Music Trivia -> Songs That Are Banned -> G
Can you think of a song that was specifically banned by a radio station, tv station, or government?
"George Jackson," Bob Dylan
Radio stations across the U.S. ban this Dylan song over concerns about the songs political theme and the word "shit" in the lyrics.
Peter
"Give Ireland Back To The Irish," Paul McCartney
On February 19, 1972, Paul McCartney releases this song, his commentary about the Britain-Ireland conflict. The song is immediately banned by the BBC, but the notoriety the song receives from the banning only increases it's popularity in the U.K. and it soars into the Top 20.
Peter
"Gloomy Sunday," Various / Rezso Serres (composer)
Even though to this day the" Hungarian Suicide Song" legend has not been proved true or false. It has been banned before. (Now, I will say that personally, I think the instrumental version is the creepiest.)
James
"Gloria," Them
In 1966, Chicago's WLS radio commissions a local group to re-record the Them's hit because they object to the lyrics. Station management feels the lyric, "she comes in my room" is too suggestive to broadcast. The local band, the Shadows of Knight, re-record the song and that version becomes a national top ten hit. The Them's original stalls at #71 on the charts.
Peter
"God Save The Queen," Sex Pistols
Two weeks after signing the Sex Pistols, Virgin Records releases this song to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee celebration in June 1977. The song is banned from British airplay because of its "treasonous sentiments." Nonetheless, the song becomes a Number One record in the U. K., listed in some reports with a blank line where the title should be.
Peter
"Greenback Dollar," The Kingston Trio
When this came out in 1963, the unedited version, with its repeated chorus starting out "And I don't give a damn about a greenback dollar." was not played on the radio. Instead, a radio edit version had the word "damn" blocked out. How different from today those days were, when singing "damn" was "pushing the envelope" too much!
Adrienne Ramseur
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