13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 3 features music courtesy of Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Kendrick Lamar, Madonna, and Oliver Anthony.
βCuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light up / Yeah, ya think youβre tough.β Those ear catching lyrics, sung by country musician Jason Aldean, hail from the no. 1 hit,
βTry That in a Small Townβ, which created quite the stir β an understatement. Another song that raised eyebrows was
βChurch Girlβ by
BeyoncΓ©, which sampled a gospel classic, yet rubbed some Christians the wrong way: βShe gonβ shake that ass and them pretty tig olβ bittiesβ.β Yup, the church girl was a straight-up freak
. Long before Aldean or BeyoncΓ© were shocking,
Serge Gainsbourg & Charlotte Gainsbourg dropped one of the most controversial songs of all-time with their sus, provocative father/daughter duet,
βLemon Incestβ (βNaΓ―ve as a canvas / Your kisses are so sweetβ). All three songs graced the controversial songs musical compendium,
13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2. With two volumes of controversy under our belts, we unveil
13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 3. Most of the songs featured here appeared in the column, Controversial Tunes
.
13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 3 features music courtesy of
Bruce Springsteen,
Christina Aguilera,
Kendrick Lamar,
Madonna, and
Oliver Anthony among others. So, without further ado, lean into the controversy amassed on
13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 3!!!
1. Oliver Anthony Music, βRich Men North of Richmondβ
βRich Men North of Richmondβ β’
DistroKid β’
2023
βIβve been sellinβ my soul, workinβ all day / Overtime hours for bullshit payβ¦ β
Oliver Anthony (Oliver Anthony Music)β―tickled the interests of conservative, right-wingers (for a minute
), and many disgruntled Americans with his raw, blue collar country song,
βRich Men North of Richmondβ.β― Over the course of three minutes and change, Anthony expresses his feelings about the state of the country and those rich men north of Richmond, Virginia, aka Washington DC.β―βItβs a damn shame what the worldβs gotten to / For people like me and people like you.β Throughout βRich Men North of Richmond,β Anthony serves up authentic, expressive vocals. He has a raw, rough around the edges sound. As the excerpted lyrics suggest, he is brutally honest, intact with some salty language.
β―
One of the most colorful moments of
βRich Men North of Richmondβ occurs in the third verse:β―β―
βWell, God, if youβre 5-foot-3 and youβre 300 poundsβ―
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of Fudge Roundsβ―
Young men are puttinβ themselves six feet in the groundβ―
βCause all this damn country does is keep on kickinβ them down.ββ―β―
Naturally, the record is polarizing, as many protest, socially conscious songs tend to be.β― Many relate and embrace it, particularly references to mining and, perhaps, the poor taking advantage of welfare. Others acknowledge valid points but question the next steps? This song is definitely a great discussion piece.
2. Christina Aguilera, βDirrtyβ
Stripped β’
Sony Music Entertainment β’
2002
Christina Aguilera got
βDirrtyβ. βDirrtyβ served as the promo single from her βsophomoreβ album,
Stripped. The 16th track peaked at no. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 β modest to say the least.β― Notably, on this sexed-up cut, which is a reason for the controversial label, X-tina is assisted by rapper
Redman. Here, the βinnocentβ pop star moves from being a
βGenie in the Bottleβ and singing about her
βReflectionβ to singing about S-E-X
!β―Aguilera does quite the about face from 1999.β― For one, sheβs βSweatinβ βtil my clothes come off,β and, apparently, sheβs horny! βNo question, time for some action.β Former teen pop stars arenβt allowed to be horny
, especially in 2002
! Actually, itβs the second verse where the eyebrows raise more as Christina encourages ass moving and sings about βTight hip-huggers (low for sure).β Of course, in the chorus, theyβre βDancing, getting just a little naughty / Wanna get dirty, itβs about time for my arrival.ββ― Lyrically and thematically, Aguilera is a grown woman who wants to have fun.β― She is a sexual being and sheβs not going to hold back. In the 2020s, this is incredibly tame, just to show you how much more explicit music has become.β―
βDirrtyβ earned most of its controversial label from the music video
that erased the Disney Channel star really quick! There was a petition to ban the video from MTV. Some of the controversial things include her attire β well β theβ― lack ofβ¦. Furthermore, her backup dancers are βliberatedβ too. The dancing is highly sexual. The shower scene isβ¦ you just have to see it.β― These happenings in a boxing ring (
) clearly suggests a sexual afterparty if you catch my drift
. Of course, itβs not just the women.β― We couldnβt fail to mention those fit
οΈβ
οΈ, hot
, hunky, sweaty-bodied shirtless men, who dance (and grind) on Aguilera β incredibly hedonistic. Notably, the video was banned in Thailand due to signs regarding sex tourism, written in Thai, that appear in the background of the video
.
