Why THE CURE CENSORED Their First Single - Killing An Arab
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- Опубліковано 11 лип 2023
- The Cure: Why the Cure Censored their first single
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I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos.
When a rock band lands itself in hot water with one of their songs lyrical content, it usually results in the artist sticking up for their music. In fact if you guys like those types of stories, I’ve most similarly done a video on the Guns N’ Roses song ONe in a Million, the link is down below. But in today’s video we’re going to talk about the time The Cure pleaded with radio stations not to play one of their songs and even changed the lyrics during live performances. Let’s explore what happened in today’s video.
Considered part of the English pop-music revolution of the late 70’s and led by frontman Robert Smith, The Cure’s long career has seen them withstand changing trends and be one of the most influential bands in rock combining elements of Goth,, post-punk ,alternative rock and new wave.
Released as the Cure’s first single of their career in 1978, Killing An Arab would be recorded during the sessions for the group’s first record, 1979’s Three Imaginary Boys (1979) While it wouldn’t make it onto the record, it would instead be released on the group’s first American and compilation release “boys don’t cry.’ It would also be released on a compilation record 1986’s Standing On a Beach. The Cure even appeared on French TV in 1979 to perform the song live, long before Smith developed his signature goth look.
While the song seemed to mostly go under the radar for a number of years, the controversy surrounding the song started around 1986-1987. That may have coincided with The Cure’s rise in popularity in America who had their first gold record with their 6th release, 1985’s The Head On the Door. However it should be noted that NME would write about the tune in 1978 following it’s release and i quote at first glance irresponsibly racist," with Robert Smith responding, "It’s not really racist, if you know what the song is about." Instead Smith claimed the song was misunderstood.
Couple the Cure’s rise in popularity with a lot of geo-political events involving the middle east and it’s no surprise there was a controversy over the tune. But politics wasn’t on the mind of Robert Smith when he wrote the song. In fact, his inspiration would be literary. . The song would be inspired by the 1942 Albert Camous (ca-mooo) novel The Stranger, which sees the main protagonist kill an unnamed Arab character for no reason after attending his mother’s funeral. The protagonist meanwhile feels no remorse for their action and is executed. Smith wanted to condense some of the key moments from the novel into the song with him telling an interviewer “If there’s one thing I would change, it’s the title,” “I wrote it when I was still in school and I had no idea that anyone would ever listen to it other than my immediate school friends. One of the themes of the song is that everyone’s existence is pretty much the same. Everyone lives, everyone dies, our existences are the same. It’s as far from a racist song as you can write. It seems though that no one can get past the title and that’s incredibly frustrating. The fact is it’s based on a book that’s set in France and deals with the problems of the Algerians, so it was only geographical reasons why it was an Arab and not anyone else. He would speak out and be disgusted by the misappropriation of the song by bad faith actors
It was in August of 1986 The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee became aware of the song when the organization’s director read a review of the compilation album Standing on a beach. The Committee filed a complaint with the Cure’s American Label Elektra. Meanwhile, in October of 1986 a different Committee member complained to the press after hearing the song played on WPRB, Princeton’s University Radio Station with the DJ making a derogatory statement about Arabs.
The Committee would issue a statement to the LA Times that read '' 'The song' has been and could continue to be misunderstood and/or misused by many people. There are those who may not have read Camus's 'Stranger' or not understood its connection to it. Unfortunately there are also those who would use the very title to fan ethnic or racial division in America.''
Initially the Committee asked for the Cure and their la
Here’s the One in a Million video ua-cam.com/video/3LzbmknccXM/v-deo.html
The Cure's early stuff is really dark and eerie. They had their own style and inspired many bands that followed.
Seems to me that in the period they were strongly inspired by Joy Division
Wire or siouxsie and the banshees
Band good, band did things!
@@Wolfi_Draws__Music
The Cure formed in 1978.
Robert Smith played lead guitar with Siouxsie and the Banshees from 1982-84.
@@fandzejka9540They we’re around at the same time, and more post-punk in their early years.
There are similarities in a few songs by both - and quite a few other bands.
Fan of Camus, Sartell, and their writings. Never figured the song for hate mongering, as Mr. Smith is too kind a person for such crap. Loved it then and love it now.❤
I will say this song led me to read the stranger. That’s something, right?
That *is* something. Absolutely ! I also read it but for French class.
