One of New York's most notable ska bands, the Slackers formed in Brooklyn i… Read Full Bio ↴One of New York's most notable ska bands, the Slackers formed in Brooklyn in 1991 and have played the world over many times since. Their first release was an eponymous self-released album, distributed by Moon Records in 1993 on cassette. Their first real debut is "Better Late Than Never" on Moon Ska Records. Coming out in 1996, this album saw a movement to more traditional ska music, as opposed to their earlier two-tone and garage influences. It was produced by Victor Rice, a noted ska/reggae producer, who also played bass for them at one point.

Band members are as follows:
Vic Ruggiero - Keyboards, Vocals
Jay "Agent Jay" Nugent - Guitar
Dave Hillyard - Saxophone
Glen Pine - Trombone, Vocals
Marcus Geard - Bass
Ara Babajian - Drums

Former members and contributors:
Marq "Q-Maxx 4:20" Lyn - Vocals
TJ Scanlon - Guitar
Luis "Zulu" Zuluaga - Drums
Jeremy "Mush One" Mushlin - Trumpet, Vocals
Allen Teboul - Drums
Dunia Best- Vocals, Flute
Jeff "King Django" Baker - Trombone
Tobias Fields - Congas
Eric "E-ROC" Singer - Alto Saxophone
Victor Rice - Bass
Dave Hahn - lead guitar
Justin Redekop- Trumpet

The next album released was Redlight, on HellCat Records in 1997. This album solidified their sound and further fixed the line-up.
The band released its latest album, entitled Self Medication, in May of 2008.

Pedophilia
The Slackers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

mama sold old man is looking at your baby
and your baby she's looking good
mama said baby won't you come outside and
mama i wish she would
cause she's the sweetest thing
in the whole damn neighborhood
mama some old man is looking at your baby
and your baby she's looking good

Overall Meaning

The lyrics above are from The Slackers' song "Pedophilia," which deals with the disturbing issue of child sexual abuse. The song's opening line refers to a mother who is willing to sell her child to an old man who has expressed interest in the child's appearance. The following lines are a plea from the perspective of the child, asking their mother to let them go outside even though they know the old man is watching. The child's innocence and ignorance of the danger they're in is highlighted by the use of "mama" and "baby" in the lyrics.

The chorus of the song repeats and amplifies on these disturbing themes. The singer reiterates that an old man is watching their baby, while the mother is seemingly unconcerned. However, the singer also describes the child as "the sweetest thing in the whole damn neighborhood," underscoring the innocence of the victim.

Overall, "Pedophilia" is a dark and uncomfortable song that confronts the issue of child sexual abuse head-on. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a child, highlighting the sense of powerlessness and vulnerability that victims often feel. At the same time, the song acknowledges the complicity of adults who fail to protect children from abusers.

Line by Line Meaning

mama sold old man is looking at your baby
Mama, there's an old man eyeing your baby

and your baby she's looking good
And your baby's innocent beauty is catching his attention.

mama said baby won't you come outside and
Mama wants the baby to go outside, unaware of the old man's desires

mama i wish she would
But the singer wishes the baby would stay inside and safe

cause she's the sweetest thing
The baby is innocent, pure and lovely

in the whole damn neighborhood
The baby's beauty stands out from the rest of the neighborhood.

mama some old man is looking at your baby
Mama, please be cautious as there's an old man with a suspicious gaze focused on the baby

and your baby she's looking good
The old man continues looking at the baby with an inappropriate gaze.

Contributed by Evan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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