The 1990’s were a great decade for music. I am fortunate to have grown up in that era. For those who don’t know, I formed and ran the US fan club for Beneluxian eurodance group 2 Unlimited. But this isn’t about that. This is about how great that decade was. Great music from all genres, but this is about one song in particular: Jump Around from House of Pain. The song has gained fame in recent weeks on TikTok. There’s even a trending TikTok where a mother my age is embarrassing her teenage daughter by rocking out to the song in her car.
The song was released in 1992 in the United States on the Tommy Boy music label. The song did well on so many Billboard charts here in the USA, but the biggest success of all was the fact that they peaked at #3 on the magazine’s much-respected Hot 100 charts. Just as an aside, 2 Unlimited made it onto that chart in 1995 with the surprise re-release of what was then called Get Ready for This. They hit #38. But I digress.
The comments on the TikTok post that I mentioned are alarming. The snowflake generation is calling the song “sexist” and some claim that the song glorifies violence against women! First of all, the song was written and released in a different era. Certain things that were acceptable then are apparently not okay in this day and age where everyone of a certain age is offended by pretty much anything and everything.
Apparently, the issue is with the word “ho.” This song is considered offensive to many, but it’s all about context. Just like the word “bitch” is used to describe an unpleasant woman, it’s also used as a generic term with no offense intended. Maybe that translation got lost in the intervening years.
The first time the word is used in the song: “Muggs let the funk flow, someone’s talkin’ junk, yo, I bust him in the eye, and then I’ll take the punk’s ho!” What the performer is saying is that if someone says something offensive, he’ll punch that person in the eye and then he’ll take his girlfriend. That’s all that it means, folks. It is not a commentary on whether she’s a prostitute or another woman of lacking morals. It’s just a synonym for girlfriend or maybe even wife, at least in this context.
The next time that the word is used is thusly: “I’ll serve your ass like John McEnroe. If your girl steps up, I’m smackin’ the ho!” He’s referring to tennis legend John McEnroe, who was known for serving balls that defeated his opponents.
In this case, the performer is stating that he’ll “serve your ass,” which is a generic term for him wanting to perhaps beat his target’s ass. He then goes on to say he’s “socking the ho.” On its surface, that may seem offensive and some might even consider it condoning violence against women. Not so!
I am certain that the intent was never to threaten a woman with violence. I choose to believe that it’s just guy talk. Sure, the music video does show a female being smacked with something, but I am sure that it was staged. Look, it’s just harmless words. When I first heard this song in 8th grade, I never once thought about smacking a girl. It never occurred to me that the performer was stating that it’s okay to hit a woman, which is okay in certain circumstances, but that’s for another article.
The song is a happy, harmless song that hurts no one. It’s upbeat and it’s entertaining. And, might I add, it makes my car’s windows vibrate when I pump it up to full volume when it comes up on SiriusXM. I will continue to listen to this song.
I am so sure that this song is not about violence against women that when my daughter was around two, I’d play it for her and she’d smile and move around to the beat. I wouldn’t have done that if I’d thought the song meant what was said literally.
Just forget about what the lyrics might mean and enjoy the damn song! Got it?