βDirrtyβ wouldnβt be controversial today, or at least to the same extent, but back in the early aughts, it earned its fair share of negative attention!
Appears in :
3. Nine Inch Nails, βCloserββ―
The Downward Spiral β’
Interscope β’
1994
βYou let me violate you / You let me desecrate you / You let me penetrate you / You let me complicate you.β Violate? Desecrate? Penetrate? Complicate? Sheesh β itβs self-explanatory why
βCloserβ (
The Downward Spiral, 1994)is dubbed as controversial, right? Clearly
Nine Inch Nailsβ
Trent Reznor has constructed a character who is in an animalistic, lustful, and deviant state of mind. The first verse is a perfect example of a suspect mindset when it comes to sex. Sex, we find out, is only one component of βCloser,β even if Reznor asserts on the chorus: βI wanna fuck you like an animal / I wanna feel you from the inside.ββ― Yes, thatβs thinking with the D for sure!β―β―
The first pre-chorus tells more than the overt sex references over the industrial-sounding backdrop.β― Here, Reznorβs character is a broken man with no morals.β― He βgives no fucksβ about the acts heβs going to commit sexually, because βI broke apart my insidesβ and βIβve got no soul to sell.ββ― So, essentially, he didnβt sell his soul to the devil because he had none to begin with.β― Savage! The sex is a way to cope to some extent (βHelp me get away from myselfβ).β― He suggests flaws can be βsexed awayβ, including isolation and absence of faith.β― βYou make me perfect / Help me become somebody else,β he sings in the second pre-chorus.β― A key statement closes out the chorus: βMy whole existence is flawed / You get me closer to God.β Woah! Of course, itβs hard to see Trent Reznor, as a spiritual being.β―In the equally controversial music video
, there is a lot of weird shit going on.β― A live monkey tied to a cross (WTF), a boarβs head, a naked woman, an eel (?), maggots, Trent licking what resembles a nippleβ¦ The video raises more questions and amplifies the controversy.β―Even so,β― βCloserβ also kicks some serious ass.β― Itβs dark, but thereβs a beauty and high level of musicianship beyond the darkness.β―β―
Appears in :β―β―
- Nine Inch Nails, Closer: Controversial Tunes
No. 36 (2021)β―β―
- Closer: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 55 (2023)β―
- 13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs (2023)β―
4. Destinyβs Child, βCater 2 Uβ
Destiny Fulfilled β’
Sony BMG Music Entertainment β’
2004
βWhatever your desire, Iβll supply ya,β
BeyoncΓ© asserts on the 2004
Destinyβs Child hit,
βCater 2 Uβ (
Destiny Fulfilled).β― Prior to her willingness to supply, YoncΓ© asserts in the pre-chorus, βLet me help you take off your shoes / Untie your shoestrings, take off your cuff links (Yeah) / What you wanna eat, boo? (Yeah) / Let me feed you, let me run your bathwater.β Run his bathwater?β― It is these lyrics that make SOME folks, particularly younger folks, consider βCater 2 Uβ to be controversial.β― In an age where gender stereotypes are much more antiquated, and women specifically are far more independent, the thinking is this aughts song hasnβt aged well.β―BeyoncΓ©, in particular, comes over as far too submissive. To be fair, she wants to show her man appreciation in the first verse but, is it too much? βMy life would be purposeless without youβ and βBaby, sit back and let me pour out my love letterβ can be deemed a sweet and dedicated, but also overkill and submissive.β― Throw in all the things sheβs willing to do on the pre-chorus, and the catering is, well, a lot. That doesnβt even account for the chorus, where she adds, βI got your slippers, your dinner, your dessert and so much more.β Of course, part of that is sexual. Still, βAnything you want, I wanna cater to youβ may justify heat this song has taken in the 2020s.β―β―
