Papers

Paper presented at the 2002 World Conference on Music Censorship in Copenhagen, Denmark.
September 29th, 2002.

Crash Into Me, Baby:
America’s implicit music censorship in the wake of September 11th
By Eric Nuzum

“Freedom has been attacked, but freedom will be defended.”

These were the words of President George Bush shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. Bush went on to say that the terrorists “cannot touch the foundation of America” and “we go forward to defend freedom.”[1] Despite Bush’s rhetoric, the actions of the U.S. government demonstrated a slightly different tact for protecting the American way of life. Within hours of the attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) installed its controversial Carnivore system at some Internet providers to monitor and eavesdrop on electronic communications, especially those to and from accounts with Arabic names and words in the user IDs. Within two days, the U.S. Senate had adopted legislation making it easier for the FBI to obtain warrants. Also, within a week of the attacks, many elected representatives were promoting “anti-terrorism” legislation meant to allow law enforcement to gather private financial and education records and information, expand the definition of a “terrorist” to anyone who knows or should know that an organization they support in any way is a terrorist organization, and seize the property of those so suspected.[2]

The words of other politicians didn’t match those of their Commander in Chief. U.S. Senators Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) and Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), and House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Missouri), all said that the erosion of civil liberties was “inevitable.” “We’re in a new world,” Gephardt said. “We have to rebalance freedom and security.” Vermont’s governor, Howard Dean, said the crisis would require “a reevaluation of the importance of some of our specific civil liberties.”

The American people seemed to get the message sent by their government: in order to protect you, you’ll need to give up some of your freedom. The message resonated with the public, with an ABC-Washington Post poll finding 66% of Americans willing to give up some civil liberties to combat terrorism.

Further complicating the protection of civil rights in the United States was the myopic jingoism permeating America, creating an atmosphere of visceral intolerance. Peace activists and civil libertarians were branded as “un-American” and “crazy communists.” Displays of American flags in public places became an expectation. One national talk show host referred to the American Civil Liberties Union as “the American version of al Qaida.” Many unpopular and dissenting opinions were dismissed as “unpatriotic.”

This put the American music industry in a difficult position. Traditionally a voice for almost all political and ideological persuasions, many artists and music companies felt the need to display some newfound sensitivity: Dave Matthews nixed plans to release “When the World Ends” as his next single, Bush changed the title of their new single from “Speed Kills” to “The People That We Love,” the Cranberries pulled their video for “Analyse” because of its repeated images of skyscrapers and airplanes, Dream Theater changed the artwork from their three-disc live album to remove its renditions of burning New York buildings, and Sheryl Crow rewrote several lyrics for her upcoming album.

While many of these gestures were simple exercises in latent taste, others were not. For example, The Strokes removed the song “New York City Cops” from the U.S. Version of their album Is This It. Like so many pop songs, the lyrics and theme of “New York City Cops” deal with a relationship, but it does contain some lyrics, such as “New York City cops—they ain’t too smart,” that could cause potential consternation in a post September 11th America.[3]

The official Website for the group Rage Against the Machine—a high profile virtual soapbox and town square for social and political discussion and debate among the group’s fans—shut down its discussion boards shortly after the attacks following queries to the band and site’s management by federal officials. Further, the hip-hop group The Coup was forced by their record label, 75 Ark, to change the artwork for their album Party Music. The original cover featured the group standing in front of an exploding World Trade Center. While admittedly eerie in the wake of the attacks, the artwork (originally created eighteen months earlier) bore no direct connection to the attacks. The cover had not been printed, but had been distributed electronically to media in anticipation of the album’s release. Shortly after the attacks, the group’s leader, Boots Riley, told Wired.com that the design “was supposed to be a metaphor for the capitalist state being destroyed through music.” Though he had initially expressed concern about replacing the cover image, Riley backed down to pressure from his record company.[4] “Two hours after the thing happened, we got the call saying, ‘OK, you've got to have another album cover. No discussion,’” Riley remembers. “That was it. It was one of the first things that I saw in a series of censorship.”[5] The only further public comment on the cover came via a press statement released by the label which read, “75 Ark recognizes and supports the artistic freedom of its artists however, recent extraordinary events demand that we create new artwork for the album.”[6]

Sensitivities still remained high almost a year later. Steve Earle’s song “John Walker Blues” ignited calls for its censorship in the Wall Street Journal[7] and The New York Post two months before it’s release. The song looks at events through Walker’s eyes[8], yet does not endorse Walker’s actions or fate, nor does it take any ideological stance on Walker’s beliefs. According to Nashville talk radio host Steve Gill, “Earle runs the risk of becoming the Jane Fonda of the war on terrorism by embracing John Walker and his Tali-buddies.”

