has changed since we were deejaying our way thru life. There was a time when we couldn't play Count Basie's "Harvard Blues" on the air, because in it Jimmy (Mr. Five-by-Five) Rushing sang the George Frazier lyrics that included these lines:

"I don't keep dogs or women in my room.
I don't keep dogs or women in my room.
But I loved my Vincent baby
Until that day of doom."

If only we could have Mr. Five-by-Five singing "Why don't you take your clothes off?"

On video.  Wide screen.