Over the past few decades, several artists have come under scrutiny and been censored, mainly due to objectionable lyrics. Some have chosen to change their lyrics, while others have maintained their stance. Meanwhile, various radio stations have decided not to broadcast controversial songs at all.
Given today’s society, the reasons for banning the following songs (and there are more) may be surprising to some. Then again, perhaps not so much considering the climate of the time. Still, it’s a reminder of how song lyrics can remain relevant across the centuries.
Loretta Lynn, “The Pill” (1975)
The reason for this is perhaps not as surprising as the title and content itself, especially coming from the socially conservative Christian country singer. Lynn once said in an interview that country doctors even thanked her for pointing out the availability of contraception. The song was initially met with disapproval by some radio stations. A preacher in Kentucky even took to the pulpit to denounce Lynn and her song, but this backfired, and “The Pill” reached number 5 on the Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and also became Lynn’s biggest pop hit.
Van Morrison, “Brown Eyed Girl” (1967)
The song was originally called “Brown Skinned Girl,” but Morrison changed the title to “classic rock about an interracial relationship” to make it more radio-friendly. Some stations still banned it because of the line “making love in the green grass.” Rock stations are happy with the edited version, “laughin’ and a-runnin’, hey, hey,” and play the song regularly.
The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” (1960)
A song about an intimate moment with a man was too much for some and was banned from radio stations because of its slightly sexual content. However, that didn’t stop the song from becoming the first number one hit by a black female group.
The Who, “My Generation” (1965)
What a difference words can make, or at least perception in this case. The BBC banned the song from being broadcast because they feared Daltrey’s problems with fast vocal parts (“fff-fade away,” for example) might offend people who stutter.
The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows” (1966)
At the time, it was considered blasphemy to use God’s name in a song. In some parts of the country, the song was banned from being played on the radio, even though this gentle ballad had nothing sacrilegious to say. The band members even considered changing the title to “Fred Only Knows” to please a wider audience. They didn’t change it, and fans love the song to this day.
Phil Collins, “In the Air Tonight” (1981)
It’s hard to believe that this classic, with arguably the most famous drum fill in music history, was banned not once but twice. The first time was in 1991, when the BBC banned 67 songs because of their alleged connection to the Gulf War, and again in 2001, when Clear Channel Communications banned the broadcast of 162 songs following the September 11 attacks.
The Kinks, “Lola” (1970)
The original studio recording included the word “Coca-Cola” in the lyrics. As this was a breach of BBC guidelines against product placement, Ray Davies was forced to interrupt the Kinks’ American tour to change the lyrics to “Cherry Cola” for the single’s release.
-Sharon Oliver
Photo: Phil Collins (Getty)
