13 Filthy Oldies Sure to Leave You Shook features songs by Bessie Smith, Harry Roy, Lil Johnson, Lucille Bogan, and Wynonie Harris.
There is no doubt about it: 2020s music is blunt, explicit, and unapologetic. Frankly, many younger artists give no/zero fucks and they own that shit, NO CAP! Just the way I framed the previous statement accurately captures where contemporary music is. However, the artists from the past were not that innocent. Some of the songs they released back then are sure to leave millennials, zoomers, and Gen Alpha (who shouldn’t partake, but kids will be kids 😏) shook! Sure, the f-bombs weren’t abundant like many high-sexual rap songs (exception: Lucille Bogan), but the double entendre and innuendo were ripe as… 13 Filthy Oldies Sure to Leave You Shook explores oldies that thrive in their badness: double entendre, sexual innuendo, and pure F-I-L-T-H-Y. Most of the songs highlighted on this musical compendium are dirty blues (Hokum) or old-school R&B. 13 Filthy Oldies Sure to Leave You Shook features songs by Bessie Smith, Harry Roy, Lil Johnson, Lucille Bogan, and Wynonie Harris. So, without further ado, let’s explore the sheer filth of these oldies!

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1. Lucille Bogan, “Till the Cows Come Home”
Shave ‘Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan » Sony Music Entertainment, Inc. » 2004
“I got a man I love / I got a man I like / Every time I fuck them mens / I give ‘em the doggone clap 👏.” Lucille Bogan 🤢 🤮 🥴 🥴 🥴! According to the late blues singer, also called Bessie Jackson, “That’s the kind of pussy that they really like.” Bogan was risqué AF – ahead of her time. Nothing about “Till the Cows Come Home”, recorded in 1934, is family-friendly or innocent. The excerpted lyrics are only the surface of the sexually charged lyrics that Bogan sings. “You can fuck my cock or suck my cock / Or leave my cock alone.” What more can you say but ‘Cock-a-doodle-doo 🐓!’ Singing about penis in the 1930s? Savage! She adds in the colorful second verse, “Honey, I piss all night long / You can fuck my cock or suck my cock / Baby until the cows come home.” MOO 🐮! Even after the second verse, she remains brutally honest and filthy. “You know both of my mens / They are tight like that / They got a great big dick just like a baseball bat / Ooh, fuck me.” Wow! She describes herself in the fourth verse as “a bitch from Baltimore,” adding, “I’ve got spunk from them hairs that will shut the door.” In the fifth verse, she’s “got a big broad ass.” In the sixth, she’s all about reciprocation, men: “If you suck my pussy / Baby, I’ll suck your dick / I’ll do it to you, honey, ‘til I make you shit.” Yikes! Lucille Bogan brings ample personality to one of the nastiest songs you’ll ever hear.
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2. Bessie Smith, “Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl”
The Best of Bessie Smith // Sony Music Entertainment // 2015
“Tired of bein’ lonely, tired of bein’ blue / I wished I had some good man, to tell my troubles to.” That’s understandable, Bessie Smith (1894? – 1937). Those lyrics aren’t scandalous from her 1931 song, “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl”. Originally recorded by Smith, this blues classic was written by Tim Brymn, Dally Small, and Clarence Williams. Smith is accompanied by piano. She ‘brings her A Game,’ performing with her beloved, commanding, and robust vocals. Her performance is playful in this flirty sex song. So, where is the sex, you ask? Yes, early on, Smith states she desires a man to cure her loneliness, but she doesn’t get graphic about it. That, my friends, is only the ‘tip’ of the iceberg 🤭. Even though the singer seeks emotional fulfillment from a partner, “Sugar” still has its fair share of naughty moments. The desire for physical fulfillment is evident, and the sexual innuendo is lit. “I need a little sugar in my bowl / I need a little hot dog between my rolls,” Smith sings, continuing, “You gettin’ different, I’ve been told / Move your finger, drop something in my bowl.” The bowl 🥣 that Smith is talking about is not found in the kitchen… it’s anatomical 😈. Furthermore, that “little hot dog” 🌭 isn’t stored in the refrigerator 😈 🍆. She wants it, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what it is!
