Amph 166 Songs Deemed Inappropriate After 9/11: #59: Fuel "Bad Day"

Came across this earlier today, and thought it'd make for an interesting thread (as well as a kick-ass playlist ).

So, back in 2001, following the attacks on 9/11, Clear Channel Communications distributed a document (referred to as the "2001 Clear Channel memorandum") to the 1,200+ radio stations they owned. It was a list of "lyrically questionable" songs they recommended the stations avoid playing.

The list was later discovered and made public, though Clear Channel would deny it's existence to industry publications, despite already admitting they had distributed it.

It's a eclectic mix of songs, though mostly focused on rock and heavy metal. It also had some odd elements- such as including the covers of certain songs while not including the originals, as well as the amusing, sole blanket entry of "all songs by Rage Against the Machine". Some songs were only included because their titles included words like plane, fly, burn, and falling.

So, corporate conservative idiocy at it's best, from a company with a history of censorship controversies.

I'm going to go through this list in alphabetical order by artist (so #1 doesn't mean "most inappropriate" or anything).

First up:

#1: Duck and Run by 3 Doors Down.

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/88/3_doors_down_duck_and_run.png]

One of my favorite tracks off their debut album. I find this one's inclusion strange, since it seems to me to be about not letting bad things and situations keep you down and to stand your ground. Which you'd think would be seen as a positive thing amidst the wave of sentiment following the acts of bravery on that day, as well as the "go get 'em" rah-rah military sentiments.

I can only guess that it's inclusion comes maybe from the "so you call this your free country" bit at the start or the vague, distant connection of the title to visuals of what people were doing when the towers came down? I dunno.

 

#2: Down by 311.

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/Down_311.jpg]

This one amuses me- an obvious example of the title of a song alone warranting it's inclusion on the list, as not only does the lyrical content contain nothing that could be construed as offensive in the context of 9/11, but this is, like, almost they're only hit song (they've had one or two others over the past 15 years that get some airplay, but not as much as this did).

It's like "yeah, you only have one song and we can't play it, sorry".

 

#3: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC/DC.

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Dirty_Deeds_Done_Dirt_Cheap_76_Single.jpg]

A song about a hitman for hire (or Norm MacDonald pulling pranks on people in a 1998 comedy ). So, murder is at the core of the song's premise, but in a more traditionally criminal way (as the main character is looking to achieve such acts in a way that potentially passes them off as accidents that can't be traced back to him or his clients), not terrorist (who want to claim credit for their acts). You might as well blanket out all mob-related stories while you're at it.

Plus, while what happened on 9/11 could, in a very general (and, IMO, insultingly simplified) way be called "dirty deeds", monetary issues were hardly involved in their execution and motivations.

So, while not as entirely misplaced and ridiculous as the prior two songs on the list, still a stupid entry.

 

I only get the lyrics for Dirty deeds done with sheep, in my head, even when I hear the original one.

 

For several years I thought the lyrics were "thirty days and the thunder chief", even though it made no sense in the context of the rest of the song.

I don't know really- I mean, like I said, I get that the murder connection is why it's on the list, but, even in the days after, I don't think "9/11!" was something that popped into the heads of anyone listening to this song (or, rather, because of the this song).

 

#4: Hells Bells by AC/DC.

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/HellsBells.jpg]

The connection here is a little more understandable than the previous AC/DC song on the list- the song is about an evil coming from the sky sending people who can't fight to hell.

Either that, or CC's conservative mantra didn't like the phrase "Because if Good's on the left, then I'm (the evil) sticking to the right."

In a way, it's like a sequel to the concept Drago suggested above- while Dirty Deeds is about suggesting revenge through a (usually) violent action, this one seems to be the mentality of someone in the midst of a confrontation or act of violence, proclaiming his goal of victory and/orundefeatable nature, no matter what advantages his opponent (youth or mercy through their incapability of defending themselves, etc) may think they have.

 

#5: Highway to Hell by AC/DC.

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Highwayblood2.gif]

This one returns to being somewhat perplexing. Beyond the "promised land" and just the use of "hell", I can't think of any connection, since it seems to be about people in a rock band out to party and cause some trouble, within the context of an ironic titular comparison/companion to Stairway to Heaven. Nothing violent, lyrically.


A few more AC/DC ones coming up (beyond the blanket entry for Rage Against the Machine, AC/DC has the most songs on the list, followed by a three-way tie for second between Alice in Chains, The Beatles & Metallica),

 

Sin City is not on the list. AC/DC has 7 songs on the list- which, while not a lot given how many of their tracks get radio play, but seems like a lot given the general lyrical content then tend to have.


#6: I Feel Safe in New York City by AC/DC.

Ok, now this one I actually understand falling into the "probably not the best time to play this song, unless you're trying to be ironic" (even though, apparently, the song was meant to mock Guiliani's claims of cleaning up Manhattan), especially with the single's cover art:

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/91/Acdcsinyccover.jpg]


On the other hand- did this one ever really get any radio play? I've never heard this song before (but, then, it's off of the Stiff Upper Lip album, of which I've only heard Stuff Upper Lip itself), and I listened to NYC's rock station (at the time), K-ROCK, almost all the time back then.

Considering how often AC/DC is overplayed on the radio (If I ever hear "Shook Me All Night Long" again...) ever since their recent surge in popularity from Black Ice and Iron Man 2, and all of the more obscure, less-played, tracks that have squeaked onto the airwaves because of them, you'd think this one would have popped up at some point.

Maybe that means that, in this case, the suggestion not only not to play it was a good idea (at the time), but, is one of the few things that may have endured off of this list?

 

Correct (well, until K-ROCK turned into talk radio...then back to K-ROCK, then to some crappy top 40 station. Philly has all the good stations now- MMR is amazing, and ZZO ain't too shabby either).

Guess my 92.Free card is a collector's item now .

I wouldn't be surprised if that were true.

Yeah, I have to assume the song not being as much of a hit contributed at least somewhat to it's lack of airtime.

As for bands with worse lyrics- I have toa ssume it's because AC/DC is much more known and gets much wider crossover play between classic rock, rock, metal and alternative stations (as well as, perhaps, the occasional top 40-style station play), and fairly frequently (in some cases, too frequently ) at that.

Whereas the harsher lyrics you might find on more specialized stations (Seton Hall's Pirate Radio comes to mind)

Yeah, I recall asking a friend about what the name of the song actually was, quoting that line, and they were like "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap?" and I was like "Nah, that's not....huh, I guess that fits...".

Of course, I also used to think the old Genesis commercials were yelling "Diggit!" instead of "Sega!", so...

 

#7: Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC.

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/Acdcironman.jpg]


My absolute favorite AC/DC song (was really jazzed that Iron Man 2 used it as it's music video and intro song- although this list obviously pre-dates that) and, lyrically, does not make any sense for inclusion on this list. Is it the "shoot(ing)"? Are we talking about 9/11 or Columbine? Because last I checked the terrorists on that day used tactics very different from shooting people/places up.

And, even then, the "shooting" here isn't even the literal firing of a weapon, as the surrounding chorus lyrics make obvious.

 

#8: Shot Down in Flames by AC/DC.

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ac/Acdc_Highway_to_Hell.JPG]

Another entry due to it's title, I have to assume, since the song itself is about getting rejected by a woman you're/he's hitting on.