Zhang Yong did not take it seriously when his son sang to him an adapted rhythmic song to the effect that "there are a bad man and a bad woman in bed and you are the one of them."
But the father gradually came to worry about his son, when knowing that his primary school son could sing more such evil, perverted songs even with pornographic contents.
The song Zhang's son learned was adapted by his classmates from a famous classic poem, which originally revealed nostalgic feelings of the poetic author Li Bai during the imperial Tang Dynasty (618-910).
Nowadays, these classic songs for children, which had and encouraged and spurred generations of Chinese kids born in the last century, seem to have become unfamiliar to more and more children in this country.
Popular songs, or particularly those satirical ones adapted from ancient Chinese poems like what Zhang's son sings, are favored and accepted by more kids at primary or middle schools.
"Such vulgar songs are harmful to kids, since most of whom still have difficulties to tell what is good from what is bad," said Zhang, a county official in east China's Shandong Province.
Li Jigong, whose son studies in a middle school in central Henan Province, said he often hears his son singing what he calls "blue" or "gray" songs with violence themes.
"The contents of these songs adapted by kids are sometimes beyond our expectation," Li said. "Young as they are, kids nowadays have amazing abilities to imitate and adapt popular children's songs."
To some extent, exam-orientated education is partially to blame for this social phenomenon, as students have bear too much pressure from their parents and teachers, said a deputy schoolmaster in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan.
"Those adapted inferior songs have become a decompress or for these kids, as their home assignments take away much of their spare time for relaxation," he said.
Sex and violence in some TV series or films, too, have a negative impact on the mindset of kids, said a teacher from the school which Li's son now attends.
Some traditional songs for kids have much of a didactic tendency in them and cannot keep pace with our fast-changing times, which is also a reason for the lack of interest on the part of children.
"I know some songs popular on the campus are not good, and I really want to learn vivid, good ones, but so far I fail to find only a few," said Li Ruoyu, a middle school student in Zhengzhou.
In recent years, China has seen an acute shortage of songs particularly good for kids as there are fewer art and literary workers to write such songs for them, experts acknowledged.
In fact, local education authorities in China are trying their utmost to provide kids with an increasing number of healthy and inspiring songs.
School kies in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous have been given a book of new songs special for them. "My son has since become nicer to me with a sense of tenderness and politeness. He now calls us 'Mum' and 'Dad' instead of directing referring to us by names as in the past," said Zeng Yongqing in Aksu, a city in southern Xinjiang.
In Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, 85,000 copies of a book of ballads were delivered to primary and middle school kids free of charge last December.
"I hope more sound, elated songs will be written, so that we can grow up happy and contented in a world of children's lovely songs," said Li Ruoyu.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2006)