“I need a little steam-heat on my floor
Maybe I can fix things up, so they’ll go
Get off your knees, I can’t see what you’re drivin’ at
It’s dark down there looks like a snake!”
Da-yum! “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl” is double entendre at its finest. Dirty blues exemplified!
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3. Wynonie Harris, “Keep On Churnin’ (Till the Butter Come)”
Lovin’ Machine » Gusto » 2020
“Keep on churnin’ ‘til the butter comes / Keep on churnin’ ‘til the butter comes / Keep on pumpin’ make the butter flow / Wipe off the paddle and churn some more.” Was Wynonie Harris (1915 – 1969) really singing about churning butter, or is he getting at something else? Without a doubt, “Keep On Churnin’ (Till The Butter Come)”, recorded in 1952, thrives off its double entendre. Playing devil’s advocate, perhaps it’s my own dirty, perverted mind that makes “Keep On Churnin’” sound like a passionate sexual experience. But, pump can be slang for *cough* ejaculation. If you pump gas, it is inserted into the vehicle’s fuel tank, gassin’ it up 🤭! But surely, such pumping never crossed the R&B singer or the songwriters’ (Henry Glover, Jester Hairston, and Syd Nathan) minds, right? Well, I doubt Harris was that excited about butter… And when he sings, he is exuberant – each note is a bust, I mean, a burst of joy 💦 🤭 😈!
Harris does mention cows, as well as sheep, which brings up another potential double meaning. Harris sings, “Take the sheep, leave ‘em be / Bring the finest brown cow straight to me.” In the butter production scenario, he wouldn’t need the sheep – only the cow. But, is that fine brown cow a fine woman with a darker complexion? Typically, a cow, when referencing women specifically, has a negative connotation. The innuendo feels strong, particularly lines that feel less innocent. “Daddy needs butter for his shortnin’ bread.” Oh, does he, now 😈? “Ooh, now moo cow keep on swishin’ your tail…” Oh, yeah, sounds like he enjoys a big juicy peach 🍑! “First comes the milk, then comes the cream / Takes good butter to make your daddy scream.” There is no way that this is not about sex! It’s smooth like butter 🧈, baby! And the double entendre and innuendo never seem to end! “I’ll milk you cow / ‘Til my pail is full / Look out heifer / Here comes your bull.” What more of “Keep On Churnin’ (Till The Butter Come)” can you say but, MOOO 🐄!
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4. Bo Carter, “Please Warm My Weiner”
Mashing That Thing » Universal Digital Enterprises » 2024
I got somethin’ to tell ya, baby, don’t get mad this time.” Okay, Bo Carter (1893? – 1964), what is it? “If you warm my weiner, you give me ease all up in my mind.” Wow 😳… The Hokum blues, aka dirty blues, are potent on “Please Warm My Weiner”, which dates back to 1935. No deep analysis is necessary. Carter is not referencing the cute dog, or a hot dog, but rather his natural weiner. Accurately characterized as ribald, accompanying himself on guitar, Carter spends the entirety of the song singing about his penis 🍆. Hey, since then, there have been lots of penis songs, so…
“Please Warm My Weiner” is shocking for the 1930s. Sure, Carter avoids the explicit language of the 2020s (we’d call it a dick, most likely), but, it’s clear that he wants pleasure. He needs warmth “‘Cause he [his weiner] really don’t feel right cold.” True 😏… but still, TMI 😳! Bo also suggests his lady (we assume) will enjoy it, too, because, “If you warm my weiner one time, you gonna want him again.” Perhaps he’s too confident about what he’s packing, but when it comes to sex, honestly, who just wants to ‘do it’ one time, especially if he… or she is hot 🥵? One has to wonder, was Bo desperate for some stimulation? “I’m beggin’ you baby, now just give your daddy one break.” Of course, daddy is used in a sexual context – not her father! That would be way over the top! So, just remember, folks, when you hear the old folks talking about how explicit the music of the 2020s is, perhaps you should share some of those Hokum blues… they never fail to shock. “Please Warm My Weiner” is… phallic to say the least! Will someone be offended by this song? Probably, but personally, I take it with a grain of salt 🤣.