BeyoncΓ© is not the sole culprit in βCater 2 U,β IF you consider this to be a problematic record that should be cancelled.β― While the appreciation that
Kelly Rowland exhibits in the second verse is sweet to some degree, old-school wife stereotypes still come through (βBoy, is there something you need me to do?β).β― Furthermore, in her pre-chorus, sheβs focused on impressing him in regard to her body and perhaps most eyebrow raising, βWhen you come home late, tap me on my shoulder, Iβll roll over / Baby, I heard you / Iβm here to serve you.β There is double entendre, but, it also seems unlikely these lyrics would fly today.β―
Michelle Williams is also not exempt, as she βwanna give you my breath / My strength / My will to you / Thatβs the least I can do, let me cater to you.β Itβs doubtful there were bad intentions from the group or the writers. Still,
βCater 2 Uβ feels a bit anti-feminist and antiquated in its thinking. The degree of controversy depends on who you are however what isnβt questionable is how divisive this R&B hit is.β―
Appears in :
5. Kendrick Lamar, βAuntie Diariesββ―β―
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers β’
Aftermath / Interscope β’
2022
βMy auntie is a man now / I think Iβm old enough to understand nowβ¦β Well β you donβt hear that often from a major-label rapper!
βAuntie Diariesβ is one of the most surprising records from
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.β― Few rappers who donβt identify as LGBTQ+
οΈβ
dare address LGBTQ+
οΈβ
issues.β― Far too often, if rappers dive into it, itβs because they are being homophobic.
Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper
Kendrick Lamar admits to past ignorance regarding homophobia, asserting in the second verse, βF
ggot, f
ggot, f
ggot, we ainβt know no better / Elementary kids with no filter, however.ββ― Anytime that f-word comes into play, itβs often much more controversial than the f-bomb.β― Interestingly, as the record progresses, Kendrick later says, βI said them f-bombs, I ainβt know any better.ββ―β― β―
β―
Lamar talks about evolving into a better, more accepting person, using the example of his trans aunt whom he loves and respects. Also, he mentions a trans cousin as well:β―β―
βMy auntie was a man now, we cool with itβ―
The history had trickled down and made us ignβantβ―
My favorite cousin said heβs returning the favorβ―
And following my auntie with the same behavior.ββ―
Worth noting, Kendrick Lamar references the churchβs insensitive reaction to his cousinβs trans identity, something commonplace, particularly in the black church. Though some black denominations are considered more liberal, progressive institutions (the African Methodist Episcopal church is a prime example), they arenβt as progressive when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community.β― Refocusing on βAuntie Diaries,β reactions to this bold number are mixed from both hetero- and LGBTQ+ communities. Still, this is a legitimate LGBTQ+ record worth analyzing and discussing.β―β―
Appears in :β―β―
- Kendrick Lamar, Auntie Diaries: Controversial Tunes
No. 15 (2022)β―
- Incredible LGBTQ
Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 2 (2022)β―
6. Reba McEntire, βFancyβ
Rumor Has It β’
MCA β’
1990
βI stepped into a satin dancing dress / That had a split on the side clean-up to my hip,β
Reba McEntire sings in the first verse of
βFancyβ, adding, βIt was red velvet trim and it had fit me good /β¦ There stood a woman where a half-grown kid had stood.β What is Reba getting at on this cover of the 1960s
