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Monday, December 13, 2021

South Pacific - Part 13 of 13

You've Got to Be Carefully Taught

In the movie, the theme of racial prejudice is directly addressed in this song.  Lieutenant Joe Cable sings it to Emile de Beque to explain why nurse Nellie has rejected de Beque and why Joe himself rejected the girl Liat whom he loved.  He sings that prejudice isn't born in you, it's taught to you.  The message of this song is as valid today as when it was written over 70 years ago.

Although You've Got to Be Carefully Taught isn't the last song in the musical, I've moved it to the end to make a statement.  I only changed the words in two spots, to make the song about prejudice against gays, not racial prejudice.  But the message is the same, and it's just as important as what the original song was telling us 70 years ago.  We don't have to hate.

That's it for my version of South Pacific.  I hope you enjoyed it.

3 comments:

Dahveeday said...

Interesting that John Kerr who played Joe also was the "confused" lad in Tea and Sympathy...

whkattk said...

And that lesson STILL hasn't been learned - though some of us keep trying to teach it.

anonymous said...

Ya it pick up in school too, peer pressure ya know !