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Dean 
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
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Points: 37575
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 Posted: January 21 2013 at 01:53 |
 scrivener wrote:
I'd be willing to bet that Zappa's lyrics in the ProgArchives forums are not controversial; at least not nearly as polarizing as Neal Morse's. But in the larger community (the United States), for a while they were the topic of headlines, television news coverage, and huge discussion about whether or not labeling CDs was a form of censorship. That makes it controversy, don't you think? |
Nope. John Denver also testified along side Frank Zappa - they were not called to account for their lyrics, they were speaking out against censorship. That doesn't make Zappa any more controversial than Denver.
Edited by Dean - January 21 2013 at 01:53
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verslibre
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 17068
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Posted: January 21 2013 at 16:34 |
scrivener wrote:
Zappa is certainly controversial as a lyricist; not many of the other names mentioned in these eight pages testified in front of the U.S. Congress in order to discuss his freedom to write them or others' freedom to hear them. |
If Zappa's lyrics on Sheik Yerbouti don't make him "controversial," nothing will! That album is as hilarious as the music is good. 
scrivener wrote:
But my vote goes to Neal Morse. The others who chimed in on him were clearly disdainful of his lyrics and beliefs. I'm in the other camp: I find them uplifting and moving. If we all agreed with the original nominator, there'd be no controversy. Neal's lyrics basically led to the end of Spock's Beard as we knew it. |
Neal's lyrics are more explicit where his faith is concerned, yet another believer, Geoff Mann (R.I.P.) remains the better lyricist, IMO. His lyrics tended more towards the allegorical and metaphorical (though "The Ceiling Speaks" and "The Collector" are clear in their message), but he was simply an amazing writer. And then he set lyrics to already-existing instrumentals Twelfth Night had composed and the fit was seamless. Geoff's awesome.
scrivener wrote:
Which brings me to Kerry Livgren. Kansas was at the height of its commercial success when the increasing spirituality of his lyrics made Steve Walsh leave the band. It wasn't too long before Livgren's shifting priorities led to his leaving the band too, and what's Kansas without Livgren and Walsh? Kansas has never been anything close to as good. |
That is certifiably and demonstratively true. I'll go further and say that most of Kerry's non-Kansas efforts exceeded Steve's, particularly with Seeds Of Change and the A.D. albums, which, IMO, are highly enjoyable and nearly as good as '70s Kansas.
Edited by verslibre - January 21 2013 at 16:37
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Jonathan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 18 2012
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 201
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Posted: January 26 2013 at 06:20 |
Roger Waters song "Sexual Revolution" is a bit offensive to me because it's about rape.
I tend to not listen to songs like that.
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Ambient Hurricanes
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 25 2011
Location: internet
Status: Offline
Points: 2549
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Posted: January 26 2013 at 20:21 |
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^I can listen to a song about rape as long as it depicts rape as the disgusting, dehumanizing, horrific act that it is. I abhor any music that promotes rape, and unfortunately, there is some out there.
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I love dogs, I've always loved dogs
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rogerthat
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2006
Location: .
Status: Offline
Points: 9869
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Posted: January 26 2013 at 20:55 |
Ambient Hurricanes wrote:
I abhor any music that promotes rape, and unfortunately, there is some out there.
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And there's plenty of rock music that all but does so and that hasn't even been mentioned thus far in this thread. I wish I could go back and learn to un-like Scorpions because their lyrics are disgusting. The whole attitude that girls exist only to get banged and sodomized by rockstars is sickening.
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Ambient Hurricanes
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 25 2011
Location: internet
Status: Offline
Points: 2549
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Posted: January 27 2013 at 15:18 |
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^The most recent example I came across went all-out in advocating gang rape, of all things - and it was from the musical mainstream! The line was "girl's passed out naked on the floor/everybody's gonna score" from Motley Crue's Saints of Los Angeles. I liked the song when I heard it first, but when I read those lyrics it just made me mad. We'd like to think that our "modern" and "enlightened" culture is doing away with misogyny but one glance at popular culture shows it's just as bad as ever.
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I love dogs, I've always loved dogs
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Metalmarsh89
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 15 2013
Location: Oregon, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 2673
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Posted: January 28 2013 at 15:01 |
How about songs such as Aqualung by JT or Prowler by Iron Maiden (I know they aren't really prog, but this song came to mind)? Both have some creepy meanings in them, though at least Aqualung was inspired from a woman's perspective.
