Cencorship on the wadio

golfaddick

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this recently but I've noticed a form of censorship over the airwaves over the last 2 days, both involving the radio station "Absolute". (I believe the station was previously known as Virgin) . Listening to their various stations I heard 2 very well known & popular songs have their lyrics censored that I've never heard before. I understand that some songs have a radio edit or a different version that are played, sometimes during schooltime or just that they contain very explicit lyrics, but the 2 songs in question, to my knowledge , have always been played as original.

The two songs are "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello and "money" by Pink Floyd.

In the former song the word "nigger" was deleted in the line " one less white nigger" and in the latter the word "shit" was deleted from the line " do goody good bullshit". I understand that the first word could be seen as very inflammatory (although I don't quite understand what Elvis Costello was actually referring to or meaning) but this second can be heard in various songs played extensively over the airwaves, one being "Going Underground" by The Jam.

I've never before heard either song being doctored & just wondered whether this is a new policy by that certain radio station. I'd be interested to know whether anyone else has come across this recently.

harveys_gardener

Olivers Army been beeped by other stations for years.

lordromford

My understanding of the Oliver's Army lyric is that it's an anti-colonial song and that the phrase used was a derogatory term for the Irish used by the army. As a result, the phrase should probably be left in as it's in context.
Apparently, it was censored by the BBC a few years ago and this received a wave of criticism and protest that far outweighed any complaints they ever received when they left the phrase in.

In short golfie, I don't know why they bleeped it, sorry!

Henry Irving

Going over the lyrics in my head I can't remember where "bullshit" features in Going Underground.

MrOneLung

Bullshit is bullshit is on Beat Surrender by The Jam

Henry Irving

MrOneLung said:

Bullshit is bullshit is on Beat Surrender by The Jam

Thanks

Henry Irving

I've always taken Oliver's​ Army to be about young working class men ("the boys from the Mersey and the Thames and the Tyne") being sent off to fight around the world ("we can send you to Johannesburg") but their lives and deaths ("one more widow") having little value to those who control them ("one less white nigger")

So it could be seen as a statement that poor white working class kids are oppressed in a similar way to black people or as a inappropriate use of a racial slur by a white artist.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Clem_Snide

Please update the title it is making my teeth itch.

AFKABartram

Clem_Snide said:

Please update the title it is making my teeth itch.

Done :-)

lordromford

You may well be right there henners. I have wondered if Costello maybe meant it as a comment on one thing, like working class boys going to war, but then happily embraced the idea of it being about something else too, like colonialism etc.
I don't think the offending phrase was written as a racist slur but, as you say, maybe it was an unwise choice of words, but also indicative of language at the time.

Whatever. I think it's a good song.

Big William

I think Olivers Army was primarily about mercenaries ; I think EC put in the sleevenotes to one of his compilations that Rock and Roll was the only profession that sent more unsuitable people out representing their country.

church-lane

Going Underground features the line "Spraying shit from my tv screen"

Henry Irving

lordromford said:

You may well be right there henners. I have wondered if Costello maybe meant it as a comment on one thing, like working class boys going to war, but then happily embraced the idea of it being about something else too, like colonialism etc.
I don't think the offending phrase was written as a racist slur but, as you say, maybe it was an unwise choice of words, but also indicative of language at the time.

Whatever. I think it's a good song.

John Lennon also used it in a song title in the early seventies about the oppression of women.

I don't think Elvis uses it as a racial slur although it is a slur (cue rap singers use it blah blah blah) but as a way of emphasising the situation of young working class men dying in Ireland and elsewhere (the song came out in what 1980?)

Very good song.

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

The beauty of Elvis Costello's lyrics is that they are always open to interpretation.
A lot of the military references on the Armed Forces album are metaphors for personal relationships.
Having said that, my simplistic take on Oliver's Army is that it is about mercenaries.
The line about white niggers I have always taken to be a reference to a "tame" leader bankrolled by the west.

Henry Irving

church-lane said:

Going Underground features the line "Spraying shit from my tv screen"

"These braying sheep on my TV screen
Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!"

@church-lane

Henry Irving

Six-a-bag-of-nuts said:

The beauty of Elvis Costello's lyrics is that they are always open to interpretation.
A lot of the military references on the Armed Forces album are metaphors for personal relationships.
Having said that, my simplistic take on Oliver's Army is that it is about mercenaries.
The line about white niggers I have always taken to be a reference to a "tame" leader bankrolled by the west.

The references to "Careers Information" and "It's a professional career" echo the army recruitment of the time.

Don't start that talking
I could talk all night
My mind was sleepwalking
While I'm putting the world to rights
Call careers information
Have you got yourself an occupation?