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5. Dinah Washington, “Big Long Slidin’ Thing”
The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury, Vol. 3 » UMG Recordings, Inc. » 1988
“Been tryin’ to find my daddy / With that broke down piece of junk.” Daddy and junk seem to be the keywords for Dinah Washington (1924 – 1963) on these lyrics 😈, excerpted from the first verse of “Big Long Slidin’ Thing”. “Big Long Slidin’ Thing” was released way back in 1954. Leroy Kirkland and Mamie Thomas composed this song, whose title alone is innuendo-laden to the nth degree. Perhaps you are less dirty-minded or perverted than the multitude, but it seems that “Big Long Slidin’ Thing” is an early example of female sex-positivity. And, judging by how dynamic Washington gets by the end, the sex, when successfully executed, is electric 🤭 🤩!
“‘You’ll know my daddy / He’s that trombone playin’ man’,” Washington sings in the first verse, adding, “Tell me, where is my daddy / With that big, long slidin’ thing?” There is no way that Dinah was talking about her father, let alone a low brass instrument. She had to be talking about his (a fine man’s) penis. From naughty tromboning, in the second verse, the steel guitarist becomes the sexual object proponent, but he’s not good enough in bed… “He brought his amplifier / And he hitched it in my plug,” Washington asserts, adding, “He planked it, and he plunked it / But it just wasn’t good enough.” Damn! I have questions about what planking and plunking entail, but I’ll leave it alone… But, she could be a size queen. She wanted something, dare I say, longer… It doesn’t end there, folks. Piano Jack (🤭) arrives in the third verse “to do some tinklin’ / On your piano keys.” 😏 Of course, all Dinah wants is that damned trombone player who is packing 😮💨. In the fourth and final verse, we hear about his masterful technique.
“‘I blow through here
Then I work my fingers and my thumb
I slide it back again
And I get a lot of wind
And then I slide it back again.’”
Holy fuck… Pardon my French, but let’s stop beating around the bush… That slide action is the hit, as in, it hits the spot! Don’t deny it! “Big Long Slidin’ Thing” is about getting good pipe! Can you blame Dinah Washington? That man is hitting it right! Even as dirty as this song is, Washington sounds delightful singing over the accompaniment of a tight rhythm section and big band. Playful and sassy, Dinah sells it like a champ. She makes us all want the trombone daddy with that big, long, slidin’ thing 🤤.
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6. Lil Johnson, “Anybody Want to Buy My Cabbage?”
Lil Johnson Vol. 1 (1929 – 1936) » Document » 1994
“Is there anybody here want to buy my cabbage?” I love cabbage, Lil Johnson! However, something tells me that our beloved, dirty blues singer is not talking about the delicious veggie on “Anybody Want to Buy My Cabbage?” The cabbage she describes seems more natural, and she swears by it! “Now my cabbage is good, you well understand.” Noted! Nobody wants spoiled cabbage! Have you figured out what her cabbage is yet? Green’s Dictionary of Slang describes it as ‘the vagina; one of a number of terms that equates the vagina with a vegetable.’ D-d-d-damn! Interestingly, Johnson’s song is cited as an example of this sexualized version of the vegetable: “Now, I’ve got good cabbage, smelling mighty sweet / I carry my cabbage to thirty-fifth street.” Speechless 😶. She touts cabbage even more, including, “Ain’t no mustard greens / I raised my sprouts down in New Orleans,” and confidently informs, “My cabbage is mighty good / The best old cabbage in the neighborhood.” Fittingly, Johnson sings with attitude and sass, accompanied by piano. The quality of the recording isn’t great, but the sexual innuendo is pronounced after one listen.
