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March 28, 2024, 10:36:07 AM

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Cannot unhear the chorus of Cheap Trick - Big Eyes as a horrific racial slur

Started by The Mollusk, October 04, 2021, 03:35:10 PM

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The Mollusk

Seriously how the fuck did this ever make it on to the record without anyone saying "Lads hang on, it really sounds like you're singing the N-word there"? It's so bad.

This has been prodding at my brain for a while now. I like Cheap Trick but this song's pretty shit anyway I reckon. I was sort of glad I have more of a strong excuse to give myself when I skip it in future, but annoyingly as is par for the course with all great power pop bands it is stupidly catchy and still pops into my head fairly often. I woke up with bad hangover anxiety at 5am today and it (the slur version I can't unhear) was stuck in my head for 2 hours as I lay there trying to get back to sleep. The fucking horror of that.

Here it is. I hope if you enjoy this song I have now ruined it for you.

Shit Good Nose

I'm no fan of Cheap Trick or the song, but I am very familiar with it (on very regular rotation on VH-1 in the 90s, usually on Tommy Vance's Friday/Saturday Rock Show) and, being genuinely honest, I've NEVER heard the n-word in it until you suggested it.  In fact I still don't.

Maybe you're just a massive racist?  Aaaaaaaahhhhh, etc.


Ferris


kngen

Listen to the version they did with Steve Albini instead. Not slathered in 80s vocal reverb, so easier to hear what he's actually saying.

https://youtu.be/6bsT3EWlsJM?t=101

Also, just listen to the Albini versions full stop. Sounds fucking great.

Johnny Yesno

It's just you, The Mollusk.

Quote from: kngen on October 04, 2021, 08:04:52 PM
Listen to the version they did with Steve Albini instead. Not slathered in 80s vocal reverb, so easier to hear what he's actually saying.

https://youtu.be/6bsT3EWlsJM?t=101

Also, just listen to the Albini versions full stop. Sounds fucking great.

You saved the thread!

Shit Good Nose

Sorry, I'm still only hearing "biiiiiiig eyyyyyes".  Maybe if you were deaf...

H-O-W-L

You saying it has made me twist my own brainuloid cells to hear it but I reckon in passing I would not hear it.

Goldentony

I went to see them at the Cavern and don't remember them doing this but they did do He's A Whore and near enough everything they should have except Stiff Competition, I don't remember Southern Girls either, be eally sad if they didn't, really really sad

boki


Johnny Yesno



The Mollusk

I guess I'm just an enormous racist then. I never thought I was at all and maybe if you'd all agreed with me this never would have happened. WELL DONE.

Goldentony

to my knowledge absolutely everybody at that gig also was white and mostly looked like Micky Dolenz but then I didn't move round much because old men cannot be moved

boki

Quote from: The Mollusk on October 06, 2021, 05:40:13 PM
I guess I'm just an enormous racist then. I never thought I was at all and maybe if you'd all agreed with me this never would have happened. WELL DONE.
We should've twigged when you started going on about having a white wedding, tbh.  Anyway, what are you gonna do about your massive racism backlog?

The Mollusk


boki

Meant to speak to you about that, it's obstructing a fire exit.  Suppose you just expect people to burn to death, huh?

Hank_Kingsley

I don't hear it myself, to be fair to Cheap Trick they have plenty of properly dodgy lyrics you can give the auld once over. Fuck knows what Surrender is all about but I reckon it must be racist and pervy somehow.

My bad lyric/pronunciation bit is in Big Star's 'Blue Moon' where Alex Chilton ruins the whole song by singing eyes like arse.

Head Gardener

When I heard the song on their live in Japan Cheap Trick At Budokan album (which seemed dodgy being on yellow vinyl even in 1978 too) I'd always thought Big Eyes was a nod to the Japanese obsession with big eyed anime girls, I probably never listened too closely (or had a lyric sheet insert) I also saw them at Reading Festival in 1979 and they were fucking BRILLIANT

non capisco

I remember there's a song on the first Fleet Foxes album where it sounds like they're repeatedly singing 'darkie man'. Turned that off at work in case people got the wrong idea.

The Mollusk

Quote from: Hank_Kingsley on October 07, 2021, 02:21:21 PM
My bad lyric/pronunciation bit is in Big Star's 'Blue Moon' where Alex Chilton ruins the whole song by singing eyes like arse.

My brain made a determined effort to ruin "Thirteen" for me recently by imagining the first person in the lyrics to be a 28 year old bloke with a neckbeard and a duster jacket, picturing him getting in a huff in the local record shop moaning to the disinterested person behind the counter that the girl's dad "just doesn't get The Rolling Stones, you know?". Mate, it is 2005 and you are a nonce.

Goldentony

Quote from: Head Gardener on October 07, 2021, 02:38:52 PM
I also saw them at Reading Festival in 1979 and they were fucking BRILLIANT

amazing! love the video of that they found, the version of Stiff Competition is ridiculous -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVfHKEKYRk0

Head Gardener

Quote from: Goldentony on October 07, 2021, 05:19:54 PM
amazing! love the video of that they found, the version of Stiff Competition is ridiculous -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVfHKEKYRk0

wow thanks for posting that, don't remember the song but yes, they rocked!



They were the best band that day especially after Thin Lizzy pulled out as headliners on the Saturday night (!!!) and were replaced by the fucking Scorpions!
Ramones pulled out on the Sunday night headline slot too and were replaced by Nils Lofgren, like that would ever happen now, they'd be meltdown

Video Game Fan 2000

Quote from: The Mollusk on October 07, 2021, 03:21:07 PM
My brain made a determined effort to ruin "Thirteen" for me recently by imagining the first person in the lyrics to be a 28 year old bloke with a neckbeard and a duster jacket, picturing him getting in a huff in the local record shop moaning to the disinterested person behind the counter that the girl's dad "just doesn't get The Rolling Stones, you know?". Mate, it is 2005 and you are a nonce.

Sadly, the beautiful song Thirteen really is from the point of view of a nonce noncing. One of several on that theme from Chilton.

Quote from: Goldentony on October 07, 2021, 05:19:54 PM
amazing! love the video of that they found, the version of Stiff Competition is ridiculous -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVfHKEKYRk0

this is fucking brilliant!!


itsfredtitmus

songs that would be really bad to post in the "Songs where you misheard the lyrics and like your version better threads"