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Music Trivia -> Songs That Are Banned -> L
Can you think of a song that was specifically banned by a radio station, tv station, or government?
Entries Beginning with L
"Learn To Fly," Foo Fighters
After the events of September 11 this song was placed on a radio station black list.
Celeste
"The Ledge," The Replacements
MTV refuses to air the video for the Replacements' "The Ledge" because MTV executives fear it may encourage teens to commit suicide.
Peter
"Legs," ZZ Top
There's the line, "Oh I want her. Shit, I have to have her! The girl is alright." The cuss word was substituted when the song was used for L'eggs Sheer Energy TV ads but never on the radio. Lately, that word is blanked out altogether with brief silence when it's on the radio.
Rattlesnake Eliminator
"Legs," ZZ Top
The liner notes for the 25th anniversary CD + DVD release has a lyric sheet. "Oh I want her. Said I got to have her! The girl is alright.". However, many people mistook the word "said" for the word "shit". Lately, that word that really isn't there has been blanked out altogether with brief silence when it's on the radio. Go figure!
Eliminator Driver
"Let Me Put Love Into You," AC/DC
This song and the group's name made it half way to the top of the PMRC's notorious Filthy Fifteen list because it alledgedly had sexual content in it. The PMRC also assumed that the initials AC/DC stood for Anti-Christ/Devil's Children.
All I have to say to that is "WHAT?"?
All I have to say to that is "WHAT?"?
Celeste
"Let's Get Retarded," Black Eyed Peas
Why has this not been put up here yet even though it is so famous? The USA threatened to ban the single unless it was changed; it was, to "Let's Get It Started."
dxman
"Let's Make The Water Turn Black," Frank Zappa
In 1967 against his wishes, Frank Zappa's record company removes eight bars of this song. This occurs when a well-intentioned executive at Verve Records hears the lyric, "And I still remember mama with her apron and her pad, feeding all the boys at Ed's cafe." The executive thinks the referred-to "pad" is a sanitary napkin.
Peter
"Let's Spend The Night Together," Rolling Stones
In February 1967 the Rolling Stones were invited to perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and sing both their then #1 song, "Ruby Tuesday" followed by this song that was climbing the American charts. (Up to this time, the producers of the show had NOT had the Rolling Stones alter any of their other tunes, including "Satisfaction", although there was a slight delay on the 1965 taped west coast broadcast so affiliates could "bleep" some of that tune if they wished). Because of this Ed Sullivan's producers got the Rolling Stones to agree to alter the lyrics of "Let's Spend The Night Together" to "let's spend some time together". But it was clearly obvious to the TV audience that lead singer Mick Jagger was not thrilled that he was singing a watered down version of the song. So, very near the end of the tune Jagger sang the real lyrics angering not only the show's producers but also Ed Sullivan. The results, the Rolling Stones were not invited back to "The Ed Sullivan Show".
Peter
"Let's Talk," Al Hudson
MCA Records sends radio stations an urgent letter that encourages them to stop playing Al Hudson's "Let's Talk". MCA executives fear they may be subject to obscenity prosecutions because of the song's sexually suggestive lyrics.
Peter
"Let's Talk About Sex," Salt N Peppa
The video had to be edited because it was considered to be sexist.
Celeste
"Letter To The Beatles," The Four Preps
This song began to climb it's way up the top 100 list in America, but then The Beatles' lawyers demanded a ban on the song due to copyright infringement. The song cleary steals lyrics and chords from "I Want to Hold You Hand". Kind of a shame, as I think it's a pretty good song.
Dhiz Kanichioko
"Life In The Fast Lane," Eagles
Not banned per se, but at least one edited version exists in which the line, "We've been up and down this highway; haven't seen a G**d*mn thing." is altered to remove the swear.
Bob
"Light My Fire," The Doors
Producers of "The Ed Sullivan Show" request that Jim Morrison change the lyrics of this #1 song during The Doors' September 1967 appearance on the program. Morrison initially agrees to alter the line, "Girl we couldn't get much higher" to a more innocuous phrase. However, during the live performance, Morrison sings the original lyric. The Doors are not invited back to the program.
Peter
"Like A Prayer," Madonna
In spring 1989, a Pepsi commercial set to Madonna's song "Like A Prayer" is pulled after one airing because religious groups are offended by the song's accompanying video.
Peter
"The Lion And The Cobra (Album)," Sinead O'Connor
The cover of the American release of this album showed Sinead o'Connor in a far less aggressive pose than the cover of the international release, as record company executives thought it would be more enticing to American consumers.
GlamRockNinjaLord
"Live Killers (Album)," Queen
The version most often sold nowadays, heavily edits lead singer Freddie Mercury's between-song banter (he swore like a sailor) by bleeping it out.
GlamRockNinjaLord
""Live Killers (Album)" ," Queen
This album has some swear words courtesy of Freddie Mercury but one major stickler is the intro to "Death On Two Legs", which is majorly harsh kiss-off to their first manager, who ripped the band off, stole a lot of money from them, and left them bankrupt and high + dry. Queen had to sue to get out of their contract with him. Fortunately settling the legal and financial mess he left them didn't take too long, it was NOWHERE near the degree of the Beatles' "business shit" that took years to straighten out. Freddie introduces "Death On Two Legs" by saying "This song is about a real MF of a gentleman we all know". Give him hell, Freddie!