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7. Lil Johnson, “Get ‘Em from the Peanut Man (Hot Nuts)”
Raunchy Business: Hot Nuts & Lollypops » Sony Music Entertainment Inc. » 1991
“Selling nuts! Hot nuts! / Anybody here wanna buy my nuts?” Lil Johnson must enjoy selling things… sexual things, for that matter! Beyond asking, “Anybody Want to Buy My Cabbage?”, Johnson also dropped another dirty, innuendo-laden gem, “Get ‘Em from the Peanut Man (Hot Nuts)”. She delivers a confident performance that shows off the robustness of her voice. The song, with its strong accompaniment from the rhythm section, particularly the bluesy piano, gives off playful, tongue-in-cheek vibes. “These nuts I got they just won’t slow / If you eat ‘em once, you will eat some mo’,” she sings, continuing, “Selling nuts, hot nuts / You buy ‘em from the peanut man.” Did anybody catch on how close the words peanut and penis are, not to mention nut is the second syllable of pea-nut? Unsurprisingly, Lil can’t contain herself about those smoking hot nuts. She sings about a man dressed in black whose “Nuts is so hot, he keep ‘em in a sack.” Well, that’s how it works, anatomically speaking… Oh, and for good measure, she informs us those nuts are “Nice and brown, too.” 😳
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8. Bull Moose Jackson, “Big Ten-Inch”
More Greatest Hits » Gusto » 2005
Does the ten-inch penis exist 👀? According to The Big Dick Guide (yes, that is the name of the website, believe it or not 😏), they do but are rare. It is hard to tell, of course, given that men often lie about their penis size, particularly to impress a potential partner. What does this have to do with Bull Moose Jackson (1919 – 1989)? Well, in 1952, the risqué R&B singer and saxophonist recorded a song entitled “Big Ten-Inch” or “Big Ten-Inch Record” that is ripe with sexual innuendo. Yes, he’s referencing now defunct 10-inch vinyl records, but we all know he’s referencing the rare, ten-inch monster 👹! It’s given phallus! Schlong! An extra-long D 😈! To be fair, Fred Weismantel wrote this penis, I mean, vinyl-driven classic 🤭.
“Got me the strangest woman / Believe me this chick’s no cinch,” Jackson sings in the first verse, continuing, “But I really get her going / When I get out my big ten inch.” Holy shit schlong 🍆, Bull Moose! A bold assertion, the singer and saxophonist cleans it up quickly:
“When I get out my big ten-inch
Record of a band that plays the blues
The band that plays the blues
She just love my big ten-inch
Record of her favorite blues.”
So, let me get this straight. He really gets her going with his music? Hmm. To be fair, Bull Moose Jackson is a great singer and rocks out on the sax. But let’s not kid ourselves. It is far more interesting when Jackson asserts, “I cover her with kisses / When we’re in a lover’s clinch / And when she gets all excited / She begs for my big ten-inch,” or, “Seems she goes for nothin’ / Except my big ten-inch.” I suppose she knows what she likes! Notably, Aerosmith famously covered “Big Ten-Inch Record” on their 1975 album, Toys In The Attic.
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9. The Treniers, “Poon-tang”
The Essential Treniers – The Okeh Years » Epic » 2004
“Poon-tang / Poon-tang.” Say what, now 🥴 ?! According to the lyrics from The Treniers’ (twins Cliff (1919 – 1983) and Claude Trenier (1919 – 2003)) 1952 song “Poon-tang”, poontang is not dirty! Hmm, oh really 🤨? Apparently, “Poon is a hug, tang is a kiss.” In their eyes, it’s, hence, “A hugging and a kissing (that’s poon-tang).” Check out the definition/description of poontang on Urban Dictionary, and it tells a far different, more graphic story 😳. Green’s Dictionary of Slang doesn’t support this innocence either. Poon, the abbreviation of poontang, is described as the vagina. Poontang in full, from the same source, is sexual in context. Slang and Euphemism by Richard A. Spears also features various sexual definitions for this innocent happening, including ‘copulation with a black woman’ and ‘a black woman considered as a source of sexual gratification; the genitals of a black woman.’[i] Oh, snap!
