# Why do some songs with obscenities get played on the radio while others don't? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2002, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441 "2002-07-05T02:46:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/21 "2002-07-15T13:55:32Z")
I think it depends on how “nice” the artist is. If it’s Candlebox, which is a nice-sounding name for a band, and they’re playing the song about them refusing drugs, it’s OK for them to say FUCK YOU because they’re nice people. But if it’s somebody who’s not-so-nice, like NWA talking about not-so-nice things like drugs, slapping bitches & hos, and saying the n-word, it’s not OK for them to say FUCK or any other bad words, because it’s not nice. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/22 "2002-07-15T15:51:33Z")
I think it’s just a matter of how chicken the station management is. It isn’t just songs anymore. The station I listen too here in Chicago in the afternoons has told Steve Dahl that he can’t say the word “asshole” anymore, because kids might be listening. On a show that comes from NY in the evenings (Opie and Anthony) the word “masturbate” is off limits too. Why? They’re not obscenity, right? “Asshole” is nowhere near “fuck” in intensity. Those words were not off limits in the recent past, but now they are. I guess Infinity Radio is just getting really jittery or something. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/23 "2002-07-15T17:04:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > **What are the bads words in I Shot the Sherrif?** Every time that I plant a seed? Actually, I have no idea why Marsh included it. Compared to its’ contemporary “Sick Em Pigs” by Canned Heat or anything off “Cop Killer” or from the land of Gangsta Rap, it’s very tame. Also according to Marsh: When stations 1st started playing “Locomotive Breath” off Tull’s Aqualung album, they replaced the line: Got him by the **balls** _with_ Got him by the **fun**. Imagine the ramifications if that euphimism took off;[ol] [li]A kick in the fun.[/li][li]Don’t break my fun.[/li]Why don’t radio stations have the fun to play the songs the way the artist intended?[/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/24 "2002-07-15T17:45:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by interface2x \* > \*\*Also, EMF’s “Unbelievable” had the word fuck in it many many times and it was never edited because no one noticed. \*\* What? Where? [http://www.songlyrics.co.nz/lyrics/e/emf/unbelievable.htm](http://www.songlyrics.co.nz/lyrics/e/emf/unbelievable.htm) ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/25 "2002-07-16T00:08:28Z")
It’s a crapshoot whetether the version you hear allows him to refer to himself as “brother” many times a musical riff plays over that part. ---
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/26 "2002-07-16T00:32:04Z")
coffeecat wrote: > [@](#): > > …Pubescent Snail Fuckers… Band na—oh, wait…I mean, aw crap! ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/27 "2002-07-16T00:42:42Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by interface2x \* \*\*Also, EMF’s “Unbelievable” had the word fuck in it many many times and it was never edited because no one noticed. \*\*/QUOTE] Ummmmm…I think you may be confusing something. The story I got was that EMF & its “rabid” fans were goin around bleating that the initials stood for “Ectascy Mother Fuckers”, or “Everyone’s Mother Fuckers,” or “E------- Mother Fuckers” and THAT was what people bent out of shape. Cisco, The cut version of Jeremy has a distinctly different guitar/bass riff to it then the uncut version. Also, I think there’s a big difference between a song by Candlebox which uses the F-word ONCE and song by NWA which uses the F-word 50 times, the P-word 25 times and uses bitch/ho innumerable times. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/28 "2002-07-16T00:52:24Z")
> [@](#): > > The weirdest edit i ever heard was in Semi-Charmed life, 3rd eye blind: > > “Doin’ [blank] will lift you up until you break.” > > This was weird because i had no idea what the heck they were saying in the first place, i mean why edit out something unintelligible???. It only made a little more sense when i found out that it was “doin crystal meth’ll lift you up until you break” Ever see the video? When he sings the “crystal meth” part, he covers his mouth and they insert the backwards scratch-sounding bits, while the part about “bumping” is blanked out. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/29 "2002-07-24T01:51:22Z")
Why is it Pink - Get The Party Started, she sings Ass, that gets edited. another Pink - The Pill Song (can’t think of the title) she sings Bitch that gets edited. But, Sarah MacGlacklin(sp) - Building A Mystery, she sings Fucked Up Man and doesn’t get edited. Meredith brooks - Bitch doesn’t get edited. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441/30 "2002-07-24T02:20:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > \*\* > I heard on 106.5 WEND here in Charlotte once…And now here’s Rage’s “Killing In the Name”…[radio guy voice]_From the only station that has the BALLS to play it…_ I don’t know if that was a one shot deal or what but they played the whole song uncut. > > \*\* Ah 106.5. I have fond memories of that station.\* Especially the time I heard Fun Lovin’ Criminal’s “Scooby Snacks” uncut at 3 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. The most annoying radio edit I’ve ever heard was in Everclear’s “What It’s Like” in which the key word in each verse was blanked out with some negative-scratch noise. I had no idea why until I saw it being played nonstop on MTV. Musn’t let the chillun’s hear about guns in a song. :rolleyes: \*I still listen to it, but ever since they got bought out by ClearChannel they’ve gotten a touch blander. Not that bad, but enough that anyone listening before 1998 would definitely notice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-songs-with-obscenities-get-played-on-the-radio-while-others-dont/117441.md?page=1)