Oliver's army is here to stay
Oliver's army are on their way
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today

There was a Checkpoint Charlie
He didn't crack a smile
But it's no laughing party
When you've been on the murder mile
All it takes is one itchy trigger
One more widow, one less white nigger

Oliver's Army is here to stay
Oliver's army are on their way
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today

Hong Kong is up for grabs
London is full of Arabs
We could be in Palestine
Overrun by a Chinese line
With the boys from the Mersey and the Thames and the Tyne
But there's no danger
It's a professional career
Though it could be arranged
With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
If you're out of luck or out of work
We could send you to Johannesburg

Oliver's Army is here to stay
Oliver's army are on their way
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today
Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

PeteF

We have had both of those songs censored at the radio station I work for, although Oliver's Army has now been restored to it's original state, for a few years we had Fairytale of New York heavily edited, the 'scumbag' verse was removed, something I thought was ridiculous, as leading radio stations have always played the full version, finally sanity was restored after a few arguments and we now have the full version.

You can play more risque music later in the evening these days, much the same as TV there is a bit of a watershed.

Ofcom actually published a document recently on words we can us on air and not, hilarious reading, radio does seem to be less tolerant than TV, on TV you can get a way with a lot, on radio very little, I have been reported to OFCOM two or three times in the last few years after complaints about things I have said, thankfully after investigation and an explanation from us the complaints were dropped.

3blokes

PeteF said:

We have had both of those songs censored at the radio station I work for, although Oliver's Army has now been restored to it's original state, for a few years we had Fairytale of New York heavily edited, the 'scumbag' verse was removed, something I thought was ridiculous, as leading radio stations have always played the full version, finally sanity was restored after a few arguments and we now have the full version.

You can play more risque music later in the evening these days, much the same as TV there is a bit of a watershed.

Ofcom actually published a document recently on words we can us on air and not, hilarious reading, radio does seem to be less tolerant than TV, on TV you can get a way with a lot, on radio very little, I have been reported to OFCOM two or three times in the last few years after complaints about things I have said, thankfully after investigation and an explanation from us the complaints were dropped.

Disgraceful

Carter

This makes me chuckle, radio 4 air plays laced with obscenity yet these songs get spoiled by censorship.

As an aside, I clearly remember listening to the top 40 show one Sunday and someone had either gone rogue or just not got the right CD out and the record by ODB got your money, which is a swear fest was played, in full, in its unedited version for 4 minutes in a Sunday afternoon. And that very much made me laugh

golfaddick

Henry Irving said:

church-lane said:

Going Underground features the line "Spraying shit from my tv screen"

"These braying sheep on my TV screen
Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!"

@church-lane

That's the one I was referring to.

Karim_myBagheri

I find it strange that most radio stations censor songs for offensive words yet Radio 4 just yesterday had a programme on called Kitchen confidential, a sort of comedy piece about working in a busy restaurant. the words asshole, bullshit, shit, dickhead were all used, the word shit several times and this was on around 11am. I wasn't shocked as Radio 4 often allow swearing and even racial slurs (in context) to be broadcast, it's just strange that others on the BBC and on advertising radio cant utter the word balls without having to apologise profusely.

Baldybonce

I always thought Olivers army was Oliver Cromwell's new model army.
An army based on aptitude as opposed to birthright.

BDL

Used to play the uncut version of Won't get fooled again on a Saturday morning, ah those were the days ;-) Heard London Greek Radio play the uncut version of Don't marry her once.

aliwibble

harveys_gardener said:

Olivers Army been beeped by other stations for years.

Both songs have had the audio muted at that point on Absolute too, certainly during the day at least.

LargeAddick

I noticed on the radio the other day that Bruno Mars track 'That's what I like' had been edited to delete the lyric 'sex by the fire at night'. What is the problem with that? Unless it's unfair on those that don't possess a fire.

Chizz

Thank goodness someone has done the right thing and changed the lyric. I mean... "one less"? As everyone knows it should be "one fewer".

Uboat

Chizz said:

Thank goodness someone has done the right thing and changed the lyric. I mean... "one less"? As everyone knows it should be "one fewer".

Because of the word 'less' in that lyric I always took it to be a n***** who wasn't as white as they used to be, which made absolutely no sense.

I get it now.

Covered End

The meaning behind Oliver's Army.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2948

Valiantphil

.....and while we on the subject of lyrics, check out Mott the Hoople All The Way To Memphis.
There is a part where the writer is chastised by a citizen for not taking more care of his guitar.

Baldybonce

Baldybonce said:

I always thought Olivers army was Oliver Cromwell's new model army.
An army based on aptitude as opposed to birthright.

clever dick.

RodneyCharltonTrotta

Karim_myBagheri said:

I find it strange that most radio stations censor songs for offensive words yet Radio 4 just yesterday had a programme on called Kitchen confidential, a sort of comedy piece about working in a busy restaurant. the words asshole, bullshit, shit, dickhead were all used, the word shit several times and this was on around 11am. I wasn't shocked as Radio 4 often allow swearing and even racial slurs (in context) to be broadcast, it's just strange that others on the BBC and on advertising radio cant utter the word balls without having to apologise profusely.

The target audience of radio 4 are intellectually robust and generally middle class enough to hear such vulgaraties whilst remaining well rounded, wholesome folk.

Whereas the demographic who listen to popular music just need to hear the slightest bit of cussing on the airwaves and they'll be out burning stuff and rioting before you can say cheeky nandos.