However, the incident that received the most attention was a rumored list of songs banned from radio, each containing literal or metaphorical references a bit too close to recent events. The list, containing more than 150 songs described as “lyrically questionable,” started as a grass-roots effort by local programmers, then was redistributed to all programmers by a senior executive at Clear Channel, the largest owner of radio stations in the United States. Among the listed songs were “Fly,” “Jet Airliner,” “Head Like a Hole,” “Only the Good Die Young,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Crash Into Me,” “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” and many more.[9]

When the story hit the mainstream press, most journalists got the story wrong. In a series of lapsed journalistic judgments, reporters were too quick to believe that the list existed, then quick to believe it was a hoax.

It was widely reported that Clear Channel overtly banned the songs to avoid consternation and controversy, which wasn’t true. The list did originate in several versions, circulated among colleagues at local radio stations. The lists were compiled by a senior vice president of programming at Clear Channel, and then e-mailed from corporate management to the more than 1,100 individual stations under Clear Channel’s ownership. While the management e-mail did not call for an overt ban on songs, it did ask that programmers use “restraint” when selecting songs for airplay.

The story was initially reported on several radio industry web sites on September 14^{th [10]}, hitting the mainstream media on September 17th, led by a story on Slate.com.[11] When the story spread through the media, Clear Channel released a cleverly worded press statement titled, “Clear Channel Says National ‘Banned Playlist’ Does Not Exist.” In the release, the company stated, “Clear Channel Radio has not banned any songs from any of its radio stations.”[12] While the statement might seem to end the matter, the statement is just as telling for what it doesn’t say as for what it does. Clear Channel correctly pointed out that the original e-mail didn’t order anyone to ban any songs, but no where in the statement does the company deny that a list of “lyrically questionable” songs was created, edited by management, redistributed by management, and then acted upon by its employees. The statement denies the existence of an explicit ban, which is accurate, but does not deny the existence of the list. Further, the statement does not deny any censorious actions by its employees.

While Clear Channel is quick to point out there was no explicit censorship involved with the list, it is a perfect example of music censorship at its most implicit. Regardless of Clear Channel’s intentions, censorship did occur. While many Clear Channel programmers were quoted in the media as saying that they did not follow the suggestions of the e-mail, many times more said they did indeed remove songs from broadcast because of the list or its suggested sense of restraint.[13]

Unfortunately, the media didn’t apply the necessary scrutiny to Clear Channel’s statement. Just as quickly as the media was swept into the controversy, the entire incident was written off as a “hoax,” disappearing from public discussion. Thanks to Clear Channel’s savvy statement, the company had convinced the press that the list didn’t exist at all; that earlier reports were no more credible than any other Internet hoax, such as get rich quick chain e-mail schemes or tales of sick children needing correspondence.

Arguments over the complicated truth of various accusations and denials surrounding the Clear Channel list tend to distort the most troubling aspects of the incident. The real issue lies in the list’s content, leading one to wonder exactly what Clear Channel’s executives and programmers were trying to restrain.

While the list was mainly comprised of songs bearing lyrical references to burning, death, and airplanes, it also advocated censure for “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens, John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and all songs by Rage Against the Machine. What do these songs have to do with flying airplanes into buildings? Absolutely nothing. Yet in the past each of these artists has expressed controversial political sentiments that buck against mainstream beliefs.

“If our songs are ‘questionable’ in any way, it is that they encourage people to question the kind of ignorance that breeds intolerance,” said Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello in an e-mail statement. “Intolerance which can lead to censorship and the extinguishing of our civil liberties, or at its extremes can lead to the kind of violence we witnessed.”[14]

The inclusion of many of the list’s songs shows a troubling degree of literalism and prejudice when examining lyrical imagery. For example, “I Go to Pieces” was one of two songs by Peter and Gordon included on the list. “I suppose a song about someone going to pieces could be upsetting if someone took it literally,” said the group’s Peter Asher. “But ‘I can’t live without love’ is a sentiment that’s as true in crisis as it is in normal times. It’s a totally pro-love sentiment and could only be helpful right now.”[15]

The list’s existence and resulting actions are a perfect example of how a well-intentioned attempt at “sensitivity” can quickly careen down the slippery slope towards stifled free expression. This is hardly the first time American radio has taken such well-intentioned, yet censorious, action.

