And we thought “Paul is dead” was bad

Remember when the Beatles supposedly hid a creepy message on the “Abbey Road” album, which when played backward revealed the disturbing news that “Paul is dead?”

Well, Paul wasn’t dead. In fact, he’ll probably live to be 107 and still play in a rock band.

Now comes everyone’s favorite celebrity mom/pop star Britney Spears, whose latest album “Circus” includes a new single that makes the supposed Beatles stunt seem trite. Her song “If U Seek Amy” clearly sounds as though the singer is spelling out the “f-bomb” followed by the word “me.”

The Parents Television Council, watchdog of America’s public airwaves, says this song violates federal standards for decency and should not be permitted on the air between the hours of 6 am and 10 pm. They say editing the song would do no good since the offensive lyric is integral to the chorus.

PTC has it right again. But the problem goes much deeper than just the inability to edit out Britney’s vulgarity. Pop, rap and hip hop artists routinely incorporate the most obscene slang into their lyrics. You need to visit urbandictionary.com to understand how clever these wordsmiths have been in their effort to put vulgar content on the air.

This song has a new quality of audacity to it, and unfortunately, this is why teens and tweens love it. You need only to visit a few of the lyric web sites and read the comments of kids upon discovering the double entendre. They’re bleeping-thrilled about it.

I’ve been writing for a while now about pop music and its dangerous influence on the hearts and minds of our kids. The conclusions I drew based on common sense – that this stuff is bound to have a negative impact over time – are substantiated in studies that show today’s music and lyrics promote premature hyper-sexuality, rude and disrespectful attitudes and increased use of vulgarity, among other behaviors. (All the more enticing when put to a snappy dance beat).

When I read PTC’s warning about Britney’s new song, I talked to my kids about it to make sure they know her music is off limits at our house. I also asked them to nix the song if it comes on the car radio.

My son’s response was music to my ears: “Oh, don’t worry, Mom. I never listen to Britney Spears. She’s terrible.”