Dire Straits “Money For Nothing” banned in Canada for gay slur
If you were old enough to be around during the explosion of the music video craze in the 80’s then you know the song and the video for “Money For Nothing” off the album Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits. The song came out back in ’85 and was omnipresent as it poked fun at the very video culture that helped make the band a global hit.
The song is sung from the perspective of a working man seeing dudes on MTV making what he sees as money for nothing. For those not old enough to remember they used to play tons of music on Music Television! As part of this working man’s description the character uses a homophobic f-word three times. Well after 25+ years of freedom the song has now been banned in Canada. That’s right, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council ruled that the f-word in question is offensive and should not be broadcast. They have requested that radio stations use an edited version of the song instead.
Here’s the original music video for “Money For Nothing” that includes the now deemed offensive lyric:
And here are the original lyrics, written by Mark Knopfler and Sting, for the song edited with our own bit of censorship too. Hey, who am I to argue with mighty Canada?
“Money For Nothing”
I want my, I want my M.T.V.
Now look at them yo-yo’s, that’s the way you do it
You play the guitar on the M.T.V.
That ain’t working, that’s the way you do it
Money for nothing and your chicks for free
Now that ain’t working, that’s the way you do it
Let me tell you them guys ain’t dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Baby get a blister on your thumb
We got to install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We got to move these refrigerators
We got to move these colour T.V.’s
The little fa**ot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy, that’s his own hair
That little fa**ot got his own jet airplane
That little fa**ot he’s a millionaire
We got to install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We got to move these refrigerators
We got to move these colour T.V.’s
We got to install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We got to move these refrigerators
We got to move these colour T.V.’s
Look at that, look at that
I should have learned to play the guitar
I should have learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it sticking in the camera
Man we can have some
And he’s up there, what’s that? Hawaiian noises?
Banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee
Oh, that ain’t working, that’s the way you do it
Get your money for nothing get your chicks for free
We got to install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We got to move these refrigerators
We got to move these colour T.V.’s
Listen here
Now that ain’t working, that’s the way you do it
You play the guitar on the M.T.V.
That ain’t working, that’s the way you do it
Money for nothing and your chicks for free
Money for nothing and chicks for free
Get your money for nothing, get your chicks for free
Money for nothing, chicks for free
Look at that, look at that
Get your money for nothing, get your chicks for free (I want my, I want my, I want my M.T.V.)
Money for nothing and chicks for free
Easy, easy
That ain’t working
Lead singer and co-writer Mark Knopfler commented on the lyric in question in an interview with Rolling Stone back in 1985.
“I got an objection from the editor of a gay newspaper in London – he actually said it was below the belt. Apart from the fact that there are stupid gay people as well as stupid other people, it suggests that maybe you can’t let it have so many meanings – you have to be direct. In fact, I’m still in two minds as to whether it’s a good idea to write songs that aren’t in the first person, to take on other characters.”
There’s been quite a bit in the news recently about the removal of the N-word from the classic novel Huckleberry Finn which highlights the same type of questions and dilemma. So what do you think of Canada’s (and our) decision to censor the song? Is this taking our new PC culture too far especially when the lyrics are written in the context of self deprecation?
