“Light My Fire” by The Doors
The Doors were permanently barred from performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967 because of a single phrase. Before the live performance, a producer warned the band that the term “higher” implied illegal substance use, and the lyric needed to be modified to a more appropriate word, such as “better.” As the door shut, Jim Morrison, outraged by the absurd suggestion to self-censor, stated, “We’re not changing a word.” During the live performance, guitarist Robby Krieger smiled at Morrison’s defiance while singing it precisely as the single, but CBS executives were furious. They approached Morrison, telling him he would never appear on the show again. Morrison commented, “Hey, bro. “We just did the Sullivan show.”
Light My Fire By The Doors
“Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G.
When “Juicy” plays on the radio today, there is an uneasy silence in lieu of the line, “Blow up like the World Trade.” This is despite the fact that the song was published some years before the 9/11 attacks. The Notorious B.I.G. was referring to the 1993 World Trade Center disaster in the underground parking lot, which killed six people, but his metaphor “blow up” refers to enormous personal success and financial gain. Only after 9/11 was the song prohibited for radio play. Despite the fact that some believe his lyrics were prophetic, the Notorious B.I.G. would be unaware of his song’s suppression or the catastrophic incident. Tragically, Biggie died in 1997.
Juicy By The Notorious B.I.G.
