Looking for the YOUNGEST first-time listener to LC

[Mark J]

Woops! I still have 4 questions to answer!

(2) How much did you understand of the sexual/violence references?
With as much clarity and ignorance as I understood them now.

(3) How did hearing these lyrics cause you to feel?
Pretty jealous. I stopped listening to Chelsea Hotel until I got ---- myself. I had a crazy summer where I met Nancy from Cohen's song. Luckily, she's happily married now and kicking my ass in Scrabulous.

(4) What age do you feel would be the most age-appropriate for children to first listen to Leonard?
His lyrics were a kind of trigger for me at 15. I loved it then, and I love it now. Mature poetry (not just random words like anal and head) in a flow of lyrics escapes the comprehension of kids who either aren't ready to understand it like we do or, more likely, aren't that interested at all in thinking about the sort of slow, deep boring stuff their parents keep playing. He's an acquired taste, and we acquire it when were ready.

(5) Should parental- or adult-guidance be a part of these initial listening experiences?
First off, I don't believe that's possible. Should a parent send a list of banned artists when a child goes for a sleepover? Hey, there's a very slight chance in this day and age, given that 80% of kids aged 10-20+ have 500+ songs ON THEIR PERSON, that your child might hear something you wish he or she hadn't. I'm sure the parental guidance instilled in kids will suffice, even if the parents aren't 3 feet away, full of the comforting but realistic explanations that we all absolutely dreaded hearing at that age. So, my answer is no.