Interesting points, as always, nycboot, but song lyrics were presumably intended for the stage, so metaphors HAD to be used for sex because direct reference to such things would have brought the theatre / composer into conflict with the church / government and got them into serious trouble. The church has generally always looked for excuses to shut theatres down [the clergy so hate any competition when it comes to camping around in exotic costumes]. So, while on stage, sex was spoken or sung about through double entendre, in real life people were probably a lot more graphic. Sexual metaphors litter the lyrics of 19th century music hall songs. In UK schools, little children still sing a few of these, even today. One famous example, always sung by a female is: “Daddy wouldn’t buy me a bow-wow, bow-wow; Daddy wouldn’t buy me a bow-wow, bow-wow; I’ve got a little cat; And I’m very fond of that; But I’d rather have a BIG bow-wow…” My grandmother sang this to me in all innocence when I was a child. It was only recently that I realised that a ‘bow-wow’ was almost certainly a dick and, as for the ‘little cat’ she’s got that she’s so fond of… As soon as you know the ‘code’, listening to little kids singing the song is nothing short of pornographic. The Victorians were so dirty…
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From the movie Evergreen with Jessie Matthews! 