Nick Cave has accused the BBC of “distorting” the New York story following the broadcaster’s recent decision to broadcast the censored version of Peak and Christie McCall’s Festival Classic on Radio 1.
The BBC recently announced that the 1987 hit will still play its original form on Radio 2, while 6 music DJs will be able to choose a version. The inconsistency of the policy has led to dressing which is becoming a well-beaten pantomime horse.
Cave said he could not comment on how the word “fagot” was considered offensive, especially by young people, according to Red Hand Files, the website through which he answered questions raised by fans. “It can be deeply offensive, I don’t know,” he said. “In that case Radio 1 should have just decided to ban the song and retain its banned attitude and dignity.”
The Australian rock star said the decision to change Haggard’s title was an idea “it can only be supported by those who know nothing about the lyricist’s fragile nature”.
Replacement, he wrote,[deflates] It’s just his necessary and most desperate moment, snatching away its value “, and that means the storyline” can no longer be called a great song. ” A song that fell below and allowed the BBC to do its deadly and sticky business. “
The cave is marked “Hangguard” by “Nonsense”. It was replaced by McCall himself during a performance of the 1992 Top of Pops song.
In 2007, when the BBC briefly recovered the song from Radio 1 after a brief ban, Pogius lyricist Shane McGowan said that he was fine with the word bloody, but it continued to defend his “lucky and desperate” character by McColl.
“Not all characters in songs and stories are angels or even decent and respectful, sometimes the characters in songs and stories have to be bad or ugly to effectively tell the story,” he said.
This year, however, McGowan said he received censorship of “ridiculous” songs in a brief interview with Metro.
McGowan’s friend, Cave, said the Irish lyricist’s creation spoke of “deep sympathy for the marginalized and displaced.” He wrote:
It does not patronize, but speaks its truth, clearly and unknowingly. It is a great gift for the outcast, the evil and the broken heart. We sympathize with the plight of the two hardcore characters, who live their lonely, desperate lives against all the promises of Christmas – home and tribute, joy, grace and good wishes.
He told the BBC – “The gatekeeper of our fragile sensitivities, always working in our best interests” – “continues to spread a lot of cultural value and as a result Christmas takes something from us, impossible to measure or replace”.