Back in 1940, the NBC radio network banned 147 popular songs containing potential sexual innuendo, including Billie Holiday’s version of “Love for Sale,” calling these songs “obscene.” In 1942, the United States government sent radio broadcasters a list of wartime practices, including a ban on weather forecasts (which might help enemies plan air attacks), and a suspension of listener requests (fearing it might allow the transmission of coded messages). In order to safeguard the morality of America’s youth, Billboard Magazine got behind a 1954 effort to rid radio of black R&B artists, claiming they “show bad taste and a disregard for recognized moral standards.” In 1967, the ABC radio network and a group called the American Mothers’ Committee tried to remove all songs from airplay that “glorify sex, blasphemy, and drugs.” In 1970, when the Federal Communications Commission—under pressure from the Nixon administration and working with a list of songs compiled by the U.S. Army—sent a telegram to all radio owners warning them to remove all songs condoning drug use. Their list of songs included “Yellow Submarine,” “Eight Miles High,” and “Puff (The Magic Dragon).”

The idea of what was considered offensive or dangerous may have been different back then, but the reason such censorship needs to be resisted is the same. When we open the question of “tasteful” or “appropriate” censorship—even a little—we turn rights into permissions. This month, radio might not want to offend those affected by tragedy or jeopardize domestic security; next time they may not want to play music that criticizes the government. You can imagine where this ends up.

Unfortunately, defending music is easily dismissed by some Americans as comparatively trivial in the wake of these horrible and gruesome tragedies. But should artistic liberties be cast aside in a time of national crisis? That depends on what you define as freedom. Music’s reach and pervasiveness puts it on the cutting edge of that definition.

Defense of artistic rights is a multifarious example of the importance of protecting civil liberties—even on their periphery. While electronic wiretapping and the boundaries of search-and-seizure laws may not excite or directly impact a large number of Americans, their ability to hear “Stairway to Heaven” or “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” does.

In America, we are exposed to more music in a day than any other art form, perhaps more than all other forms of art combined. We use music in the most significant and most mundane of our activities, both to focus intense feelings and to distract us from the occasional dullness of life. While censors justify their actions based on music’s suggested provocative potential, their actions completely disregard music’s demonstrated evocative nature. Thus, as we impede music, we inhibit our ability to be fully human.

Music doesn’t have to be patriotic, sensitive, or even make sense. Music, at its most fundamental core, is freedom.

It just needs to be there.

[1] Reuters (2001, September 16). “Poll: Americans Back Bush; Expect War.”

[2] Patman, Jean (2001, September 14). “First Amendment advocates fear erosion of rights in aftermath of attacks.” The Freedom Forum. Internet: Link

[3] Lyrics to “New York City Cops” by The Strokes:

Here in the streets so mechanised
Rise to the bottom of the meaning of life
Studied all the rules didn't want no part
But I let you in just to break this heart
Even though it was only one night
It was fucking strange

Nina's in the bedroom
She said time to go now
But leavin' it ain't easy
I got to let go
I got to let go
And the hours they ran slow
I said everynight she just can't stop sayin'

New York City cops
New York City cops
New York City cops
They ain't too smart
New York City cops
New York City cops
New York City cops
They ain't too smart

Well, kill me now, I let you down
I swear one day we're gonna leave this town
Stop
Yes I'm leavin'
'Cause it just won't work
They act like Romans
But they dress like Turks
Sometime, in your prime
See me, I like the summertime

Nina's in the bedroom
She said time to go now
But leavin' it ain't easy
I got to let go
I got to let go

Oh!
Trapped in an apartment
She would not let them get her
She wrote it in a letter
I got to come clean
The authorities they've seen
darling I'm somewhere in between
I said everynight every night, I just can't stop sayin'

New York City cops
New York City cops
New York City cops
They ain't too smart
New York City cops
New York City cops
New York City cops
They ain't too smart

[4] It’s worth noting that Riley’s recollections of the incident have changed somewhat over the past year. While he initially made statements suggesting that he strongly resisted the change, later statements tell a slightly different story. In later accounts, Riley stated that his prime concern was that a change might be interpreted as a change of heart regarding the group’s strong anti-capitalist ideology.

[5]Baker, Soren (2001, 7 November). MTV Online. “Coup Change Blowing-Up-WTC Cover Art, But Keep Revolutionary Message Intact” Internet: Link

[6] Internet: Link

[7] The Wall Street Journal (2002, July 24). Editorial.

[8] John Walker was the American citizen found fighting among the Taliban in Afghanistan, captured by U.S. forces, brought to the United States for trial, and sentenced to prison for twenty years.

