With respect I'm not sure your friends may have understood that songs sentiment. Sadly people didn't look much further than use of the taboo word. This explains it better than I can :)
http://stranglers-ratter.blogspot.com/2011/03/lyrical-controversy.html?m=1
That's a bit harsh and surely you're just referring to Bring on the Nubiles? Hugh Cornwall even now admits that that it was a less than subtle attempt to shock.
Once legendary stays legendary in my book. I can't really think of any album I own that I now have a polar opposite opinion of.
Probably much easier to pick a few albums I originally thought were gash but over the years I've warmed to and now really appreciate. A prime example being The X...