If you’ve got spent any time perusing British tabloids over the previous 24 hours, you could have been tricked into believing {that a} modified model of Queen’s Greatest Hits omitting the tune “Fat Bottomed Girls” is proof of the so-called “woke agenda” taking maintain of the music business.
In actuality, there is a completely affordable (and fewer rage-inducing) rationalization for the change.
Why Is ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ Missing From New Queen Compilation?
The British rock giants’ first greatest-hits compilation was just lately made accessible on Yoto, a screen-free audio participant for youngsters that options audiobooks, music, radio, podcasts and extra. Released in 1981, the unique model of Greatest Hits featured 17 songs launched between 1974 and 1980.
The assortment offered greater than 25 million copies worldwide and stays the bestselling album of all time in Queen’s native United Kingdom. The newly launched model of Greatest Hits that seems on Yoto is nearly the identical as the unique incarnation, aside from the omission of “Fat Bottomed Girls.”
Some publications have tried to blow this alteration out of proportion, such because the Daily Mail, which revealed the self-satisfied headline “We Will Woke You! Queen Song ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ Is Mysteriously Dropped From the Group’s New Greatest Hits Collection.”
Contrary to what the Daily Mail needed to say, the choice is neither woke nor mysterious. Instead, the omission of “Fat Bottomed Girls” was meant to maintain the Yoto model of Greatest Hits as kid-friendly as doable to adjust to the platform’s whole mission assertion. Regardless of 1’s ideas on the choice, it isn’t troublesome to see how lyrics like “Left alone with big fat Fanny / She was such a naughty nanny / Heap big woman, you made a bad boy out of me” might be perceived as a bit of too saucy for younger listeners.
Watch Queen’s ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ Video
And lest anyone accuse Yoto of attempting to utterly sanitize Queen’s discography, the platform issued the next disclaimer on their Greatest Hits: “Please note that the lyrics in some of these songs contain adult themes, including occasional references to violence and drugs. These are the original and unedited recordings. Whilst no swear words are used parental discretion is advised when playing this content to or around younger children.”
Fans who nonetheless cannot recover from the omission can save themselves numerous hand-wringing by heading to the closest report retailer, the place they’ll certainly discover a used copy of the bestselling album for only a few kilos.
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