Have you ever caught yourself listening to a song and felt some naughty thoughts creep up in the back of your mind? Was this song ‘Screaming Infidelities’ by Dashboard Confessional? Or perhaps it was more along the dirty lines of ‘Back That Ass Up’ by Juvenile. A study from the August issue of Pediatrics, the official journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, suggested lyrics that were explicit or degrading to men and women caused young teens to have sex earlier than their peers who did not listen.

‘The music talks about sexuality, that, in and of itself opens sexuality up,’ said Dr. Fanelli, professor of Syracuse University’s Human Sexuality class. ‘There is the sense that being able to talk about it implies a permission around it. If you overlay that with the culture that’s part of it- hip-hop culture, the permissiveness, the visual stimulation that’s part of the MTV background of the music-(it) all creates more of a confusion around sexuality that lends itself to a sense of experimentation and implied permissiveness.’

The study, based on telephone interviews with 1,461 participants ages 12 to 17, claims that teens who listened to a lot of music with blatant sexual messages were almost twice as likely to start having intercourse or engage in other sexual activities within two years of listening, as opposed to teens who listened to little or no sexually degrading music.

‘Music really does spark the senses,’ Fanelli said. ‘People will find different music stimulating in different ways. I think jazz is real sexy. I think the call and response within the jazz motif is highly erotic.’

Whether or not you agree with the study, there does seem to be an element of truth in it. You may have even experienced a notion of fact behind it as some of these lyrics inspired you to sinful acts. And if they haven’t so far, perhaps you just need to turn the volume up:

‘If you’re horny, let’s do it / Ride it, my pony / My saddle’s waiting / Come and jump on it.’ Ginuwine – ‘Pony’

‘My baby, ooh / Come take control, grab a hold / Of my mind and body, soon we’ll be making ithoney, we’re feeling fine / You’re my medicine, open up and let me in.’ Marvin Gaye – Sexual Healing

‘Makin’ sweet love ’til morning comes / Still lovin’ you after it’s said and done / And doin’ those things you want me to do to you baby / Like goin’ down on you by the fireplace’ R Kelly – Step Into My Room