“she calls out my name,” was inserted. WLS would now play this new manufactured version. As a result it rose to number ten, while the original remained at seventy-one on the charts (Volz 3). In this case a small wording change not only robbed meaning from the song, but it also stole the fame for an undeserving manufactured version. Not only is censorship a blow to the musician and his song, it is also a violation of the First Amendment. In this amendment it is clearly stated Congress will make no laws against the freedom of speech. As Edward Volz asks, Should material labeled explicit or inappropriate not fall into these set boundaries (Volz 6)? It all comes down to one major point. If you don’t like the contents, don’t purchase the album. Good musicians write for themselves. They write about anything from good experiences to hardships that they have had to deal with. A musicians work can be taken in a few different ways. Depending on the listener, a certain album may receive a negative or positive review. What social obligations do musicians have? None, his only obligation is to write music true to himself. No other boundaries that could possibly hinder the musical content or meaning should be set. In my opinion some of the deepest most meaningful music of all time has been “socially irresponsible.” Cole Porter’s reference to cocaine use, along with Billie Holiday’s prostitution theme, represent some deep meaningful music. This is mainly because cocaine and prostitution played a role in these particular musician’s lives. Once again, if you don’t like the contents, don’t buy the album. Don’t ruin the artist’s integrity by censoring his piece of work. Certain groups that are critical of uncensored music and its effects have been around just as long as music. Some common complaints coming from these groups deal with increased teenage violence due to inappropria...
