Do people enjoy swear words in songs. I personally love them. I think they add a certain power or grittiness to a song that might otherwise have been plain. (I apologise in advance if anyone is offended) Some examples:

Audioslave- The last thing that he said was set this fucker off!

Green Day- ...the subliminal mind-fuck America.

Nine Inch Nails- I want to fuck you like an animal.

Panic at the Disco- What a shame the poor grooms bride is a whore.

Radiohead- Dance you fucker, dance you fucker don't you dare.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Pleasure spiked with pain, that motherfuckers always spiked with pain.

Slipknot- PEOPLE = SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Strokes- I don't feel better when I'm fucking around.

System of a Down- Where the FUCK are you, where the FUCK are you!!!!

Tool- This blood is thick and easy to get lost in, cos you're a stupid beligerant fucker.

I know I've only quoted rock music, but feel free to talk about any songs.

I did not know that whore was a swear word?
Sometimes swear words are pointless but if it is a song that shows emotion of some sort then I think it's at proper use...

no

I'm not really opposed to profanity in music, but I would say I love it, or seek it out. I don't really swear that much in my personal life (usually only when I'm mad or playing golf), so when I hear an artist who constantly drops the f-bomb, it sort makes me think they're either doing it to get attention, or they couldn't think of a better word.

When I was in college, there was this guy who lived on my floor in my dorm and he would drop the f-bomb constantly in casual conversation, sometimes several times within the same sentence. Example: "F**k dude, that was f**king awesome. F**king A." I don't have to tell you that he came off like a complete moron.

I can't believe this thread exists.

[the word was] so common indeed in its adjectival form that aftar a short time the ear refused to acknowledge it and took in only the noun to which it is attached. Dean Inge recently remarked of bloody as used by working men that it means nothing, it is simply a warning that a noun is coming.
-- Brophy and Partridge, Songs and Slang of the British Soldier, 1914-1918

Now Playing: "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" Scissor Sisters Ta Dah

I like it sometimes, if it fits. Sometimes a good venemous rant works well with a swear inserted (but only if it comes off as stream-of-conscience). Swearing for swearing's sake is plain ridiculous. As far as conversational swearing, "fuck" has become the new "Um" or "uh". People just swear while they are thinking of the next word to say. Like EG75 said, comes off like the person is a moron.

On profanity, I consider it a very useful way add color to any description, opinion, or noun. There are some instances in which profanity is not polite, but this is where the ability to control yourself becomes important.

In general, most people who know me in person, know me to be a vulgar person. I swear around people that I feel comfortable with, those who do not know me quite so well wouldn't even know that I used as much profanity as I do. Also, it does take away from thought-provoking oonversation so I try not to use it particularly often on this forum.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: St. Mike,

I'm not sure that I want Trent Reznor to fuck me like an animal. Call me old-fashioned

One of the things that bugs me sometimes about Modest Mouse is the swearing. I personally swear all the time in conversation, so its not the words offend me, but it feels forced many of the times. I mean Modest Mouse isn't Limp Biskit singing about breaking your fucking face, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by m.leland:
I can't believe this thread exists.

Well, it does. I started it because I was curious as to what people thought, but you can't say I tricked you into looking at it. The thread was clearly marked. Obviously if you're offended by bad language, the point was to stay away.

What Mike says above is the most clear. It's all about control. One of the reasons Fred Durst comes off as an idiot is his insistance on dropping f-bombs more than prepositions. A band like system of a down uses bad language to display rage, anger or loathing in many of their songs, and you can feel it bristling through their music. It's not just swearing for the sake of swearing. And in responce to Pulque, you better stay well away from Trent Reznor then. BTW way, I would put the word whore in this catagory because it's a word frequently blanked out. However, I think it's a testament to our more liberal nation that in the P!ATD song I Write Sins Not Tragedies, most channels don't block it out because in the context, it's just so funny.

Feel free to find me offensive by starting this post, but anyone with any realistic comments, please work away.

