You've Got to Be Carefully Taught

In particular, "You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught" was subject to widespread criticism, judged by some to be too controversial or downright inappropriate for the musical stage.

It happens after you’re born..." Rodgers and Hammerstein risked the entire South Pacific venture to include the song in the production.

While the show was on a tour of the Southern United States, lawmakers in Georgia introduced a bill outlawing entertainment containing "an underlying philosophy inspired by Moscow.

James Michener, upon whose stories South Pacific was based, recalled, "The authors replied stubbornly that this number represented why they had wanted to do this play, and that even if it meant the failure of the production, it was going to stay in.

[4] "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" is referenced lyrically in the song "My Shot" from the musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda,[5][6] with South Pacific being directly credited.