# Update The Beastie Boys' Fight For Your Right **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441 "2012-04-20T19:10:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shadowfyre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfyre/32/9972_2.png) [@Shadowfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfyre)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/1 "2012-04-20T19:10:55Z")
Possibly a fun Friday afternoon diversion: I’ve recently started a band with a couple of my friends. We’re starting out with a bunch of easy 3 and 4 chord songs until we get a good feeling for each other. We all agree that we really like Fight For Your Right. The problem is that we are all in our late 30’s and early 40’s and feel kinda silly singing about parents making us go to school and taking away Playboys. I’m an adult now. I don’t have to go to school if I don’t wanna. I can surf porn all day long, as long as I wipe my browser history so my wife doesn’t find it. Yeah, I may be approaching the big 4-0, but I still have to fight for my right to party. I have boring job. My cholesterol is high. My kids have soccer games and Tae Kwon Do early Saturday mornings. I can lose my job at any given moment. I still have student loans to pay off even though I never got a job in my major. I’ve come to learn that you Dopers are some of the smartest, cleverest, and creative people on the net. I, on the other hand, have no lyrical talent. So, give it a shot. You don’t need re-write the whole song, maybe just contribute a verse or a single lyric or something. Just in case you’re curious, our band name is currently Aww Hell Yeah, in case you want to use that in a lyric. _Mom busted in and said, “What’s that noise?” Mom you’re just jealous. It’s the Beastie Boys_ Kinda like that. Have fun. If we use anything, I’ll report back and let you know. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/2 "2012-04-20T21:42:03Z")
Looking at the lyrics and doing a poor job of getting the meter right, here’s what I got. > [@](#): > > You wake up late for school man you don’t wanna go > You ask you mom, “Please?” but she still says, “No!” > You missed two classes and no homework > But your teacher preaches class like you’re some kind of jerk > > You gotta fight… for your right… to party! > > You pops caught you smoking and he said, “No way!” > That hypocrite smokes two packs a day > Man, living at home is such a drag > Now your mom threw away your best porno mag (Busted!) Could be rewritten to … > [@](#): > > You wake up late for work man you don’t wanna go > Want to call in sick but your finances say “No!” > You miss two meetings and hate your work > Then your boss disses you like you’re some kind of jerk > > You gotta fight… > > Your wife caught you jackin’ and she laughed “No way!” > “Miss Once a Month” is what you call your once-certain lay > Being the man of the house can be such a drag > The kid is at grandma’s while the wife’s on the rag (Sucka!) > > You gotta fight… I’ll let somebody else tackle the third verse. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sanity\_Challenged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sanity\_Challenged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sanity_Challenged)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/3 "2012-04-20T23:21:12Z")
The kids are late for school, and they don’t wanna go You said “brush your teeth” but they still say “No!” If they miss the bus you’ll be late for work And the boss’ll ride your ass, like you’re some kinda jerk. You gotta fight… Your boss caught ya surfin’ and he said “no way” That hypocrit’s on Pinterest all day Man, payin’ off that home is such a drag Now, the mayor just raised your propery tax You gotta fight… Wife asks if she looks fat in the clothes she’s gonna wear She’s pissed you didn’t notice that she cut that hair Your kids found your tapes and said “What’s that noise?” Awww, junior don’t be jealous it’s the Beastie Boys You gotta fight… ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/4 "2012-04-21T05:59:22Z")
Why change the lyrics? 😉 Angie Aparo’s version: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2vU_mbRn1gM/hqdefault.jpg "Angie Aparo - Fight for Your Right to Party") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vU_mbRn1gM) ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/5 "2012-04-21T10:26:18Z")
> [@Sanity\_Challenged](#): > > Your kids found your tapes and said “What’s that noise?” > Awww, junior don’t be jealous it’s the Beastie Boys Just wanted to credit this bit as being particularly inspired. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/6 "2012-04-21T12:52:52Z")
I like the idea of rewriting the lyrics, but I did want to add that there’s nothing wrong with singing the original. I’m older than you and just left a band where I sang The Sex Pistols and the like. When it’s all said and done, nobody really cares, especially when the artist is older than you. Good for you for starting something up! ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/7 "2012-04-22T04:48:42Z")
Your son caught you rappin’ and he said, “No way!” Bustin’ ‘I Need Love’ by L.L. Cool J\* Man, livin’ in the 80’s is such a drag Now, your wife bookmarked your best porno mag (Busted!) \*[LL COOL J - I Need Love - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEUX-HYRtUA) ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/8 "2012-04-22T05:39:03Z")
The whole point of “Fight for Your Right” was that they were making fun of a certain segment of the population. It’s not supposed to be autobiographical. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/9 "2012-04-22T16:02:00Z")
My kids busted in and said ‘whats that Dad?’ Kids you’re listening to Aw Hell Yeah! ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-the-beastie-boys-fight-for-your-right/619441/10 "2012-04-22T17:13:07Z")
I’m gonna say it: I think it would be stupid to change the lyrics. Really. If you were covering Sam Cook, would you sing about TPS reports or conference calls instead of history or algebra? If you were covering Alice Cooper, would you sing “I’m thirty-nine/I get confused less often than I used to/Thirty-nine/I can usually come up with something tactful in an awkward situation”? The idea makes me cringe on the same level that I would if a female singer sang “Brown-Eyed Boy” or a male singer sang about Ryan instead of Rhiannon. When Neil Young performs, he doesn’t sing “Old Man, take a look at my life/Sixty-six and there’s still a few years left if I watch my cholesterol and follow my doctor’s instructions.” It doesn’t matter that he no longer looks 24–to sing the “truth” would be to miss the point of the song. Lyrics aren’t set in stone–of course they can be changed to anything. But don’t change them just to make them match the people singing them. A song is a performance–just perform like a frat boy! After all, the Beastie Boys were. Also, if you’re playing that particular song at a bar or club, to a group of strangers, you’re going to get a more positive crowd reaction with the original lyrics. It’s a good sing-along.