Yes, right here in our freedom-loving country, a 33-year-old classic rock song has been censored! Is it a rock classic or is it just more evil from the devil’s workshop? Do you even like The Eagles? Well, maybe. But of all the rock song lyrics that people could censor, this one seems pretty tame to me. Check out this piece from the Birmingham Weekly and then vote in their poll:

If you’re one of the 16 million people who bought the Eagles’ album Hotel California, or if you’ve spent any portion of your life somewhere other than the underside of a rock, you’ve heard the song, “Life In the Fast Lane.” And probably you like it: 33 years after its release, it remains a standard on classic hits radio stations like Birmingham’s Eagle 106.9 FM.

Unlike the vast majority of radio stations, Eagle 106.9 censors the song.

You probably know the line:

We’ve been up and down this highway/ haven’t seen a goddamn thing.

Eagle 106.9 program manager Mike Schoenherr, a.k.a. Hurricane Shane, replaced “god” with a snippet of lyric-less music from elsewhere in the song.

This was neither per any FCC policy or a mandate from Eagle 106.9’s owner, Cox Radio.

“It’s everybody’s policy,” says Eagle 106.9 station manger Ray Nelson, explaining his decision. “People find it offensive.” Of note, Nelson is a veteran of nearly 40 years in radio.

“This is the first time this issue has come to my attention,” says Don Felder, guitarist for the Eagles from 1974-1980 and 1994-2001. A native of the South, he agrees with Nelson in one respect: “There are people who have extreme religious beliefs that would find it offensive. I can understand why they wouldn’t like to hear it.”

Felder believes the song should be broadcast as the Eagles recorded it, though. His long list of reasons includes his determination that classic rock fans prefer it that way. Legally, the Eagles have no recourse.

The heart of the issue is to what extent classic rock fans in fact find the original version offensive. “I’d be happy to conduct an online poll to gauge listener opinion, because after all the station is theirs, not mine,” says Hurricane Shane. “I just mix the music and try to amuse and entertain the listeners occasionally.”

Seriously? Sheesh! This song has been played to death everywhere and everyone that cares knows exactly what the lyrics are.  Take their poll. The results will be published in the March 19 edition of Birmingham Weekly and on www.bhamweekly.com.

And, of course, you could always leave me a comment…  😉