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Changing Lyrics

  • Thread starter ChrisTheListener
  • Start date

C

ChrisTheListener

Guest
I've noticed recently that a lot of artists will change words in some of their songs for the radio. I mean, their album version will have some slight differences to the radio version. Some appear to be for, I guess, "censorship" purposes, even though it's really not necessary. Here's what I mean:

Rodney Atkins' These Are My People
Album version: "We're loving and living and busting our asses..."
Radio version: "We're loving and living and busting our backs..."

Taylor Swift's Teardrops on My Guitar:
Album version: "I laugh cause it's so damn funny..."
Radio version: "I laugh cause it's just so funny..."

Sugarland's Everyday America:
Album version: "Fell in love out of high school..."
Radio version: "Fell in love out of college..."

I realize that these are here to make the songs more "family friendly" for the radio stations. But what I don't understand is why the radio stations are making such a big deal about little words like these (all in an effort to be "family friendly"), when they play these songs between others with lyrics like "Let's get drunk and be somebody", and "I want to check you for ticks".

These aren't cuss words. I just feel sorry for the artists who have to change lyrics, re-record, and even do live shows with the "clean" version, as if their originals were somehow dirty.

Thoughts?

~CTL
 
Got another one...Jason Aldean's "Johnny Cash"...I've heard 3 different versions. All of 'em change a line early in the song, after "took my name off the payroll."

1) Screw you man.
2) I'm outta here, man.
3) No line at all.

The edit really doesn't make sense, since at the end of EACH version, "the Man in Black is gonna rock your ass again." ??? At least be consistent.
 
On the Jason Aldean song, I find it depends upon what version is being used....

There is a album version (Screw you man)
the radio edit version (I'm outta here, man)
and the cd version as first edited apparenly (no line)

The "man in black" line is usually sang on fade out I have found in some markets so that's maybe why It's not edited...

But I agree, I've always hated the edited versions of songs that are usually sanitized so certain stations (mainly bible region and midwest radio stations IMO) will want to play them during the daypart more (even though we have Toby Keith's and Brad Paisley's songs you spoke of.. I don't know how these stations play these songs if they play them at all)

But my question is why edit "everyday america"? Ok you mean to tell me , that falling in love out of high school is not something that happens everyday in America? ... Trying to encourage kids to go furthur to find love or something?

But anyhow, that's why it depends upon the MD and what version he downloads....

But to leave on a last note.... Songs that people have memorized by heart are trying to be changed by the artist due to their new found religious right... Charlie Daniels Band is the one in particular I'm thinking about...

I love his music , but why after 25 years he wanted to change (and did) the song "long haired country boy" from "I get stoned in the morning, I get drunk in the afternoon" to " I get up in the morning, I get down in the afternoon" cause some kid may get the wrong impression as Charlie Danies was quoted as saying when he changed the lyrics a few years back...

Some things I don't like hearing about in song..usually it's more for rap and such but I've never seen really any words used in lyrics that isn't used in people's homes everyday in country music and why should it be edited as such I'll never now

RFLA
 
my favorite changed lyric back in the 70's was Devil Went Down to Georgia.

AM Station-"I told you once you son of a gun"
Long hair maggot infested FM station-"I told you once you son of a bitch"

Steve Miller band had this line from Jet Airliner.
AM-"Funky kicks going down in the city"
FM-"Funky shit going down in the city"
 
Van Morrison "Brown Eyed Girl": "Makin' love in the green grass" was changed to "laughin' and a runnin'"
re-run (safer). Kinks "Lola": "and it tastes just like Coca-Cola, C-O-L-A, Cola". They found the BBC
wouldn't play a song with a brand name in it so had to re-cut that line, as "cherry cola"
 
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