I kind of like when Jenny Lewis drops an f-bomb in a Rilo Kiley song. She's got this sweet little voice, and then BAM! A cuss out of nowhere. It's kind of hot.

quote:

Originally posted by sbarr2:
I started it because I was curious as to what people thought, but you can't say I tricked you into looking at it. The thread was clearly marked. Obviously if you're offended by bad language, the point was to stay away.

I find it offensive in its juvenility, not its coarse language. It reminds me of the kids in elementary school who bought whomever's tape just for the "bad words." Then they'd sit in the cafeteria and giggle. :Giggle:

Regardless of your position on the topic, one cannot deny that, even today, cursing can be considered taboo and it can prevent songs from becoming 'popular.' Most people, none of them in this forum, know of only music that a top 40 station plays, language can most certainly stop a song from getting radio play, hence lessen popularity of a song. This is not to say that by implementing curse words a band is courageous, it simply means that they may not be too concerned about air play.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike:
Regardless of your position on the topic, one cannot deny that, even today, cursing can be considered taboo and it can prevent songs from becoming 'popular.' Most people, none of them in this forum, know of only music that a top 40 station plays, language can most certainly stop a song from getting radio play, hence lessen popularity of a song. This is not to say that by implementing curse words a band is courageous, it simply means that they may not be too concerned about air play.

Profanity won't keep a song off the radio. J-KWON's "Tipsy" has a "clean" and dirty version, and I remember the radio single having one or two dead-air moments. About the only determining factor is the major label and what they're pushing, and how far they're willing to go to get a song on the air.

quote:

Originally posted by m.leland:
Profanity won't keep a song off the radio. J-KWON's "Tipsy" has a "clean" and dirty version, and I remember the radio single having one or two dead-air moments. About the only determining factor is the major label and what they're pushing, and how far they're willing to go to get a song on the air.

Anybody remember back in the 80s, when George Michael's mega-hit "I Want Your Sex" was retitled "I Want Your Love" to appease Top 40 radio censors?

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:

quote:

Originally posted by m.leland:
Profanity won't keep a song off the radio. J-KWON's "Tipsy" has a "clean" and dirty version, and I remember the radio single having one or two dead-air moments. About the only determining factor is the major label and what they're pushing, and how far they're willing to go to get a song on the air.

Anybody remember back in the 80s, when George Michael's mega-hit "I Want Your Sex" was retitled "I Want Your Love" to appease Top 40 radio censors?

Was the chorus changed? Or just the title? I don't recall an alternate version of the song, but I recall feeling embarrassed any time it came on Casey Kasem's countdown during family trips to grandma's house.

quote:

Originally posted by m.leland:
I find it offensive in its juvenility, not its coarse language. It reminds me of the kids in elementary school who bought whomever's tape just for the "bad words." Then they'd sit in the cafeteria and giggle. :Giggle:

Those same kids looked up the dictionary and fell into fits of laughter at the precise definitions, carefully explained in a serious, intelectual book. But besides that, I agree with your opinion that it might appear juvenile. But then again, in the context of most songs, the profanity is anything but. I will once again refer to system of a down. Their swearing is not meant to be funny or controversial. It stems from genuine emotions that can't be expressed in the widely acceptable spectrum of words. That being said, they use them carefully and normally in a valid context. What I can't stand is when I see rappers and hip hop artists on MTV and at least two minutes of their single is expletives or blank gaps in the vocals. You can only imagine what they are talking about.

Also, I didn't say it was necessary for a song to have bad language, in case that was picked up on wrong. One of my favourite bands, Muse, have never put any bad language into any song. And it doesn't matter they don't need to.

I think M.Ieland and me are perhaps a clash of personalities so perhaps its ok that we dont agree. To each his own.

quote:

I think M.Ieland and me are perhaps a clash of personalities so perhaps its ok that we dont agree. To each his own.

Really? I try to get along with everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by m.leland:
Was the chorus changed? Or just the title? I don't recall an alternate version of the song, but I recall feeling embarrassed any time it came on Casey Kasem's countdown during family trips to grandma's house.

I don't remember. They may have just changed the title to spare everyone the embarrassment of hearing Casy Kasem say the word "sex".