Inappropriate profanities in songwriting

[discreet]

33 minutes ago, la bam said:

Im no prude and im not against swearing, but gees, this generation has lost the plot when it comes to swearing and its use.

+1  Swearing is only effective if it's used sparingly. In certain genres it isn't, and just becomes tiring and pointless.

I feel one should be able to deliver totally devastating lyrics without it, but of course that takes a bit of thought.

F*CK Y'ALL, B*TCHES!!

Edited April 6, 2018 by discreet

[Rich]

4 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

 How would you describe  'inappropriate'? I've no problem at all with profanities in lyrics like those expressing anger at The Man, as is the case with a lot of rap and metal. 

"Flip you, I won't do what you tell me!"

Yes, it does rather lose some of its fury, doesn't it?

[Guest adi77]

so, you hate ratm, gnr, etc

[EBS_freak]

For 24 years I've been living next door to Alice.

Even if you don't write profanity into a song, some other fker will.

[Guest adi77]

theres stuff worse than profanity in songs some lyrics are downright creepy what was that pete townshend song

[discreet]

1 minute ago, adi77 said:

...what was that pete townshend song

Not that Captain Birdseye thing..?

[EBS_freak]

Just now, adi77 said:

theres stuff worse than profanity in songs some lyrics are downright creepy what was that pete townshend song

"Please dont check my Internet history"

 

that was it, wasn't it?

[Guest adi77]

1 minute ago, discreet said:

Not that Captain Birdseye thing..?

rough boys

 

 

 

..ugh

[Guest adi77]

his howard stern interview was unusually "short" he walked out when asked a particular question

[discreet]

5 minutes ago, adi77 said:

rough boys ..ugh

Was that the Werther's Originals ad..?

[Guest adi77]

sterns the man

[Guest adi77]

Just now, discreet said:

Was that the Werther's Originals ad..?

no idea baba

[discreet]

4 minutes ago, adi77 said:

no idea baba

I don't know either, I'm taking the p*ss as I've got too much time on my hands.

[Delberthot]

The song by the Pistols may have been called "Pretty Vacant" but that wasn't what was being sung.

[EliasMooseblaster]

If memory serves, I think it was Messrs Barker and Corbett who got away with

"A sol, a sol, a soldier I would be,

Two pis, two pis, two pistols at my knee,

For cu, for cu, for curiosity,

To fight for the old count, fight for the old count, fight for the old country..."

[KevB]

I was a bit surprised to hear dear old Jeff Lynne use the f word the first time I heard 'Oh No Not Susan'. I was more surprised when it wasn't changed for a BBC live session recording (available on CD but i think now deleted). I don't know if it was broadcast with a bleep or the BBC never noticed.

[Barking Spiders]

When Peaches by the Stranglers is played on mainstream radio they still replace 'what a bummer' with 'what a summer'.. Lawks, the very thought of that word makes me blush

[EliasMooseblaster]

3 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

When Peaches by the Stranglers is played on mainstream radio they still replace 'what a bummer' with 'what a summer'.. Lawks, the very thought of that word makes me blush

Not quite sure why that's reminded me, but one of the most parochial examples I've come across: any David Byrne fans here? I couldn't help but notice the radio edit of Like Human Do (known to everybody who ever installed a copy of Windows XP) replaces the line 

"I never watch TV, except when I'm stoned," with the rather more banal "we're eating off plates and we kiss with our tongues." 

Just seems like needless censorship to me, but then I guess Weezer had to similarly censor Hash Pipe to get it played on the wireless...

[Rich]

 

[pst62]

Swearing in songs doesn't usually bother me, but there's, three songs (album versions) in which it just doesn't sit right.

Stiff Little Fingers - The Price of Admission (f***ed), Radiohead - Creep and James Blunt's - You're Beautiful (f***ing)

Edited April 6, 2018 by pst62

[josie]

This isn't actually a music reference but I can't resist.

I've long been convinced that many books for young children include double entendres to amuse the parents reading them. (Postman Pat, lost in the dark with his cat Jess, "reached out and felt something furry..." )

There's a Ladybird Early Reader about Richard and Jane (honestly!) in which they go to the river hoping to catch fish. Some of the letters are blanked out in some of the key words so the children will learn to fill them in.

"Richard and Jane love to f _ _ _"

Edited April 6, 2018 by josie
"Richard" has replaced the original, common nickname for Richard.

[Hobbayne]

23 hours ago, Cato said:

Nothing subtle about this one from 1935.

 

Old thirties porno? I will post now before Sky cut me off. ::

[BreadBin]

9 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

When Peaches by the Stranglers is played on mainstream radio they still replace 'what a bummer' with 'what a summer'.. Lawks, the very thought of that word makes me blush

There's actually 3 substitutions in the radio version of Peaches - bummer becomes summer as you say. Oh sh*t becomes Oh no, and the word bikini replaces clitoris bizarrely. 

[PaulWarning]

I believe The Jam's 'Modern World' had 'Don't Give a Damn' on the single version, to be honest it's far better to do that than have the bleep put in by radio stations, as in the case of American Idiot by Green Day,

I always avoid swear words when writing lyrics, always sounds rather childish when I try and put them in

Edited April 7, 2018 by PaulWarning

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

5 hours ago, BreadBin said:

There's actually 3 substitutions in the radio version of Peaches - bummer becomes summer as you say. Oh sh*t becomes Oh no, and the word bikini replaces clitoris bizarrely. 

Not quite so bizarre apparently, as the original lyric is allegedly “clitares”, a French term for a bathing costume.  I learnt that on Basschat, by the way