[9] The list, as reported in the press, contains the following songs (list rearranged alphabetically by title, original spellings left intact):

• “99 Luft Balloons/99 Red Balloons,” Nina
• “A Day in the Life,” The Beatles
• “A Sign of the Times,” Petula Clark
• “A World Without Love,” Peter and Gordon
• “Aeroplane,” Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “America,” Neil Diamond
• “American Pie,” Don McLean
• “And When I Die,” Blood Sweat and Tears
• “Another One Bites the Dust,” Queen
• “Bad Day,” Fuel
• “Bad Religion,” Godsmack
• “Benny & The Jets,” Elton John
• “Big Bang Baby, Stone Temple Pilots ,” Dead and Bloated”
• “Bits and Pieces,” Dave Clark Five
• “Black is Black,” Los Bravos
• “Blow Up the Outside World,” Soundgarden
• “Blowin' in the Wind,” Peter Paul and Mary
• “Bodies,” Drowning Pool
• “Boom,” P.O.D.
• “Bound for the Floor,” Local H
• “Brain Stew,” Green Day
• “Break Stuff,” Limp Bizkit
• “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Simon And Garfunkel
• “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” Smashing Pumpkins
• “Burnin' For You,” Blue Oyster Cult
• “Burning Down the House,” Talking Heads
• “Chop Suey!,” System of a Down
• “Click Click Boom,” Saliva
• “Crash and Burn,” Savage Garden
• “Crash Into Me,” Dave Matthews Band
• “Crumbling Down,” John Mellencamp
• “Dancing in the Streets,” Martha and the Vandellas/Van Halen
• “Daniel,” Elton John
• “Dead Man's Curve,” Jan and Dean
• “Dead Man's Party,” Oingo Boingo
• “Death Blooms,” Mudvayne
• “Devil in Disguise,” Elvis Presley
• “Devil with the Blue Dress,” Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels
• “Dirty Deeds,” AC/DC
• “Disco Inferno,” Tramps
• “Doctor My Eyes,” Jackson Brown
• “Down in a Hole,” Alice in Chains
• “Down,” 311
• “Dread and the Fugitive,” Megadeth
• “Duck and Run,” 3 Doors Down
• “Dust in the Wind,” Kansas
• “End of the World,” Skeeter Davis
• “Enter Sandman,” Metallica
• “Eve of Destruction,” Barry McGuire
• “Evil Ways,” Santana
• “Fade to Black,” Metallica
• “Falling Away From Me,” Korn
• “Falling for the First Time,” Barenaked Ladies
• “Fell on Black Days, Soundgarden ,” Black Hole Sun”
• “Fire and Rain,” James Taylor
• “Fire Woman,” The Cult
• “Fire,” Arthur Brown
• “Fly Away,” Lenny Kravitz
• “Fly,” Sugar Ray
• “Free Fallin',” Tom Petty
• “Get Together,” Youngbloods
• “Goin' Down,” Bruce Springsteen
• “Great Balls of Fire,” Jerry Lee Lewis
• “Harvester or Sorrow,” Metallica
• “Have You Seen Her,” Chi-Lites
• “He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother,” Hollies
• “Head Like a Hole,” Nine Inch Nails
• “Hell's Bells,” AC/DC
• “Hey Joe,” Jimmy Hendrix
• “Hey Man, Nice Shot,” Filter
• “Highway to Hell,” AC/DC
• “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” Pat Benatar
• “Holy Diver,” Dio
• “I Feel the Earth Move,” Carole King
• “I Go To Pieces,” Peter and Gordon
• “I'm On Fire,” Bruce Springsteen
• “I'm On Fire,” John Mellencamp
• “Imagine,” John Lennon
• “In the Air Tonight,” Phil Collins
• “In the Year 2525,” Yager and Evans
• “Intolerance,” Tool
• “Ironic,” Alanis Morissette
• “It's the End of the World as We Know It,” REM
• “Jet Airliner,” Steve Miller
• “Johnny Angel,” Shelly Fabares
• “Jump,” Van Halen
• “Jumper,” Third Eye Blind
• “Killer Queen,” Queen
• “Knockin' on Heaven's Door,” Bob Dylan/Guns N Roses
• “Last Kiss,” J. Frank Wilson
• “Learn to Fly,” Foo Fighters
• “Leavin' on a Jet Plane,” Peter Paul and Mary
• “Left Behind, Wait and Bleed,” Slipknot
• “Live and Let Die,” Paul McCartney and Wings
• “Love is a Battlefield,” Pat Benatar
• “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” The Beatles
• “Mack the Knife,” Bobby Darin
• “Morning Has Broken,” Cat Stevens
• “Mother,” Pink Floyd
• “My City Was Gone,” Pretenders
• “Na Na Na Na Hey Hey,” Steam
• “New York, New York,” Frank Sinatra
• “Nowhere to Run,” Martha & the Vandellas
• “Obla Di, Obla Da,” The Beatles
• “On Broadway,” Drifters
• “Only the Good Die Young,” Billy Joel
• “Peace Train,” Cat Stevens
• “Rescue Me,” Fontella Bass
• “Rock the Casbah,” The Clash
• “Rocket Man,” Elton John
• “Rooster,” Alice in Chains
• “Ruby Tuesday,” Rolling Stones
• “Run Like Hell,” Pink Floyd
• “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
• “Sabotage,” Beastie Boys
• “Safe in New York City,” AC/DC
• “Santa Monica,” Everclear
• “Say Hello to Heaven,” Temple of the Dog
• “Sea of Sorrow,” Alice in Chains
• “See You in Septemeber,” Happenings
• “Seek and Destroy,” Metallica
• “She's Not There,” Zombies
• “Shoot to Thrill,” AC/DC
• “Shot Down in Flames,” AC/DC
• “Smokin,” Boston
• “Smooth Criminal,” Alien Ant Farm
• “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll,” Judas Priest
• “Speed Kills,” Bush
• “Spirit in the Sky,” Norman Greenbaum
• “St. Elmo's Fire,” John Parr
• “Stairway to Heaven,” Led Zeppelin
• “Suicide Solution,” Black Sabbath
• “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” U2
• “Sure Shot Beastie Boys “
• “Sweating Bullets,” Megadeth
• “That'll Be the Day,” Buddy Holly and the Crickets
• “The Boy from New York City,” Ad Libs
• “The End,” The Doors
• “The Night Chicago Died,” Paper Lace
• “Them Bone,” Alice in Chains
• “Ticket To Ride,” The Beatles
• “TNT,” AC/DC
• “Travelin' Band,” Creedence Clearwater Revival
• “Travelin' Man,” Rickey Nelson
• “Tuesday's Gone,” Lynyrd Skynyrd
• “Under the Bridge,” Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “Walk Like an Egyptian,” Bangles
• “War Pigs,” Black Sabbath
• “War,” Edwin Starr/Bruce Springstein
• “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” Animals
• “What A Wonderful World,” Louis Armstrong
• “When Will I See You Again,” Three Degrees
• “When You're Falling,” Peter Gabriel
• “Wipeout,” Surfaris
• “Wonder World,” San CookeHerman Hermits,
• “Worst That Could Happen,” Brooklyn Bridge
• “You Dropped a Bomb On Me,” The Gap Band
• All Rage Against The Machine songs

