Conversations With Ben #2: Hug Tha Police

Sometimes I endeavour to begin a musical conversation with Ben by getting down with da kidz. (Although, admittedly, my version of getting down with da kidz often involves getting down with da cool 80s kidz that I never really felt a part of while I was listening to Billy Joel in my bedroom at 15.) It's rarely a wise tactic for an middle-aged man talking to a 30-something hipster...

Rol: I've been listening to Fuck Tha Police tonight. Just fancied a bit of it. (I almost wrote "Old Skool" here, but I knew he'd pull me up on my use of the term.) Thought you would approve. Also Prince's cover of Whole of the Moon.

Ben: Good album all round but Ice Cube's first solo album, Amerikkka's Most Wanted is superior and Ice cube develops as a songwriter.

Anything by Prince is obviously great.

Apart from the early 00s.

When I was 13, a song came out. It was awful and ridiculous. But catchy. It still gets stuck in my head once every six months to this day. Don't listen to it in front of Sam.

I guess I'll have to wait till he's in bed.

Not even just the crudeness. but how chauvinistic it is for the early 00s.

I wish Fuck Tha Police didn't have so much swearing as I think Sam would like it. Why couldn't they call it Hug Tha Police?

I believe that's the opposite sentiment of what he was going for.

Yeah, but he should have had the foresight to consider that his fans might grow up, become parents, and want to share their record collections with their kids.

Maybe he could rewrite it as "have a healthy distrust of those in positions of authority"?

He could do a Cee-lo version, Forget Tha Police.

Not forget them as that conveys the idea that passivity is an option.

I'm sure Ceelo's ex took comfort in that.

I'm sure there's a kidz bop version out there.

Bloody hell, there is... and guess what it's called!

And even better, there's this...