Mid 1950's the Smith kids, ages 11, 12 and 14 were begging their parents for a new HiFi record player (this was state of the art then) for Christmas. Their father was a quiet, rather stern man who said if a record player was purchased, there would be one condition on using it…no "Rock and Roll" could be played! Christmas morning the family was awakened about 5 AM to loud sounds of "You Ain't Nothin' but a Houndog!" An uncle had heard of the restriction and had decided to be the first in violation. No restrictions were enforced after that.
Another HiFi Story - Censorship and Tom Lehrer
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We also had a family HiFi. This was a big typical console unit with a turntable and radio and speakers. It was a treasure. My parents loved music, laughter and dancing and perhaps because of that, music was not censored. There were no limits to music. Elvis, The Beatles, Dylan all music was welcome until one day when Tom Lehrer’s “In Concert” appeared in our house. Tom Lehrer taught math at Harvard and wrote and sang very funny songs of less than questionable taste. My Mother confiscated the album and hid it in the detergent cabinet over the washing machine. We spent years reclaiming and losing the album but as she often won the battles we won the war. “The Old Dope Peddler”, “I Hold Your Hand In Mine” (an ode to the hand the singer cut from his dead wife’s body “The night you died I cut it off, I really don’t know why, and now each time I kiss it, I get blood stains on my tie”), “The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz” were among the songs that we quickly committed to memory as deliciously forbidden fruit. I know that my mother feared that all 7 of her children would be permanently damaged by listening to this album and therefore, the drastic measure of censorship was required. But I want to reassure her that the penchant of her children for this type of dark sardonic humor was somehow fostered long before Tom Lehrer entered our home and that we are no worse the wear for his music or the humor.
Jean McGavin
Bethlehem, CT 2010
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