The blushing bride she looks divine
The bridegroom he is doing fine
I'd rather have his job than mine
When I'm cleaning windows
These are the lyrics from George Formby's "When I'm cleaning Windows." This song was banned in 1940 from BBC radio for these "smutty" lyrics as they were called. If "When I'm cleaning Windows" was on XL93 today, well it would be hilarious, but there is no way It would be seen as vulgar if anything it would be incredibly tame compared to what is on the radio now. Radio stations today still censor songs, they mute curse words and have radio friendly versions (see Cee Lo's recent hit "Forget You," the non-radio version has some different lyrics). Today's standards in what makes the radio has changed a lot from George Formby's day, and song's still get edited, and beeped, and banned, but the standard has changed. We still get to hear Lil Jon say "skeet skeet" and Britney Spears asking us "If U seek Amy" and pretty much every song by Eminem. What I am wondering is it even necessary anymore. Do the radio stations need to censor the music we hear? I understand that you should be able to turn on the radio and not have to worry about your young ones hearing curse words or adult themes in their music. But that same kid can find and download that song unedited in a matter of seconds. If anything listening to a song on the radio that has a bunch of lyrics muted would make me want to hear the original version. Is there going to come a point when we are so neutralized to what would be called "vulgar" music that it just won't matter anymore? Will the bar ever get low enough that anything will fly on the radio? I don't even think I would notice if they stopped censoring music on radio stations, and after a while I really don't think many other people would either.
(Cause I know you were curious here is George Formby's "When I'm cleaning windows")
Katy Perry has a new song called "Let Me See Your Peacock." I think it is hilarious, but I can see how some parents might be concerned about it. I don't think it is worth it for radio stations to try and censor their music because all that has resulted censorship is artists trying to mask their "innapproriate" lyrics with something more clever that accomplishes the same thing. When it comes to the radio, I think that most of the responsibility should rest on parents.
ReplyDeleteBut Heather, there's no need to argue, parents just don't understand.
ReplyDeletePink's new song "F@#*ing Perfect" is #1 on the iTunes download - wonder if any kids have heard that one, considering it is actually a good theme for kids if the word is bleeped. www.pinkspage.com
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