Bobbie Gentry classic?β― Poverty makes you make tough decisions, and for Fancy, the character portrayed by Gentry and McEntire in this cover from her 1990 LP,
Rumor Has It, her mom encourages her to get out of poverty through sex work.β― Yes, this country song is about prostitution β let that sink in.β―β―
β―
Even in the 2020s, songs about sex work still raise eyebrows, though arguably less so compared to βback in the day.β Still, where country musicβs biggest vice often seems to be an exorbitant amount of alcohol, prostitution obviously raises the bar.β― The lyrics never cross the line, mind you, but the innuendo is loud and clear.β― Furthermore, the fact that Fancyβs mother encourages her 18-year-old daughter to become a prostitute is shocking: βShe looked at the pitiful shack / And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath / She said, βYour Paβs runned off and Iβm real sick / And the babyβs gonna starve to death.ββ Desperate times call for desperate measures, exemplified by this record, where Fancyβs mother goes on to say, ββJust be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy / Theyβll be nice to you.ββ Damn! It is worth noting that Fancy ends up on top: βI charmed a king, congressman / And an occasional aristocrat.ββ― She also addresses the pushback: βThereβs a lot of self-righteous hypocrites that call me bad / They criticize mama for turning me out.β Even by the time the Reba version of
βFancyβ arrived, there was still C-O-N-T-R-O-V-E-R-S-Y!
Appears in :
7. Play-N-Skillz, βLiterally I Canβtβ (Ft. Redfoo, Lil Jon & Enertia McFly)
βLiterally I Canβtβ β’
2014
βA shot of vodka? / I canβt / Tequila? / I canβt / After party? / I canβt / Literally, I canβt.ββ― When you respond NO to peer pressure, it should be viewed as brave. Instead, far too often, the result is being viewed as boring, square, and up tight.β― In the context of
βLiterally I Canβtβ, a song that has almost been literally wiped off the internet
and unavailable to download or stream, the men β immature, overaged frat men at that β peer pressure the ladies to do things they donβt want to.β― And, amplified by a distasteful music video (reuploaded by someone else because the original is private), you know what
Play-N-Skillz,
Redfoo (renowned for his
LMFAO days),
Lil Jon, and
Enertia McFly tell the ladies: βOMG, STFU! / SHUT THE FUCK UP!ββ―β― β―
The controversy of βLiterally I Canβtβ speaks for itself.β― The lyrics are abhorrent.β― Redfoo clearly hurt his career the most with this controversial 2014 joint.β― Although the then 39 year-old rapper seemed far too old to be anywhere near the frat house, and described his performance as satirical (), you canβt unsay the disturbing, tone deaf lyrics he serves up.β― βYou got a big olβ butt / I can tell by the way youβre walkinβ / But you annoying meβ¦ cause youβre talkinβ,β he raps, continuing, βBounce on the pogo / Jump on the jack hammer / Get low, low, lowβ¦β
So, basically, heβs telling her to pleasure his man parts, but she better not use her mouth to talk, let alone her mind: βI said jump on the pole / I didnβt MEAN your opinion / Girl Iβm sipping on this drink / Iβm tryna see what you got / No tryna hear what you think.β MISOGYNY = an ugly thing.β―β―Redfoo gets the brunt of the blame and fallout, but itβs not all on him. Lil Jon was well beyond his crunk days when this hot garbage arrived, and even if the production of Play-N-Skillz is a selling point, the theme and controversy overshadow it.β― Also, letβs not leave out Enertia McFly: βYour booty in my hand is my new motto /β¦Put your lips on my bottle / Let me see you take it to the head.β Gotta love the clichΓ©, oral sex references.β― Literally, I canβt with
βLiterally I Canβtβ which scrapes bottom.