Sock It 2 Em, Queen!
"Living in the '70s (Album)," Skyhooks
Six of the ten tracks on the band's debut album were banned by the Federation of Australian Commercial Broadcasters for their sex and/or drug references: "Toorak Cowboy", "Whatever Happened to the Revolution?", "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good in Bed", "Hey What's the Matter", "Motorcycle B***h" and "Smut". Interestingly, :It's a bit rough when, as a band, they release an album (produced by Ross Wilson) that results in more than half of it being banned from airplay by broadcasting authorities. The album sold quite well at the time in spite of this ruling.
PJ
"Locomotive Breath," Jethro Tull
In 1971, Chrysalis Records changes the lyrics of this Jethro Tull rock song without the band's knowledge or consent. Label executives fear radio stations will not play the original, which contains the lyric, "got him by the balls."
Peter
"Lola," The Kinks
The reason you sometimes hear "cherry cola" instead of "Coca-Cola" in some versions of this song is that the "Coca-Cola" lyric was banned by the BBC because they thought it was advertising.
crazydon
"Lollipop," Ronald & Ruby
In 1958 the original RCA Victor version of Lollipop rose to number 20 on the national charts despite getting banned on some radio stations because the performers were a racially integrated couple. He was black, she was white. Archie Bleyer's Cadence label took advantage of the situation and got a number-one hit with a cover version by the all-white Chordettes.
Jack Ortizano
"The Lone Twister," The Lone Twister
This record was released during the twist craze of the early 1960s featuring the voice of WINS New York City disc jockey "Murray the K" Kaufman. Although the label did not identify Murray as the singer, other NYC stations banned the record rather than recognize someone from a competing station.
Jack Ortizano
"The Look," Roxette
Not the song itself, but the music video. The BBC wouldn't allow the video to be played in England because Marie Fredriksson at one point in the video is playing a guitar and then sits down on a toilet while still playing it. Apparently the BBC thought this was offensive. It's pretty ridiculous because she's fully clothed and the toilet's lid is down so she's basically using it like a regular chair. LOL.
Edward
"Lookin' For A Handout," Johnny Reb
Flip side was "Kajun Ku Klux Klan" Record was banned and taken off all juke boxes approx 1966.
Dennis L. Warren
"Lose My Soul," TobyMac
The one line "You're a pimp, hustler, tell me what's your title?" was changed for the radio, replacing "pimp" with "punk".
JeReMy
"Losing My Religion," REM
The video to the song was banned in Ireland because of the homoerotic images it contained.
Dave
"A lot of their songs," Type O Negative
Not banned, but most Type O Negative songs you might hear on the radio have been edited to fit within the length of time that is considered acceptable for a song to gain frequent airplay.
GlamRockNinjaLord
"Louie, Louie," Kingsmen
In 1964 fearing it contains obscene messages, then Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh attempts to ban the song. An FCC review of the song determines the song's lyrics are indecipherable.
Peter
"Love Fool," The Cardigans
The video for this song was banned by MTV, and Much Music for being too sexually provocative. The group then made a new version of this song to appeal to the North American market.
Celeste
"Love For Sale," Billie Holiday
In 1956, ABC radio decides not to play this Billie Holiday song because the lyrics are about prostitution. Station continue to play instrumental versions of the song.
Peter
"Love Is A Good Thing," Sheryl Crow
From Sheryl's self-titled second album. This song incited a lot of controversy after the album was banned from all of Wal-Mart's store shelves due to the lyric "watch our children kill each other with the guns that they brought at the local Wal-Mart." Wal-Mart claims that the lyric said that Wal-Mart doesn't take care of its customers and that guns purchased at their stores can easily fall into the hands of children.
Celeste
"Love is a Good Thing," Sheryl Crow
This song came under scrutiny and was banned by radio stations and Walmart because of these lyrics: "Watch out sister/Watch out brother/Watch our children as they kill each other/with a gun they bought at the Wal-Ma
tastes_like_chicken_32
"Love Me Harder," Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd
Not banned per se, but the song was originally about sex. The old lyrics because The Weeknd is raunchy say "If you wanna love me you gotta gotta gotta f**k me harder!" Isn't that weird?
ILoveMusic
"Love Me Like You," Little Mix
Was originally called "F--k Me Like You", but was changed because it was inappropriate.
Dongquan
"Love to Love You Baby," Donna Summer
Banned on some stations (including the BBC) due to the content, especially the "simulated orgasms"
Ra'akone
"Lucky Man," Montgomery Gentry
Eddie Montgomery sang the song on a classic radio station "last Sunday when my redskins lost". Now it changed to "Last Sunday when the Bengals lost".
Darius Whitehead
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," The Beatles
Banned by the BBC for the supposed LSD reference in the title.
dxman
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