Something About the Ditty

With this posting I want to clear up some mis-conceptions about a form of music and how negative comments about that form seem to always surface at the most inopportune times...the form of music that I'm talking about is called a "Ditty."
By definition, a ditty is a simple song, or a simple poem meant to be sung as a song.
There are a few of these that come to my mind, "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny,Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," "Alley Oop,"and " The Streak," are just a few of the hundreds, literally thousands of songs out there like them, and often times, the artists who composed them have endured ridicule, as well as being the brunt of many jokes...good bad and indifferent.
My reasons for tackling this subject is that over the weekend the Carpenter Ants played a gig in Shelby, North Carolina. It was a beautiful day for a drive, and we set out with intention to have fun and bring some good music to the nice folks of this town...and by most accounts we did.
If you have been listening to the Ants of the last several years, you know that we have fun by the barrel full. As the lead vocalist and frontman, it's sort of my job to tie our music together and set it forth to the masses. I try to do this with a combination of musicianship, interacting with the audience, and just plainly having fun with what I do.
Take it or leave it, love it or hate it, I have used our music to entertain, enthrall, enlighten, educate and edify our audiences. Sometimes I hit the mark, and sometimes, try as I may I don't get near first base with people.
One of the songs that we recently started doing is called "The Sausage Song," it's a fun romp of a song about reversal of the battle of the sexes. It also turns the tide on men thinking that we can have our way with women. The song is a ditty, although when we set the song up, we poke fun by saying that it's a "hillbilly polka." The song is not intended to offend anyone, but as stated above merely intended to poke fun.
So imagine my complete surprise when a lady at one of the gigs on Saturday told me that "God would be very mad with me for singing that song." When I told her that I understood how she felt, she then says, "you understand, but do you agree ?"
Truth is not only do I not understand, I don't agree either. The song is just a ditty, remember, a simple song. It's not meant to be the greatest story ever told.
That comment by her, and a comment that I got here on a recent blog posting got me thinking...is there something about the ditty ?
Why is it that when these songs surface, there arises such controversy ? Could we be taking ourselves so seriously that we've completely forgotten how to have a laugh ?
I'm almost afraid to know the answer to this, given the hostility with which this woman cursed me to my Lord.
I guess the only recourse that I have is to tell this lady, on one hand, that I'm sorry that she was offended, but on the other hand, madam, get a grip !! To condemn me for trying to entertain you, is like condemning me because I'm Black; it's just foolish, especially in this day and age.
Now that doesn't mean that I'm in favor everything that is un-godly, but surely you know the difference between being preached to, and following in the way of Satan. If you look inside my heart and understand my actions, you'd easily see that I'm not trying to offend anyone.
Did I arrive at your station with any hostility ? Did I not try to shake a hand and make a friend ?
Of course not, so why not try your best to see the humor in what I'm saying, and let God sort out for himself those who are saints and those who are sinners.
We all need to lighten up just a bit in the world. If we're so bent on ridding ourselves of Satan, one of the best ways that I can think of, is to learn to respect each other, and learn the difference between a simple song, and one that espouses hatred, and loathing.
So madam streak on down the alley... oops, in your itsy bitsy teeny weeny, yellow polka dot bikini.
I know, I'm so bad, dang me, ya oughta take a rope 'n' hang me, high from the highest tree...
I can't help myself, there's just something about the ditty.
signed, lovingly, A-hab, the A-rab.

With all due respect to Paul Vance, and Ray Stevens (the authors of the above mentioned songs.).

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