[10] “The Reactions Keep Coming” (2001, September 14). Hits Daily. Internet: Link

[11] Truitt, Eliza (2001, September 17). “It’s the End of the World as Clear Channel Knows It.” Slate.com. Internet: Link

[12] Full text of Clear Channel Press Statement:

CLEAR CHANNEL SAYS NATIONAL “BANNED PLAYLIST”

DOES NOT EXIST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Antonio, TX, September 18, 2001...Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (NYSE:  CCU) today issued the following statement as a result of numerous stories, emails and calls concerning an alleged “list of banned songs” on its U.S. radio stations following last week’s tragedy in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania:

“Clear Channel Radio has not banned any songs from any of its radio stations. 

Clear Channel believes that radio is a local medium.  It is up to every radio station program director and general manager to understand their market, listen to their listeners and guide their station’s music selections according to local sensitivities.  Each program director and general manager must take the pulse of his or her market to determine if play lists should be altered, and if so, for how long.

‘In the wake of this terrible tragedy, the nation’s business community is responding with a degree of hypersensitivity,” explained Mark P. Mays, President and Chief Operating Officer of Clear Channel.  “Even some movie companies have altered some of their release schedules in light of the mood in America today.   Clear Channel strongly believes in the First Amendment and freedom of speech.  We value and support the artist community.  And we support our radio station programming staff and management team in their responsibility to respond to their local markets.’”

[13] Sullivan, James (2001, September 18). “Radio employee circulates don’t-play list” San Francisco Chronicle. Internet: Link

Armstrong, Mark (2001, September 18). “’Imagine’ All the Inappropriate Songs.” E Online. Internet: Link

Ahrens, Frank (2001, September 18). “After Heroics, Russian Reporter Stricken.” Washington Post. Internet: Link

King, Brad (2001, September 18). “Radio Sings Self-Censorship Tune.” Wired.com. Internet: Link

Wolk, Douglas (September 26). “And the Banned Play On.” The Village Voice. Internet: Link

[14] Strauss, Neil (2001, September 19). “After the Horror, Radio Stations Pull Some Songs.” The New York Times. Internet: Link

[15] Ibid.