Appears in :
8. Peggy Lee, βThe Siamese Cat Songββ―
Lady and the Tramp β’
Disney β’
1955
βWe are Siamese if you please (meow) / We are Siamese if you donβt please (meow).β
βThe Siamese Cat Songβ, from one of Disneyβs most beloved animated films,
Lady and the Tramp, is easily one of its most controversial and problematic. You see βThe Siamese Cat Songβ plays on Asian stereotypes
.β― Early in Disneyβs history, the company, despite changing the face of animation, and serving up timeless films, had issues with insensitive depictions of minorities and, honestly, racism.
β―
Everything about this
Peggy Lee record would be scrapped in the 2020s. No, it isnβt about being woke, it is simply about a negative depiction of Asians.β― Notably, in the 2019 live action remake, the problematic Siamese Cats are eliminated.β― In the original, Si and Am are a hot mess β they create sheer havoc.β― They want to make the swimming goldfish drown β homicidal thoughts! Furthermore, they want to steal milk from a baby β SCANDALOUS! The point is, they are troublemakers and given the distinct Asian accent that the song is performed in (Siamese cats originate in Thailand), with improper grammar, it feels sus and insensitive, at least by 2020s standards.β― Also, the instrumentation, particularly the use of the gong, only makes things worseβ¦β― There are far more controversial tunes than
βThe Siamese Cat Songβ but, given this caricature (including intentionally slanted eyes visually speaking), as well as Disneyβs history of unflattering depictions of Asian characters, the controversy is justified.β―β―
Appears in :β―β―
- Peggy Lee, The Siamese Cat Song / Whatβs Going on Down There?: Controversial Tunes
No. 12 (2023)β―β―
- 13 More Songs Where The Keyword is SONG (2023)β―
9. Chuck Berry, βMy Ding-a-Lingβ
Have Mercy β His Complete Chess Recordings 1969 β 1974 β’
Geffen β’
2010
βWhen I was a little bitty boy / My grandmother bought me a cute little toy.β Sigh, us boys, we love our toys! Continue,
Chuck Berry: βSilver bells hanginβ on a string / She told me it was my ding a ling ling.β Hmm
, now things are getting a bit, dare I say, phallic? To be fair, on his sole no. 1 Billboard Hot hit,
βMy Ding-a-Lingβ, the rock icon never explicitly mentions the penis. That said, he doesnβt have to.β― Even the innocent lines of this reworked
David Bartholemew-penned joint feel like an ode to the crown jewels if you catch my drift.β― Those bells arenβt bells
!
βMy Ding-a-Lingβ is not profound β itβs utterly ridiculous. That said, you canβt listen to the chorus, where Berry asserts, βI want to play with my ding a ling,β and not roll your eyes, laugh, or cringe hard.β― Things only get worse from there, as in the second verse, at church, mind you, βEvery time the choir would sing / Iβd sit there and play with my ding a ling.β
! Apparently, in the third verse, heβs caught
! You canβt help but chuckle in the fourth, when he protects ding-a-ling after an accident: βI fell so hard I heard bells ring / But I never let go of my ding a ling.β The fifth verse is one reason why some radio stations probably refused to play it:β―
βI remember the girl next doorβ―
We used to play house on the kitchen floorβ―
Sheβd be the queen, Iβd be the kingβ―
Together weβd play with my ding a ling a ling.ββ―
My, my, my! It is worth noting that Mary Whitehouse attempted to get the song banned in Britain, to no avail. There are far more controversial and explicit songs these days. Still, the double entendre is quite pronounced on βMy Ding-a-Lingβ often labelled as Berryβs worst song despite its success.β―
Appears in :
10. The Chicks, βGoodbye Earlβ
Fly β’
Columbia β’
1999β―
βEarl had to die / Goodbye, Earl / Those black-eyed peas / They tasted all right to me, Earl.β This seems like the opportune time to double down on the fact that two wrongs DO make a right, so, letβs controversially consult βthe good bookβ for context in the controversial