I also read all of Camus books after hearing this song...
Like you, I read Camus (in French) because of this song. Curiosity > Victimhood
Yes! The Stranger! Good for you mate!
I really need to read it. I read another book of his about a plague outbreak in Tunisia that examines the social implications of such a thing and people coming to terms with mortality and the arbitrariness of fate (it's been years but I think those were important parts of it), but I have yet to read The Stranger.
Omg you know what's weird before I knew about it being misunderstood, I never misunderstood it! If you look at the rest of the words and what the cure is all about, its easy to get the real meaning! I love the cure 💛
Exactly, but how many people actually look for context, I always loved this song for it message and had to explain it to too many people
So many people just don't listen to song lyrics, it's really frustrating
@-Teague- look at Robert's face in the thumbnail. It's a perfect representation of what I feel 😆
That's the very first song I heard from The Cure back in 83..... Standing On A Beach on cassette is the best compilation, put out in the 80's... Lonely As An Eyesore is in 2nd place....
People will always misinterpret lyrics, no matter what.
Thats supposed to be part of the magic or lyrics, theyre completely bendable and can mean different things to different people. But when that interpretation is targeted anger everyone forgets that first part. I love bands that specifically tried to piss everyone off like gg allin and the mentors.
Reminds me of when ignorant bigots interpret Peter Gabriel's Not One Of Us as anti-immigration when it is the exact opposite and condemns hatred
@@nwerd7584 Yes. It's all too easy to jump to conclusions about what GG's lyrics really mean.
My all time favorite band … 1980s high school ❤
أنا من المملكة العربية السعودية وهذه واحدة من أغنيتي المفضلة!
You are not. That's a google translated arabic you are using
you’re not an arab
OFFS - you can try to address many problems with human beings such as racism or sexism, but as this story proves there's no fixing stupid. The idea that anyone could see the title of this song and think it was an incitement to kill Arabs proves that.
noy if addressing those problems means comittng to exceptions of free speech, that shits absolute brotha. words arent oppressing you, at best other humans are. Not words.
Me: "How bad could it be?"
Song Title: "Killing an Arab"
Me: "Oh...I see."
😂
🎶 It Doesn't Matter If We All Die ! 🎶
Now that's not only how you start a great song, but the whole freakin' record!!!
My fave Cure "album" is "Standing on a beach" which is mostly (or all?) B-sides and it starts with "Killing an Arab". Same as with Ice-T and "Cop Killa" people lacking high intelligence latch onto the name and refuse to listen further to understand that the message of the song is something much different. And in the case of the Cure totally innocent...
It's the best! Such a bummer it isn't on spotify!
there are no b-sides on this record, it's all of their singles from 1979 to 1986
it was followed by galore in 1998 with all the singles from 1987 to 1998
all the b-sides and some rarities/demos are on the 4 disc compilation join the dots
also, japanese whispers is a compilation of the non-album singles let's go to bed, the walk and lovecats together with their accompanying b-sides
"Standing On A Beach" is one of the best compilations ever!!
Charlotte Sometimes by The Cure was released on a 1981 New Romantic compilation album called Modern Dance . The Cure have always distanced themselves from that movement?
I love that song. Fire in Cairo is another all time favorite
Learn something new every day. Thanks
Thank you for doing a video on The Cure!
Prince & The Cure raised me. Mindfxck 🖤 A good one, though!
My favorite band of all-time. 👏
Staring at the sea, staring at the sand
They used to play it all through the 80s in california...on radio..i used to hear it alot...
If people actually read a book they would know what this song is about.....lol
READING, ARE YOU REGARDED?? lol
More Cure Stories!
That's the problem with incendiary titles of songs, they get attention but for the wrong reason
Same thing with Body Count doing "Cop Killer"
I recently saw The Cure in Vancouver. They polayed this right near the end of the concert and wow what a great concert. Its very true that The Cure write very in depth lyrics and music and good for them for putting an end to the unnecessary bullshit that saroinded the song.
You can’t change history. I still have this CD 🖤 My favorite song by The Cure .
Nur diese Sorgen hätte ich gerne, ich wäre der glücklichste Mensch auf Erden
I'm Mexican American I've been called racist names. Never once did I think this song was racist.
you don’t get to decide if it’s racist or not because you’re NOT an Arab.
