Profanity in Eagles Songs

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well - that's very interesting and it's the first time I remember there being any evidence of Don altering the lyric. Maybe it was a one-time mishap or perhaps the band has targeted certain markets or cities (probably in the Bible Belt) where they have decided to alter it.

BTW - I am going to do as suggested and create a new thread for the discussion about the use of profanity in their songs. Feel free to post here until I set up the new thread and I'll move all the posts over.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

When a moderator can move the relevant posts, we can switch over to a new thread.

TLR, Yes, I do have a problem with the OMG in Wasted Time. It's not vulgar or coarse, but it is taking the Lord's name in vain. It's something I'm guilty of a lot myself and I've been trying to monitor myself, and avoid even the use of the OMG.

Bill, they sometimes avoid the curse word in LITFL and sometimes they do not. For instance, I went to two concerts in LA, and in one Don avoided it and in the other it was pronounced quite clearly. I've often wondered if there's a rhyme or reason for it.

[Freypower]

That sounds odd, almost like the choked or something. I would have thought that being the devout perfectionist Henley is, if he was going to drop the 'god' reference he would have hid it a bit better, doing it like he did there was so obvious. On the videos I have seen (from 2014) he doesn't explicitly say it, but it's nowhere near as removed as it is there. Weird.

I thought he sang the entire word but he may have slightly turned away from the mic.

But seriously, the song was released in 1976. Isn't it rather late to start censoring it?

[sodascouts]

I don't like to hear profanity in songs, and that includes OMG and stuff like that. I love to sing along but I never do for those parts. I always have to turn them down when Mom's in the car or when my nephews and niece are riding with me. It adds nothing, IMHO. Refraining from using profanity isn't about Christianity or morality; it's about not being unnecessarily crude. I expect more from songwriters of the Eagles' caliber than the F-bomb and OMG.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I meant to ask, how many other Eagles / solo songs contains swearing / curse words? Can't think of any offhand. I suppose 'Say goodnight Dick' at the end of On the Border could be interpreted as one, but there's little else.

I always heard that the "Say goodnight Dick" at the end of On the Border was also a subtle reference to President Richard Nixon's (aka "Tricky Dick") inevitable resignation or impeachment because of the Watergate scandal.

[thelastresort]

Thanks to whoever split all this BTW, much obliged. Never expected it to grow to the extent it has!

I always heard that the "Say goodnight Dick" at the end of On the Border was also a subtle reference to President Richard Nixon's (aka "Tricky Dick") inevitable resignation or impeachment because of the Watergate scandal.

Yeah, I know it was a reference to Nixon, however I was wondering if the term they used was on account of that being his nickname or just a convenient word to call him. I guess it's both!

[Freypower]

Can I ask again if 'God knows' in It's Your Life' is blasphemous? Or 'Oh God I hope he's home tonight' in The Allnighter? I guess if OMG is, so is plain OG. I'm sorry, but I don't know the rules.

Profanity doesn't bother me but I know it bothers others so I will say nothing more about it.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Can I ask again if 'God knows' in It's Your Life' is blasphemous? Or 'Oh God I hope he's home tonight' in The Allnighter? I guess if OMG is, so is plain OG. I'm sorry, but I don't know the rules.

Profanity doesn't bother me but I know it bothers others so I will say nothing more about it.

Sorry, FP. I knew I was leaving something out of my earlier post, but it took me so long to type what I did type, there were five other posts made before I clicked Submit!

I don't feel that 'God knows' is blasphemous. To one who believes, God always knows everything.

The second example, 'Oh God I hope he's home tonight', I would say it is unless you're actually talking to God. I say such things all the time, but then, I usually mean it as a prayer. Coming up on the scene of an accident or something and saying 'Oh God' is usually calling on the Name of God, which is 'taking the Lord's name NOT in vain', and is actually something those who believe are supposed to do. So you see, it comes down to the motivation behind the words. To one who believes, the Name of God is very powerful all by itself. Martin Luther wrote quite a bit on the subject in the Large Catechism on why you should use God's name, as well as when and why you should not.

[Funk 50]

I find the swearing and unpleasant language unfortunate.

Then again I couldn't even find the expletive in LITFL until it was pointed out to me, it's so mild in the UK. I'm unmoved by references to god unless they are actually religious. It's really impossible not to offend anybody so what can you do?

I did suffer the major embarrassment of playing Joe's "ILBT's" at full blast just after I'd bought "You Bought It, You Name It" but I accept his explanation and support it. (He didn't think his record company were paying any attention to his new record)

It's not so bad in rockers like Joe's, "It's Hard To Keep A Good Man Down" and "Band Played On" but "Damn It Rose" was a bit of a shocker, (some puffed up little fart), I suppose Don wanted us to feel uncomfortable, given the subject matter (Suicide, I think). Funnily enough, Bernie's, "Vile And Profane Man" opts for the less profane "break wind".

I believe "Get Up Kate" was about James Taylor's sister. If I ever meet James Taylor's sister, do you think she'd mind chatting about almost having an Eagles song about her?

I do like Business As Usual. Is the last "soul sucking" actually "soul sucking world" as it proclaims in the lyrics? It doesn't sound like an "s" to me.

[BillBailey1976]

I'm not a fan of bad language at all. I don't like it in movies either, and have turned a lot of movies off because of it.
I don't think any Eagles song needed it.
It is however, representative of the writer's personal speech habits. That was made clear while watching History of the Eagles. It sounded on that as if Glenn and Don both have very vulgar mouths in general.