I just read an interesting article about Alanis Morissette's new single "Everything". I can't say I've listened to much Alanis since Jagged Little Pill, but this article was about an offending lyric so I was intrigued.
It turns out "Everything" contains the A-word. That's right, she says "asshole". The opening line is "I can be an asshole of the grandest kind."
In this age of FCC fines and puritanism on American airwaves, Alanis has been forced to record a new version of the song or radio stations wouldn't play it. She re-recorded the tune with the word "nightmare" used in place of "asshole" and has distributed this radio edit to American radio stations. She had no choice. The word "asshole" is so offensive to Americans, it has no place on the public airwaves.
Interestingly enough she has not given this edited version to Canadian radio stations. Canadian stations are less fearful fines will follow if the A-word appears once in an Alanis Morrisette song. Back when "You Oughta Know" was burning up the charts I distinctly remember stations playing it with the F-word completely audible. Even the radio edit of this song did little to hide the fact she was dropping the F-bomb. Times have certainly changed since 1995. Welcome to Bush country.
