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Censored Songs in the 1960's

Posted by Garry Herring <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Garry+Herring' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 21, 2014, 7:42 am

Hi all,

Just read about the strict code that the country music industry had regarding certain words within songs during the 1950's and 1960's. I remember songs like Johnny Cash's "A Boy Called Sue" and Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans" each having words omitted or 'bleeped-out' Religious words like "Hell" and "Damn" were particularly singled out for the censor.

I never heard any of Jim's singles containing controversial words. I wonder what he would have though of music artists now, especially rap artistes who swear like troopers in their reoords.

I know Jim used words like "Hell" in some of his LP recordings ("Spell Of The Yukon" comes to mind) so it shows how times have changed.

It would be nice to have a list of country songs that were banned back then. I bet there's a few.

Re: Censored Songs in the 1960's

Posted by Jay Perry <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Jay+Perry' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 21, 2014, 8:23 am, in reply to "Censored Songs in the 1960's "

Two of the early songs that come to mind were Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." I guess radio stations wouldn't play it because they cited the fact that it connotated bad morality. The other one that I remember was Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home a Drinkin' with Lovin' on Your Mind." Probably the same reason for that one too.

Jay Perry

Re: Censored Songs in the 1960's

Posted by Mike Slater <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Mike+Slater' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 21, 2014, 8:24 am, in reply to "Censored Songs in the 1960's "

Jim had always said that he didn't like rock music for his own entertainment, so I'm sure he would have hated rap. It's terrible what music has become with its' offensive lyrics and themes. You'll notice that I didn't call it rap music, only rap--mainly because this is NOT music! It's humorous to think that words like "hell" and "damn" were actually banned at one time, with all that's permitted now.

Re: Censored Songs in the 1960's

Posted by Paul <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Paul+Bertils' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 21, 2014, 11:43 am, in reply to "Re: Censored Songs in the 1960's "

Conway Twitty's version of Danny Boy (JR's encore song more often than not) was reportedly banned by the BBC in the late 1950s. Why I really do no know but I have to wonder if it had to do with the style of Conway's version(he was a 'rock and roller' in his early days). Or was it because it was looked upon as the Irish Anthem ?? Perhaps our friends in the UK could enlighten some of us. Cheers!

Re: Censored Songs in the 1960's

Posted by David MacBeth <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=David+MacBeth' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on June 11, 2014, 8:04 pm, in reply to "Censored Songs in the 1960's "

Makes me wonder if these over-zealous 'censors' who had/have a 'problem' with 'Hell' in songs, also feel like it should be banned in books,if so,the Bible would be somewhat shorter,How many other words would they also 'ban' I would be interested to know.

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