Whoa a techno-topic that’s not in the GeekStuff section? Bet your ass. It happens every now and again. Besides, this isn’t about technology – it’s about radio. In fact, it’s about one particular song and how it’s been ripped to shreds on terrestrial radio.
And why it sucks.
“Hate Me” by Blue October is the song in question.
Good tune. In fact, it might even be overplayed for me… Sirius has been playing it on Alt Nation for months. Literally. But I dug the song from the first time I heard it – enough for me to go buy it online. And when I got to the online store I noticed there was an explicit warning on it. I said to myself, “Hm. I don’t remember any swearing in this song.” And that’s not always the case with Sirius. Since it’s free from the tyranny of the FCC – and fully expects customers to change the channel if they don’t like what they hear rather than wining about it – I’ve heard plenty of swearing in random songs. Especially songs like “Connecticut’s For Fucking” – there’s no way that’ll ever be played on regular radio.
I was immediately interested in the Explicit Version of “Hate Me” and so I bought that one.
There were two major differences in what I heard on Sirius and what I downloaded. One is that the A&R guys chopped up the version I downloaded – the album version – into the single that made Sirius. In doing so they cut out about 90 seconds of audio that lead up to the start and that end the song… makes for a better single, frankly. They also changed this line:
So I’ll drive so fucking far away that I never cross your mind to be
So I’ll drive so uck’n far away that I never cross your mind
Minor, yes, but I can see why they did it: it was minor enough to not hurt the overall song. In fact, I like the uck’n version better. Some how it gives more feeling to it – more angst. Remember that this is not a happy song – it’s dripping in remorse and angst at the outset… it’s not going to get all soppy with the fucking removed… I just think that when the whole word is there it’s too much. It sounds rushed. Or off cadence or something. Either way it was done by the pro’s and it was just that: a minor change.
Then I heard the song while waiting for a haircut the other day.
*sigh*
It played out like this:
I have to block out thoughts of you so I don’t lose my head
They crawl in like a cockroach leaving babies in my bed
Dropping little reels of tape to remind me that I’m alone
Playing movies in my head that make a porno feel like home
There’s a burning in my pride, a nervous bleeding in my brain
An ounce of peace is all I want for you. Will you never call again?
And will you never say that you loved me just to put it in my face?
And will you never try to reach me?
It is I that wanted space
[chorus remains unchanged]
I’m sober now for 3 whole months thats one accomplishment that you helped me with
The one thing that always tore us apart is the one thing I won’t touch again
In my sick way I want to thank you for holding my head up late at night
While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight
You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate
You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take
So I’ll drive so uck’n far away that I never cross your mind
And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind
The words in bold are completely blanked in this radio version. Blanked. Dropped sound. Disruptive? It ruins the entire song! Completely. This isn’t like when they released “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” with one radio-specific version that replaced son of a bitch with son of a gun. This sounds like it was done with the Windows 3.1 release of Sound Recorder! A total freakin’ pooch screw.
And what the hell is with what they censored in the first place? OK, fine, uck’n sounds too much like fucking. Fine. I’ll concede that point. But then they knock out the cock in cockroach? How in the hell is that justified? Cock? When not used in any sexual context? The OC is more vulgar than saying cockroach. After that they knock out porno? Porno? That’s vulgar now? By who’s standards? I don’t see how it can be. Honestly. I don’t see how the word porno is vulgar. It was practically a proper noun when I was in high school. Never mind suicidal. I can’t even begin to guess as to why that’s being blotted out of a song. Too violent? Too harmful? All over the news is death and mayhem yet someone might be offended if a radio station allows the mention of suicide? Maybe? I have no rational for this one.
As is not all that rare these days, I’m at a complete loss.
Again!
The moral of the story is that they shouldn’t bother with every song, just to play it on regular radio. Not in today’s climate. Not with certain songs. It’s just not worth it. It kills the music, it kills the message, and it gives me gout.
ZOMG, I’m spent.
Imagine thinking that you’ve tuned your FM radio to NPR and hearing something like that instead?
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/12/21/getting_howard_stern_off_npr/
Well that’s like this: https://www.randyrants.com/2006/09/howard_redux/ which also made me laugh :)
I’ve actually been looking for a copy of the version that you are talking about… with all the bolded words cut out.
(I’m a radio geek)
I have both the explicit version and the shorter “uckin'” radio version. I’m looking for the third “extra clean” version you are referring to.
I can assure you, it was not done with something as simple as Windows 3.1 sound recorder. It is very to duplicate without an instrumental version of the track.
Believe me. I used to do audio production for a living… generally I can take most any track and using only an explicit version clean it up very well. This track is very difficult indeed.