The Treniers can act like they are innocent, but at least since the recording of “Poon-tang,” the meaning is S-E-X-U-A-L! Maybe songwriters Richard Adler and Jerry Ross had something different in mind. Still, who the fuck are they fooling? The double entendre and sexual innuendo are through the roof like every other filthy oldie on this list! You’re no better than The Treniers! They say poon-tang far too many times for it to mean PG-13 rated hugging and kissing. There are hints that intimacy is a must! “I’ve been marooned on and out and / …been missing my love in each night / Now that I’m home, I go right out and get me some poon-tang.” Gay guys do it frequently… Grindr, Sniffies, etc. (There is a homosexual angle of the word, poontang, by the way). Anyways, “I don’t want to eat, and I don’t want to sleep, I’ve got a yin that I’m dying to flee / ‘Til I get weak in the knees, gonna get me that poon-tang.” Noted… and it is noted as far more than a hug and a kiss. Ultimately, “Poon-tang” is an intriguing oldie. It is jazzy and tongue-in-cheek and features an electrifying saxophone solo. But, the most striking thing about this song is that it is about pleasure… sex… plain and simple. Don’t deny it! Sex-positivity is all the rage… these days 😜!
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10. Light Crust Doughboys, “Pussy, Pussy, Pussy”
Risque Blues, Vol. 4 » Red Devil » 2012
“Here pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy / Where can you be?” Excuse me, Light Crust Doughboys? Is this how it went down in the 1930s? Gah-day-um! To provide some context regarding “Pussy, Pussy, Pussy” (😬), in the intro of the song, the Light Crust Doughboys are searching for a lost pussy cat. However, even the intro strokes… I mean, stokes the filthy mind in the 21st century:
“Say fellers, I lost my little pussy cat
Will you help me find it?
Of course, of course, of course, of course
Come on, gang, let’s call it.”
It’s the gang searching for the pussy for me… 🤭. Adding to the cringe and corniness, there are meows, and more unfortunate references to pussy… cats. “My pussy has no stripes,” she says during a spoken section (😮), continuing, “Besides, it ain’t smelled like that / Call my cat boys, call my pussy.” Holy shit! Once again, the boys get on it, repeating the word pussy far more than necessary. Honestly, listening to this filthy, tongue-in-cheek country, western swing song, you can’t make this shit up. To the song’s credit, it is catchy, in an ultra cringy sort of way! “Here pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy!”
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| Light Crust Doughboys, Pussy, Pussy, Pussy: Wacky Wednesday No. 30 (2025) |
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11. Blind Boy Fuller, “What’s That Smells Like Fish”
Blind Boy Fuller Vol. 4 1937 – 1938 » Document » 1992
“‘What’s that smell like fish, mama?’ / ‘Food, if you really want to know.’” Hmm… Blind Boy Fuller (1907 – 1941) delivered a dirty, smelly blues song with “What’s That Smells Like Fish.” Something tells me that Fuller isn’t referencing food, though… “Smell like puddin’ and it ain’t no pie / Same thing that you have to buy.” Wow… More eyebrow raising: “Smell like sardines and it ain’t in no can,” he sings, continuing, “Same doggone thing you chucked at the other man.” 😳 😬 😶… That confirms what he is talking about… her private parts. And, she must be having some issues with vaginal odor, or so we assume. The short-lived Blind Boy Fuller gives us a bit more smelly-ness, singing, “[This smelly food will] make you weep, and it’ll make you moan / Same doggone thing made me leave my home.” The up-tempo, guitar-accompanied “What’s That Smells Like Fish” is something else…
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12.Lucille Bogan, “Shave ‘Em Dry”
Shave ‘Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan » Sony Music Entertainment, Inc. » 2004
“Want you to grind me, baby, grind me until I cry.” Oh, my! Late blues singer Lucille Bogan (1897 – 1948) was one of a kind. After hearing her shocking 1934 song, “Till the Cows Come Home” (“You know both of my mens / They are tight like that / They got a great big dick just like a baseball bat / Ooh, fuck me”), I partook of the even raunchier “Shave ‘Em Dry”. Bogan commences the song ‘assertively’: “I’ve got nipples on my titties, big as the end of my thumb / I got somethin’ between my legs’ll make a dead man come.” Oh, snap! Bogan (also called Bessie Jackson), wasn’t the first to record “Shave ‘Em Dry.” Ma Rainey recorded it in 1924. However, the Rainey version wasn’t like the rendition explored here. Fittingly, the outlandish “Shave ‘Em Dry” is the titular track of her best-of compilation, Shave ‘Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan, released in 2004. We are focusing on the explicit version, officially released posthumously 😈.
