Dec 15

In My House

IN MY HOUSE
 
 
“In My House” is a song produced, written and arranged by American musician Rick James. It was recorded by American girl group Mary Jane Girls for their second album Only Four You (1985). In the United States, the single went to number one on the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart in April 1985 and remained atop the chart for two weeks. It was also a top-ten hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Black Singles chart. “In My House” was chosen on the PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen” list due to its alleged sexual innuendo. However, during the VHI 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s program, the group went on record as saying the song is not about sex, but about love.  (More from Wikipedia)
The infamous Filthy Fifteen, along with the reasons for their inclusion on the list, follow. Not only is Prince listed first on the list, he was also the songwriter for #2, “Sugar Walls”; and Vanity, at #4, is a one-time Prince protegé. 
1. Prince – “Darling Nikki” (sex, masturbation) 
2. Sheena Easton – “Sugar Walls” (sex) 
3. Judas Priest – “Eat Me Alive” (sex) 
4. Vanity – “Strap on Robbie Baby” (sex) 
5. Mötley Crüe – “Bastard” (violence) 
6. AC/DC – “Let Me Put My Love Into You” (sex) 
7. Twisted Sister – “We’re Not Gonna Take It”  (violence) 
8. Madonna – “Dress You Up” (sex) 
9. W.A.S.P. – “Animal (F--k Like A Beast)” (sex)
10. Def Leppard – “High ’n Dry” (drug and alcohol use) 
11. Mercyful Fate – “Into the Coven” (occult) 
12. Black Sabbath – “Trashed” (drug and alcohol use) 
13. Mary Jane Girls – “In My House” (sex) 
14. Venom – “Possessed” (occult) 
15. Cyndi Lauper – “She Bop”  (sex, masturbation)
 
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Only a third of the songs on this list – “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, “She Bop”, “Sugar Walls”, “Dress You Up”, and “In My House” – were hits, and only the Twisted Sister number is really a signature song. Most of the Filthy Fifteen are deep album cuts that, even at the time, were likely unfamiliar to many of the fans of these bands and artists. For me, the Prince song “Darling Nikki” does not ring a bell; and the same goes for those by Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest, and AC/DC. If this was intended as a resource to help out parents instead of just a publicity stunt, adding the album names would have saved everyone a lot of time. 
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Rolling Stone magazine published an overview last year called “PMRC’s ‘Filthy 15’: Where Are They Now?”, where they give some of the lyrics. For the most part, they are no more offensive than the song titles. Here are some samples as taken from the Rolling Stone article, chosen almost at random: “Don’t you struggle / Don’t you fight / Let me put my love into you / Let me cut your cake with my knife” (from “Let Me Put My Love Into You”); “When it comes down to makin’ love / I’ll satisfy your every need / And every fantasy you think up” (from “In My House”); “Saturday, I feel right / I’ve been drinking all day . . . / I got my whiskey / I got my wine / I got my woman / And this time, the lights are going out” (from “High ’n Dry”).
 
(June 2016)
Last edited: March 22, 2021