Inexplicit Lyrics?
I’m a big fan of Public Enemy.
I bought their 3rd album, Fear of a Black Planet literally 4 or 5 times. It seems my older sister didn’t share my love of the PE, so she systematically destroyed the CD each time I purchased it and I systematically re-purchased it. My way of raising my fist to the Man. Kids today with their rippers and all have no idea the oppression their elders had to suffer.
Anyway, somewhere along the way Amazon figured out I like hip-hop and suggested I pre-purchase Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy’s Greatest Hits. (God bless their recommendations.) It showed up a few weeks ago & it’s quite good. Granted, I already own their 2nd through 7th albums so I had most of what was on there, but for the most part I would agree with their selections. I wish they would have included “Party for Your Right to Fight” as well as Anthrax’s “Bring the Noise”, but there’s only so much you can fit onto a CD.
If you even remotely like Public Enemy, it’s worth picking up.
Having said that, there’s just one catch, the explicit version isn’t. Some of the swearing is missing. And I don’t mean the swearing that should be missing (e.g., the bleep over “motherfuck him & john wayne” from “Fight the Power”). I’m talking about things like “fuck the forty ounce” from “Give it up.” It’s just not there. I mean come on… “<blank> the forty ounce”? That doesn’t even make sense.
At first I thought I might have purchased a clean version of the CD, but there, on the front jacket, is the explicit lyrics warning. And a song or two latter there’s Flavor Flav’s “kick that shit”… a bit latter, yep, there’s Chuck saying fuck. So what the fuck?
I’m not really sure how to approach this. Should I complain? How would you call up a record label and complain about this? I’m sure they have a department ready to handle complaints about bad language in music, but is that even the same group you talk to about the lack of it? Are they even going to understand my call?
Them: “Sir, you’re telling me you’re not upset that Chuck-D is swearing, but that he isn’t?”
Me: “That’s right.”
Them: “Sir, I’m not sure I can help you. We can’t tell him to swear just for you.”
Me: “No, look, I don’t want him to swear just for me. I want him to swear like he’s supposed to.”
Them: “Sir, I don’t know what kind of fetish you have, but we’re not getting Chuck-D to talk dirty to you. Good day.” *click*
Me: “Fuuuuuuccccccckkkkkkkkkk!”
After that I’d be in the same place now, only they’d think I’m sorta perv. Those fuckers probably sell info on who calls them to mailing lists, and I don’t know what kind of mailing list you’d be on if the they thought I wanted Chuck-D to talk dirty to you on the phone. Actually I think I do, and I’m sure I don’t want to be on that mailing list.
At the same time, if any of you I know could do me a favor and date Flavor Flav to ask him what’s up, I’d appreciate it.
Erika, Diana, Liza… I’m looking at you.
