Song Lyrics - Yikes!

[Pugsley]

Looks like the latest trend is that instead of bleeping out explicit lyrics, the artists just make two versions of the song so that one can be played on the radio. I was surprised when I heard the “real” versions of some popular songs on the radio. Am I the only one that didn’t know that…

“Forget You” (Cee Lo Green) - not really “forget” you.
“Tonight I’m Lovin’ You”(Enrique Eglesias) – not really “lovin’”
“Less Than Perfect” (Pink) – not really “less than”
“Billionaire” (Travie McCoy) – not really “so frikken bad”

And I’m sure there are tons of other ones.

It doesn’t bother me – in fact when I download them I actually prefer the explicit ones since I feel like that’s how the artist wrote them and intended them to be heard. The only one I find sort of offensive is the Enrique Eglesias one, since it uses the explicit word as a verb and that makes it sound “dirty” to me! Although when you listen to the lyrics, the “bad” word makes a lot more sense.

Another one that I thought was funny was Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” When the song was first released it said something other than “poker face” in the chorus toward the end of the song. It was on the radio that way at first, but they finally figured it out and substituted a new version. I thought I was crazy when I listened to it and it really said poker face. But I have the original on my ipod and it definitely says something else.

 

[CJBaby]

I totally did not know that about "Tonight I'm Loving You." GROSS! (I'm not an Enrique Iglesias fan)

And I learned the hard way a few weeks ago when I got my new car. I was listening to satellite radio with my kids in the car, to a song I THOUGHT I knew, when I was like OOOPS, back to regular FM for now!

 

[SeaSpray]

Looks like the latest trend is that instead of bleeping out explicit lyrics, the artists just make two versions of the song so that one can be played on the radio. I was surprised when I heard the “real” versions of some popular songs on the radio. Am I the only one that didn’t know that…

“Forget You” (Cee Lo Green) - not really “forget” you.
“Tonight I’m Lovin’ You”(Enrique Eglesias) – not really “lovin’”
“Less Than Perfect” (Pink) – not really “less than”
“Billionaire” (Travie McCoy) – not really “so frikken bad”

And I’m sure there are tons of other ones.

It doesn’t bother me – in fact when I download them I actually prefer the explicit ones since I feel like that’s how the artist wrote them and intended them to be heard. The only one I find sort of offensive is the Enrique Eglesias one, since it uses the explicit word as a verb and that makes it sound “dirty” to me! Although when you listen to the lyrics, the “bad” word makes a lot more sense.

Another one that I thought was funny was Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” When the song was first released it said something other than “poker face” in the chorus toward the end of the song. It was on the radio that way at first, but they finally figured it out and substituted a new version. I thought I was crazy when I listened to it and it really said poker face. But I have the original on my ipod and it definitely says something else.

In my opinion, I think it shows a *lack* of creativity when song writers use "bad" words.

 

[jrmasm]

In my opinion, I think it shows a *lack* of creativity when song writers use "bad" words.

Not a songwriter but I assure you, I can be very creative when it comes to how I can use bad words.

 

[SeaSpray]

Not a songwriter but I assure you, I can be very creative when it comes to how I can use bad words.

My father was literally a truck driver so I grew up hearing the expletives fly. I can be creative in that way too if I so desire (which I usually do not desire. lol), so I know what you mean.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I like that there are 2 versions. Artists should be able to say what they want but there should be clean versions for those who think its offensive or have kids around. I would LOVE it if the movie business would pick op on this too and offer dubbed & deleted scenes versions of movies n the same DVD.

I'm no prude, I don't mind the cussing (I like the word cuss) myself but there is NO WAY I am going to play it with my kids around. I know they know the words and am sure they listen on their own, but there is a world of difference between them knowing it and me giving it a nod IMO, and that is something I just won't do.

I am generally very anti censorship, but that doesn't apply where kids are concerned.

 

[ChrisFL]

This isn't anything new, it's been done for probably the last 20 years

 

[Malibustyle23]

And I learned the hard way a few weeks ago when I got my new car. I was listening to satellite radio with my kids in the car, to a song I THOUGHT I knew, when I was like OOOPS, back to regular FM for now!

I have been having a mako problem with even fm radio lately. Seems alot of songs have subtle or not so subtle lyrics all about having sex. Case in point Rhianna has lyrics that go:

"Come here rude boy, boy
Can you get it up
(Come here) Come here rude boy, boy
Is you big enough (ooohh)
Take it, take it (yeah)
Baby, baby"
And for the video during this part she pulls the guy closer and looks down his pants.
Now Bruno Mars has a song with the lyrics:
Tomorrow I'll wake up, do some P90X
Find a really nice girl, have some really nice sex
And she's gonna scream out
This is great
(Oh my god, this is great)"

Now I know this is not new and was around when I was a kid but I guess I'm just becoming more of a prude since my DS is getting to the age to question it. I just find it unacceptable to be on fm radio at any hour.

