Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Forty Years, and still bleeping!

Half the world watched the Stones perform at the Superbowl half-time show. It was one of the things I was looking forward to, because I keep marvelling at the stamina of this band.
Jagger is 62.
I got tired just watching him.
Mind you, I was seriously full of chicken wings.
Speaking of chickens….
In the song Rough Justice I noticed that the word “cocks” was censored, even though it could be argued that it is really talking about the barnyard fowl…. well, sort of, you know what I mean! In the same line he was previously talking about chickens. Roosters.
So I was surprised that the network censored it. Actually, it wasn’t “bleeped out” or anything, the truth is that Jagger’s microphone was silenced during the word. As it was also in the song Start Me Up during the part where Jagger famously muses upon the sexual power that a certain woman would have over (even) a dead man!
So, in both instances, even those in the stadium would not have heard the words.
Censorship, it seemeth, is alive and well.
The Stones had agreed to the conditions. They were made aware of the fact that these two possibly objectionable portions of their songs would be silenced.
Did you notice what Mick said just before they did Satisfaction?
He said something like, “Here’s one we could have done at the first SuperBowl.”
Interestingly enough, way back in 1967 the band was appearing on the Ed Sullivan show on the same day as the first Super Bowl, which was then less elaborately called the world championship game.
On that night Mr. Sullivan told the boys to change the words to one of their numbers.
As it turned out, Mick had to sing “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” rather than “Let’s Spend The Night Together.”
Apparently, he complied… but rolled his eyes when singing the line!
The Rolling Stones!
The “bad boys” of rock and roll.
Still graciously curbing their nefarious words after all these years!
I wonder what they did after the show on Sunday?
Maybe they all went to KFC?
[Kentucky Fried “bleeeeeeeeeeeeeep”!]

1 comment:

Cipriano said...

Admittedly, never in my lifetime have I heard more of a botched-up anthem than whatever Mr. Neville was trying to do there!
Holy cow!
Too much jalapenos earlier or something?
Aretha Franklin saved the day there. She was good.

I admit that these particular stones have gathered some moss over the years, but I still generally like them. I am amazed that they can still do what they do and not keel over and die.