“Shave ‘Em Dry” doesn’t hold back in its naughtiness. The sex is ripe; rather, it’s raw as fuck. Sex positivity came long before most of us think. It’s almost unfathomable in the 1930s that Bogan, would sing, “Say I fucked all night, and all the night before baby / And I feel just like I wanna, fuck some more.” Ooh-wee! Bogan goes on to sing, “Grind me honey and shave me dry / And when you hear me holler, baby / Want you to shave it dry.” Orgasmic, isn’t it? On this NSFW, pornographic cut, Bogan shocks with all kinds of outlandish sexual lines.
“I’m gon’ turn back my mattress and let you oil my springs
I want you to grind me, daddy, ‘til the bell do ring
Oh daddy, want you to shave ‘em dry
Oh great God daddy, if you can’t shave ‘em baby won’t you try?”
There’s more, of course. “Now your nuts hang down like a damn bell sapper / And your dick stands up like a steeple,” she sings lustfully. She adds to the blasphemy, “Your goddamn asshole stands open like a church door / And the crabs walk in like people.” Holy fuckin’ shit! Also contributing to the shock: “And my fuckin’ is made for workin’ men’s two dollars.” “Shave ‘Em Dry” is feral!
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13. Harry Roy, “My Girl’s Pussy”
Fox Trot Master – the British Swing Sound of Harry Roy and His Orchestra » Das Stimmt » 2022
“There’s one pet I like to pet / And every evening we get set…” What does evening have to do with it, Harry Roy (1900 – 1971)? The British bandleader, clarinetist, composer, and vocalist continues singing, “I stroke it every chance I get / It’s my girl’s pussy.” Holy sugar honey iced tea! Things escalate on “My Girl’s Pussy” which was recorded by Harry Roy & His Orchestra back in 1931 🤯. Surprisingly, innuendo-heavy, highly sexual music isn’t brand new. “My Girl’s Pussy” features cat sounds (meow) near the beginning 😳. Roy references both kinds of cats. Gotta love a mean double entendre! Still, he takes the most pleasure from her pussy. “Seldom plays and never purrs / And I love the thoughts it stirs,” he sings, adding, “But I don’t mind because it’s hers / My girl’s pussy.” Oh my! Other eyebrow-raising lyrics include the cat’s ‘consistency’ – “It’s always nice and warm.” Also, this cat’s “the best I’ve ever seen,” hence the stroking at every given opportunity. MEOW!
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[i] Spears, R. A. (2001). poontang. In Slang and Euphemism (third, pp. 275–275). essay, Signet.

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Filthy Oldies Sure to Leave You Shook (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Das Stimmt, Document, Epic, Gusto, Red Devil, Sony Music Entertainment, Inc., UMG Recordings, Inc., Universal Digital Enterprises; Antonio Friedemann, MYKOLA OSMACHKO from Pexels; AcatXIo from Pixabay] |