This resonates at the beginnings of societies contemporary inability to understand nuance and literary devices. This destructive societal affliction has occurred all in the name of “protecting” societal minorities from defamation and supposed incitement of violence. The ultimate cost is citizens and artists becoming involved in self-censorship, such as in this case. This behaviors only outcome is the cultural death of art which is exactly what we see playing out in the 21st century.
Plenty of people still make completely uncensored music, not sure what you're talking about
Dont judge a book by its cover / Don’t judge a song by its title
Never explain, never apologise.
This song is great. Take it for what it is... inspired by a book. Stop clutching pearls.
I’ve been listening to it for DECADES! I love this Song, and never saw it as anything to pull from the shelves, burn at the library!
The Music is Insanely Cool, and I have addiction emotions to Big Bands like
“The Cure”
I literally CRAVE, to hear songs of theirs, and this is one of them!
Its sad, when Artists are misunderstood…..
I ❤the Cure, no matter what!
None of them are of bad faith!
Great video.
I just wish Robert would take himself more seriously.
NEVER APOLOGIZE!
I really wish they’d release the new album, does anyone know a release date yet?
It is the song that lead me to the cure. It doesnt mean what simple minded think. It is a deep look at the human condition
I have their compilation album in cassette tapes.
This song has been misused because of it's title and chorus in a similar way that Springsteen's Born in the USA has been misused as a super patriotic hymn (which it definitely is not). It's unfortunate. But the reality is that artists can choose to express themselves with their own intent, but they don't get to choose how people interpret the expression. Sometimes, people just suck.
Still have my original copy of the 7"
One of my favourite The Cure songs
Based The Cure song. Albert Camus' The Stranger is an amazing book. Funny how people miss the while point of the book
This is why i only listen to Skrewdriver. No misinterpretation there.
Brethren
That thumbnail of R. Is a carbon copy of one of my sleep paralysis demons 😮
Love this song always have
2:45 France 2023...
Reminds me of the Richards at Rocket when they split...
Love this song 🎵 ❤️
❤❤❤The Cure❤❤❤
We saw this coming decades ago!
Was it on the Faith album
I wasn't aware of the controversy, but I figured this song wouldn't play now because the title is policaly incorrect.
The best band in the world!
I've read the book.
Goated song and nothing else 🙏
5:00 One of the alternate titles is even worse lol.
let's play
I thought it was a reference to Camus?
Great song tho
Still my favorite Cure song. It's about a Camus novel. But idiots take things at face value.
Love the song !!!!!
Just goes to show you that people have getting offended by interpreting things as they want and not in context for decades. I think it's just wrong in music it is 100% censorship. Yeah people can interpret things as they want, but we should never censor things. Ever been to Germany? The land of censorship? Their government is weird. You can't put out certain things, but if you go to the music section it literally says *black music* for rap/hip-hop my friends and I were dying at how racist that was and considering how the government says they are protecting the people.
Haaa, mainstream Americans! Seems they never read past the title of anything, never truly listen to a song, or maybe just don't understand what they hear? 👂🏽🤔
We had "text explanation" class in school, in which each student had to write several pages on what they understood about the mandatory book they had to read... Starting in 3rd grade! The purpose was precisely to avoid this kind of misunderstanding of a text. All Northern Europe have this class, maybe they don't in the US? 😳
hating hate is the only hate acceptable. lmao
How's that migrant invasion going for you?
The instant I saw the title of this vid I said in my head "Killing an Arab?" lol.
Please get a pop filter for your microphone
That's the right song for tye present times!!
I love the book and I think it's a decent song but I respect the self censorship here. Defending the short sighted writing of your younger self isn't worth the hassle of being labelled a racist even when that clearly wasn't the intention behind the tune.
The Stranger...
I like the title 😂
I saw them a month ago and this was the last song they played.
It's a good song, it's frustrating that bigoted @#$%^^% try to use it in horrible ways. It's cool the Cure did their best to be sensitive to the problems with idiots misinterpreting it.
C'est pour Albert camus. Quand même!.
I heard this song when I was 15 (2005), far removed from its release. Even at that age, I was smart enough to deduce the song’s meaning. I simply thought it was badass and I still do. Having not known the backstory, my own thought is that it was about someone thrown into a war that they didn’t believe in. It seemed like it was more about losing touch with oneself and the very things that make us human, while simultaneously detesting the ideologies that separate us from one another.