The Chicks classic,
βGoodbye Earlβ! The Bible says, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, so, it feels totally right that
Natalie Maines and company atoned for abuse with the murder of the scum of the earth. HELL yeah, with emphasis on the HELL part.β― Honestly, the excerpted lyrics from the chorus tell you why this gem from their 1999 album,
Fly, is deemed as one of the most controversial songs of all time.β―
β―
To be fair, The Chicks did NOT write the song or originally perform it.β― Blame songwriter
Dennis Linde for the controversy, dang it! Linde is to blame for penning an anti-abuse anthem that found the abused (Wanda), and her friend (Mary Ann), murdering the abuser (Earl)! βYouβre feeling weak / Why donβt you lay down and sleep, Earl,β Maines continues singing in the chorus, adding, βAinβt it dark / Wrapped up in that tarp, Earl?β Again, what more can you say but, damn! Anyways, Linde wrote this anthem, which finds Earl abusing Wanda in the second verse, including Earl βWalked right through that restraining order / And put her in intensive care.β Originally, the song was recorded by
Sons of the Desert but the album was never released β a whole mess in itself.β― Naturally, the messaging of βGoodbye Earlβ is mixed, hence why it aroused the controversy it did.β― It is probably best to look at this fictional song as tongue-in-cheek, however, there have been real life instances where someone was abused in some form or fashion, and they ultimately killed the abuser.β― That said, it is still disturbing that βIt turns out he [Earl] was a missing person / Who nobody missed at all.β
β―
Appears in :
11. Prince & The New Power Generation, βSexy M.F.β
Love Symbol β’
NPG / Legacy β’
1992β―β―
βIn a word or two, itβs you I wanna doβ―/ No not your body, your mind you foolβ―/ Come here baby, yeahβ―/ You sexy motherfucker.ββ―
Prince & the New Power Generation brought the heat (and controversy) on the song
βSexy M.F.β from
Love Symbol (1992). On the one hand,
Prince seems to want an emotional connection.β― On the other hand, however, even if Prince makes it βexplicitlyβ clear βThis ainβt about sexβ (verse two), itβs hard to deny sex is an ingredient, particularly given his heaping dose of potty-mouth.β―The Purple One uses ample terminology associated with sex, even if, as he asserts, itβs not about sex.β―β― β―β―
βYou seem perplexed I havenβt taken you yetβ―β―
Canβt you see Iβm harder than a man can getβ―β―
I got wet dreams cominβ out of my earsβ―β―
I get hard if the wind blows your cologne near meβ―β―
But I can take it, βcause I want the whole nineβ―β―
This ainβt about the body, itβs about the mind.ββ―
Alrighty thenβ¦β― Honestly, the controversy associated with βSexy M.F.β speaks for itself.β―Despite its explicitness, the hella funky yet controversial AF βSexy M.Fβ was a single from
Love Symbol.β― Obviously, it had to be amended for airplay because, well, you canβt go around throwing the mf-bomb around! While stateside it didnβt ignite the Billboard Hot 100 on fire, it did debut and peak at no. 66.β― Examining Princeβs catalog in its entirety, βSexy M.F.β is one of his better records.β― Certainly, it ranks among his funkiest and most fun (βSexy motherfucker shakinβ that ass, shakinβ that ass, shakinβ that assβ)!β―β―β―
β―β―
Appears in :β―
- Prince & the New Power Generation, Sexy M.F.: Controversial Tunes
No. 5 (2022)β―
- Incredible Songs: 1990s, Vol. 3 (2023)β―
12. Madonna, βJustify My Loveββ―β―
The Immaculate Collection β’
Warner β’
1990β―β―
βWanting, needing, waiting / For you to justify my love.ββ― Reading the lyrics on the page, it doesnβt sound nearly as sexy and lustful as when
Madonna performs them.β― The words hail from the chorus of one of the sexiest (and most controversial) songs of her illustrious career,
