Musician Elvis Costello ruffled a few feathers after he urged radio stations to stop playing his hit song ‘Oliver’s Army.’
Musician Elvis Costello Urges Radio Stations To Stop Playing His Song ‘Oliver’s Army’ Because It Includes The N-Word
The track is synonymous with the musician, given that it reached number two on the UK charts. But not only was it a hit single, looking back, Elvis may have wished that he was able to change the lyrics. The song controversially has the use of the N-word in it.
And given that we live in a society where political correctness is valued, coupled with the fact that cancel culture can target anybody at anytime, it is not surprising to hear that Elvis has now had a change of heart with regards to this song.
In an interview with the Telegraph, he said: “People hear that word go off like a bell and accuse me of something that I didn’t intend.
“The song is about British imperialism and Northern Ireland and contains a reference to a “white n—–[It’s] historically a fact.” Nevertheless, Elvis admitted that if he were to write the song now, he would not include the use of this word.
Much in the same way, it is clear that radio stations are also not best pleased by virtue of the fact that they have decided to censor the use of the word when they play the song.
But in doing so, they inadvertently draw more attention to the issue than they otherwise would it they took it off the air completely. And the latter is something that Elvis feels should be done in response.
He added: “They’re making it worse by bleeping it for sure. Because they’re highlighting it then. Just don’t play the record!”
The response on social media was mixed. While there was recognition that the song could cause offence, the very fact of the matter is that his fans wanted it played.
One person on Twitter wrote: “PC leftist drivel. It’s a great song.” Time will tell how this will play out, but given that Elvis has expressed his disapproval, it is very hard to see how the song can continue to be played.
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