 

[cabanafrau]

A few years back I was a little when Pink's "Just You and Your Hand Tonight" came out -- and was played on the radio. Made me think back to the major fuss going on in the 80's when Prince first really hit the scene, before the time of Purple Rain, and radio stations were basically refusing to play his songs.

Back then I'd have never believed mainstream radio would play "Just You and Your Hand Tonight" with barely an eyebrow raised.

I love a lot of Pink's music & find a lot of it really insightful & heartfelt. I really could do without that song, though.

 

[Robinrs]

This isn't anything new, it's been done for probably the last 20 years

More that that. I remember hiding certain songs from my parents when I was in high school back in the 70s.

Nothing like now, of course, but there were two versions, the radio version and the you bought it version.

Like movies and TV, shock value sells. I have the "forget you" version on my ipod but really can HEAR the original in my mind!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

Plenty of pop songs are disgusting without using bleeped out words. See pretty much any of Britney's recent stuff, Ke$ha, etc....

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't think the artists "make it", I think they are "forced" to make it by their producers.

Heck, I just heard to today that they re-released "The King's Speech" with some of the cuss words edited so it could have a PG rating.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I remember my friend's mom wouldn't let her listen to Tonight's the Night back in the seventies. Until I heard that, I never really listened to the lyrics. I mean, I knew them and sang them, but I didn't think about them. "Spread your wings and let me come inside" still kind of makes me blush.

 

[luvsJack]

A few years back I was a little when Pink's "Just You and Your Hand Tonight" came out -- and was played on the radio. Made me think back to the major fuss going on in the 80's when Prince first really hit the scene, before the time of Purple Rain, and radio stations were basically refusing to play his songs.

Back then I'd have never believed mainstream radio would play "Just You and Your Hand Tonight" with barely an eyebrow raised.

I love a lot of Pink's music & find a lot of it really insightful & heartfelt. I really could do without that song, though.

DD and I both love Pink but dd became a fan after this song and I had forgotten about it until I bought dd Pink's Greatest Hits.

I actually like the song because I can think of a few times that could have been said to some jerk in a bar thinking he was going to pick someone up. But the content is definitly more "adult".


I didn't even know that "Less than Perfect" had another version. I love the song but was a bit when I heard the song on dd's CD. (I know, I really should be more careful about buying music, but dd knows not to sing the word so she sings the clean version along with Pink singing the original )


My issue with lyrics like this is that on SOME music genres you do not know the words are there until you buy the CD. When my oldest son was jr. high age, he liked rap music--still does actually but he buys his own cd's now. And if there was explicit language or content there was a big sticker on the cd that told you so and they wouldn't let anyone under a certain age buy the thing. BUT, younger ds was a fan of alternative rock at the time. Had lyrics just as bad and NO LABEL. I don't mind the bad language so awfully much, but I wish they would label all of it so I wouldn't get such a surprise.

 

[cabanafrau]

I remember my friend's mom wouldn't let her listen to Tonight's the Night back in the seventies. Until I heard that, I never really listened to the lyrics. I mean, I knew them and sang them, but I didn't think about them. "Spread your wings and let me come inside" still kind of makes me blush.

Sure, I hear you, but at least back then there was the pretense of at least keeping a lot of it shadowed in colloquialisms. Today lots of it is right out there in broad daylight so to speak. I guess I'm more of a fan of the artfully disguised meaning.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

The only one of those I recognize is Cee Lo Green's song and I it.

The Enrique Eglesias song sounds just vulgar, though.

 

[Freyja]

Where I live the original songs are played (no bleeping done here). So yes, I knew that “Forget You” (Cee Lo Green) really isn´t “forget” you.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Where I live the original songs are played (no bleeping done here). So yes, I knew that “Forget You” (Cee Lo Green) really isn´t “forget” you.

I never heard the song so I went and listened. Apparently he was on "Ellen" and sang "Forget You" for the TV show and then he also sang the other version as well that was not aired. Of course it is on YOUTUBE to watch.

 

[tlbwriter]

This isn't anything new, it's been done for probably the last 20 years

Yes, I remember hearing someone accidentally play the "non radio" version of Radiohead's "Creep" on the radio a dozen or so years ago. Once it became obvious it wasn't the clean version, they immediately switched to a different song.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Sure, I hear you, but at least back then there was the pretense of at least keeping a lot of it shadowed in colloquialisms. Today lots of it is right out there in broad daylight so to speak. I guess I'm more of a fan of the artfully disguised meaning.

I gotcha. I feel the same way. At least that stuff could go over kids' heads. The F word and crude words for body parts won't slip past them.