Still an awesome song, and I would like it every bit as much if it said “killing a Christian” or “killing a yankee”, because it is clear it is not a song promoting the idea of doing so-it’s almost satire.
Early Cure were awesome.
The problem isn't misunderstood lyrics/song meanings, it's how scum uses those misunderstandings. A college DJ played the Cure's song and used the title as an excuse to make derogatory remarks about Arabs at a racially charged time in the country. I remember that, when "One in a Million" came out, a morning DJ out here DIDN'T EVEN PLAY THE SONG, but still used it (because by then everyone had already heard it) as an opportunity to slam homosexuals with thinly-veiled derisive comments.
Rush had to defend their "fascist" lyrics in 2112 for decades.
I wonder if when he was in high school and he wrote this song how much did he really like Arabs? How much does he really like them now? why doesn’t the world condemn Arabs for all the racism and antisemitism and anti-western sentiment? how come it’s only the west that’s held to this standard.?
If we are gonna go at artist for "offensive" content can we just stop making music. Rap has HORRIBLE and racial content, so does punk so does country so does etc its just now that everyone wants too be goths the softies of tik tok are on strike. Its pathetic. If you dont like someone or something WALK AWAY stop ruining music for the rest. Fan of the cure for almost 20 years now and i Love that song and im a bi Salvadoran woman with native roots. Get over it and stop being offended its ANNOYING
Robert Smith not only did nothing wrong, he tried to correct it. When are smart people going to learn that you can't fix stupid?
I think I have more important things to do than be offended by songs
Unless it's something from past 1984 lol
Stupid people can see hate in everything.
It doesn't matter the intention of the author, Smith and Camus.
And that's why......
...and yet it is a great sounding song, I was 13 when I got the ep and at no point did I think it was racist nor did it turn me into a racist....it may have inspired my love of falafel and humus though...not sure.
The Cure did the right thing here.
This is what happens when you have an illiterate world.
I really like that song, but if someone uses your creation for evil you have an obligation to destroy it. Maybe if they were a punk band they could have written an equally edgy song like Nazi Punks F Off like the Dead Kennedys did, but I think Robert Smith just wants to make really good pop music.
Well when this track was released the band was more leaning towards a punk/ post punk vibe over the dark wave pop act they eventually transformed into, so thus this song. Hateful and racist people will get what they want out of it despite the authors actual intention and source of inspiration. Personally I prefer the early version of The Cure that mostly rejected pop sensibilities, at least in the conventional ways.
so when antifa kills a skinhead.. by your logic that song should be destroyed. and it hasnt because theres a giant bias. In the US nazis are afforded all the same rights as everyone else and should be allowed to exist without harassment. Its a belief and political and societal system close to communism. Theyre not hurting anyone. Flaunting your hurt emotions is the most soy shit ever. Skrewdriver albums and Bound For Glory albums or Burzum albums all rule and should be explicitly celebrated like the rest of music.
And enola gay is about you know....kaboom
Committees, Orgs & other SJW crap agenices stifled music. I remember how much crap I went thru trying to buy music w/ swearing as a teen in the 90s.
Noticed how they care about degenerate booty hoe raps & murder drill music w/ the same energy now. Which is true trash.
You can say "your guys". "Your guyses" is just silly.
All of these "rebellious" rock stars always bow to cancel culture.
F being pc getting sick of this bs
It wasnt being PC. There were assholes that requested the DJ at the radio stations to play this song during the Gulf War in 91. Thankfully the DJ was saying that he can't play the song in the radiostation and that the person requesting it was being very distasteful.
Why ....kalifornia pulp fiction devil devils advocate and you are worried about a song that accurately depicts the middleman dilemma in middle earth
Never heard it.
Silly emotional pandering to fragility.
It's interesting to see political correctness rear it's head in punk :-). It's all about the $
Cure music is about child abuse. That he suffered I think.
Guns and Roses song One In A Million is a great song. It still holds up today and is 100% accurate in its lyrics.
Final straw, you're off Jim island. Pack up your bandanas and screeching "vocalist" and git.
Love the song but I do not see a mini iran.
Yeah, if you're an uneducated blowhard I can totally see how one would think those lyrics are "accurate".
The song also musically sucks, but that's just my opinion.
Just the name killing arab seems bad