Bobby Darin, Splish Splash | Controversial Tunes 😈🎶

In the 5^th edition of Controversial Tunes (2023), we explore the controversy behind the song, “Splish Splash” by Bobby Darin.

Bring on the controversy! Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  In the 5^th edition of Controversial Tunes (2023), we explore the controversy behind the song, 🎵 “Splish Splash” by 🎙 Bobby Darin.

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“Splish splash, I was taking a bath / Long about a Saturday night.” Okay, so what, 🎙 Bobby Darin (1936 – 1973)? “Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor / I wrapped the towel around me / And I opened up the door.” Um, okay, still sounds like a totally, innocent bathing experience on 🎵 “Splish Splash” from his 1958 album, 💿 Bobby Darin.  Is there more that we need to know about bath time or you being naturally nude after the bath, Bobby? “Splish splash, I jumped back in the bath / Well, how was I to know there was a party going on?” Hmm, well, that begins to explain a bit of the controversy surrounding this no. 3 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, I suppose 🤷🏾‍♂️.

“Splish Splash” was actually banned by some radio stations. Why? References to nudity after Bobby Darin discovers the party going outside of the bathroom!  Ultimately, after he sees the teens dancing, he asserts, “I forgot about the bath / I went and put my dancing shoes on.” Well, at this point, we assume he’s put on shoes, but what about some clothes, Bobby? There is no clarity.  The assumption would be that dancing shoes just means he started dancing, whether he had shoes on or not.  Furthermore, beyond skipping the bath and putting that towel around him, there is no mention of a shirt, pants, or even a pair of undies.

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It seems dumb that this would earn this innocent song controversy, but it was the 1950s and given Darin’s youth and the fact this song is about teens partying, it was deemed risqué.  Is it? Nope. Really, the flaw is that Darin and co-writer 🎼 ✍ Murray Kaufman failed to make sure Bobby was dressed properly! More notably on this fun, 🎛 Ahmet Ertegün / Herb Abramson production is the reference to other vintage songs: 🎵 “Lollipop”, 🎵 “Peggy Sue”, and 🎵 “Good Golly Miss Molly”.  Believe me, the kids do much worse in the 2020s then 🎵 “Splish Splash” would have ever dreamt of doing!

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🎙 Bobby Darin • 💿 Bobby Darin • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 1958

 Bobby Darin, “Splish Splash”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 5 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic; Anand Kulkarni, Aykut Bingül, Luân Phan, mohammadreza merhvand via Pexels; Anna, Gordon Taylor, harshahars from Pixabay; christian buehner on Unsplash]