Should Guns 'n' Roses Have Removed This Song From Their Reissued Album?

[sp1814]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/may/08/guns-n-roses-remove-song-homophobic-racist-language-one-million-reissue-album

[bednobs]

the article said it was their choice, so i couldnt care less really

[youngmafbog]

Some will say yes, some will say no.

I have to admit listening to the song many times but never really "listened" i.e. I never knew that is what they said!

Times have moved on though so for a reissued album I would say they should remove it.

[ToraToraTora]

no.

[ToraToraTora]

They still play Oliver's Army on the radio.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//Police and ***, that’s right / Get outta my way / Don’t need to buy none of your gold chains today.//

//Immigrants and faggots
They make no sense to me
They come to our country
And think they’ll do as they please
Like start some mini-Iran
Or spread some *** disease
And they talk so many *** ways
It’s all Greek to me//

I don't see any reason to exclude this song on grounds of content, but you could make a strong case for its exclusion based on stylistic reasons and several offences against the English language.

Mind you, if these lyrics are typical Guns 'n' Roses songs, you'd probably then end up with a blank album.

[Mamyalynne]

As the song is already out there I don't see the point, maybe they thought it would improve sales of the reissue.

Their choice to make.

[Mamyalynne]

Oliver's Army always gets a mention on these threads too.

[237SJ]

Whenever I hear Oliver's Army played on the radio there s a momentary silence where the offending word used to be

[anotheoldgit]

Perhaps some 'Rapper's' contributions to gang crime should also be banned?

[Mamyalynne]

This isn't about banning though.

[douglas9401]

I'm reminded of Mr Dylan's 'Hurricane' and what Reuben was to the black folks.

Yup, no-one doubted that he pulled the trigger.

[steg]

Aye they should, it’s their album, if they dinae want a song on it then it’s up to them

[kvalidir]

It's their album it's up to them, but they've clearly noticed that lyrics that were once, if not acceptable at least not unusual, are now likely to be more contentious so someone is clearly thinking about things which must be good.