Good point. I always go back and forth with Oingo Boingo because their musicianship and composition is genius, but their lyrics can definitely cross the line from weird fun into creepy wtf. Only a Lad is basically a sociopath’s anthem, but it fucking tears.

That being said, half the bands in the 80s have songs with some sort of variation on the jailbait theme, so they’re hardly unique for the era. For me, until Elfman has charges brought against him, I’m gonna appreciate his work as an artistic statement rather than a predilection for pedophilia. Kinda like Nabokov with Lolita.

Nonetheless, Little Girls definitely isn’t on my playlist.

He has said that the song is as if he were writing from the perspective of a character.

In the context of his larger body of work which constantly points the spotlight on the different types of predators in society I think it’s reasonable to assume that it is another critique. Personally for me it evokes a Hollywood director who prefers child stars or a fashion exec eagerly producing booty shorts for children.

The way the song sounds it is very clear that he thinks of this person as a villain.