βJustify My Loveβ. βJustifyβ appears on her 1990 compilation,
The Immaculate Collection. Another no. 1 hit single for Madge, it stands out the first time you hear it. Notably, it was written by her,
Ingrid Chavez, and Lenny Kravitz.β―Madonna mostly provides spoken word, in an erotic, horny way.β― None of the lyrics are extraordinarily risquΓ© β it was 1990 β but the personality she infuses elevates the temperature. βI want to run naked in a rainstorm,β she asserts in the first verse, adding, βMake love in a train cross-country / You put this in me / So now what, so now what?β Hmm, βYou put this in meβ doesnβt seem like a coincidence!β―
Madge also makes it clear that she βDonβt want to be your mother /β¦sister either / I just want to be your lover.β Woo! The third verse seems the most progressive, particularly the end:
βIβm not afraid of who you areβ―β―β―
We can fly!β―β―
Poor is the manβ―β―
Whose pleasures dependβ―β―
On the permissions of anotherβ―β―
Love me, thatβs right, love meβ―β―
I want to be your baby.ββ―β―β―
Those lyrics seem to match the LGBTQ component of the music video
, which features same-sex couples enjoying love just like Madge does.
Appears in :β―β―
- Madonna, Justify My Love: Controversial Tunes
No. 33 (2021)β―
- 21 Songs About the Universal, 3-Letter Word, SEX (2022)
- Incredible Songs: 1990s, Vol. 2 (2023)β―
13. Bruce Springsteen, βAmerican Skin (41 Shots)β
High Hopes β’
Bruce Springsteen β’
2014
β41 shots / Cut through the night / Youβre kneeling over his body in the vestibule / Praying for his life.β
βAmerican Skin (41 Shots)β marks the heaviest moment of
High Hopes, the 2014 album by
Bruce Springsteen.β― Furthermore, itβs probably the most controversial song in The Bossβ catalog. βAmerican Skin (41 Shots)β wasnβt born in 2014, despite the fact it was dedicated to Trayvon Martin, one of many senseless tragedies involving unarmed black men. The original arrived 13 years earlier, inspired by a different but equally tragic incident.β―Back in 1999, 23-year old West African immigrant, Amadou Diallo was fatally shot by the NYPD sparking outrage.β― Springsteen wrote this song protesting the wrongful death that same year. 41 shots are the number of shots fired towards Diallo. βAmerican Skin (41 Shots)β first appeared on his live album,
Live in New York City from 2001, but wouldnβt receive the studio treatment until 2014.
βAmerican Skin (41 Shots)β has a chilling, disturbing lyrical tone:β―βIs it a gun, is it a knife, is it a wallet, this is your life / It ainβt no secret, it ainβt no secret, no secret my friendβ―/ You can get killed just for living in your American skinβ¦ββ―β―The lyrics that raised more eyebrows relate to police interaction when black in America.β―
βYouβve got to understand the rulesβ―
If an officer stops you,β―
Promise me youβll always be politeβ―
And that youβll never ever run awayβ―
Promise Mama youβll keep your hands in sight.β
The controversy, of course, is Springsteen was criticized for being anti-police.β― Heβs not βanti-policeβ mind you, but some police officers were unhappy about the record.β― They missed the point β itβs about the senseless tragedies facing blacks.β―Ultimately,
βAmerican Skin (41 Shots)β is food for thought, addressing a huge problem in the United States, where more work and progression are needed.β―
Appears in :
- 13 Powerful Songs Where Black Lives DO Indeed Matter (2020)β―
- Bruce Springsteen, American Skin (41 Shots): Controversial Tunes
No. 6 (2022)
13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 3 (2023) [
: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Aftermath / Interscope, Bruce Springsteen, Columbia, Disney, DistroKid, Geffen, Interscope, MCA, NPG / Legacy, Party Rock, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner; 100 files, Deon Black, Jonas Wilson, Marlon Alves, Tazz Vaughn from Pexels]