I don't think there are many lyricists that I have disliked, hence not many come to mind. The one exception would be Lou Reed. I absolutely can't stand his voice, his style of singing, nor anything that comes out of his mouth.
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Jonathan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 18 2012
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 201
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Posted: January 29 2013 at 08:00 |
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But do you consider the song "Sexual Revolution" by Roger Waters to be offensive?
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lazland
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 13627
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Posted: January 29 2013 at 08:05 |
Jonathan wrote:
But do you consider the song "Sexual Revolution" by Roger Waters to be offensive? |
No. Why should we?
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Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time!
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Jonathan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 18 2012
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 201
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Posted: January 30 2013 at 16:17 |
lazland wrote:
Jonathan wrote:
But do you consider the song "Sexual Revolution" by Roger Waters to be offensive? |
No. Why should we? |
Because it might have had some lyrics about rape.
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lazland
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 13627
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Posted: January 30 2013 at 16:37 |
Jonathan wrote:
lazland wrote:
Jonathan wrote:
But do you consider the song "Sexual Revolution" by Roger Waters to be offensive? |
No. Why should we? |
Because it might have had some lyrics about rape. |
The whole album is a dream sequence, albeit much of it with the main character spending most of his sleep time fantasising about sex and sexuality. I never saw it as being about rape, just the dark sexual fantasies of a deeply repressed man.
Waters never, iMO, set out to be offensive in any work he produced. Challenging, political, and anti establishment, yes, but not overtly offensive.
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Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time!
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
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Posted: January 30 2013 at 17:23 |
lazland wrote:
Jonathan wrote:
lazland wrote:
Jonathan wrote:
But do you consider the song "Sexual Revolution" by Roger Waters to be offensive? |
No. Why should we? |
Because it might have had some lyrics about rape. |
The whole album is a dream sequence, albeit much of it with the main character spending most of his sleep time fantasising about sex and sexuality. I never saw it as being about rape, just the dark sexual fantasies of a deeply repressed man.
Waters never, iMO, set out to be offensive in any work he produced. Challenging, political, and anti establishment, yes, but not overtly offensive. |
Agreed - it can't be offensive if someone thinks it might be about something. As Steve says, it's about a dream of sex and infidelity, the song in question contains the lines: " I woke in a fever, the bedclothes were all soaked in sweat. She said "You've been having a nightmare and it's not over yet"
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What?
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Jonathan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 18 2012
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 201
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Posted: February 08 2013 at 20:50 |
How do guys feel about the lyrics to "Sacrificed Sons" by Dream Theater?
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Ambient Hurricanes
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 25 2011
Location: internet
Status: Offline
Points: 2549
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Posted: February 08 2013 at 21:40 |
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I like them.
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I love dogs, I've always loved dogs
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rikkinadir
Forum Newbie
Joined: March 09 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 38
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Posted: February 09 2013 at 04:38 |
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I think Peter Hammill is the best lyricist of all time. I also like Peter Gabriel, Daniel Gildenlow and Thom Yorke
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fmotp
Forum Newbie
Joined: August 04 2009
Location: Pekin, IL
Status: Offline
Points: 7
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Posted: February 09 2013 at 08:57 |
My vote wold go to King Crimson since Adrian Belew took over the vocals. I am going by the assumption that he also writes the lyrics. I think the odd thing is that Belew really can sing. It's odd because a lot of the lyrics are so obtuse that they sound like nonsense.
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Prog lover, proud parent, teacher, and Christian
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Jonathan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 18 2012
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 201
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Posted: February 09 2013 at 12:23 |
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Comus had some songs I find Controversial like "Diana" and "Song to Comus".
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Earthmover
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 03 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 1509
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Posted: February 09 2013 at 12:36 |
Jonathan wrote:
Comus had some songs I find Controversial like "Diana" and "Song to Comus". |
Drip Drip too.
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Jonathan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 18 2012
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 201
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Posted: February 10 2013 at 22:18 |
Don't forget "The Incident" by Porcupine Tree. That song is a bit offensive to me.
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: March 23 2005
Location: Caerdydd
Status: Offline
Points: 32995
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Posted: February 11 2013 at 06:29 |
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^Stop being offended. No one cares.
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