Questions about "clean lyrics"

It is very common in hip-hop to release 2 versions of the same song. One is the real thing, which is what most people buy, and one is the cleaned-up version, which is designed for airplay and for buyers who prefer that (or whose parents insist).

Often in iTunes you will see both versions for sale, one labeled "Explict" and one labeled "Clean." IN those cases, you can buy the one you prefer.

The iTunes Store doesn't "clean up" the lyrics, the label that released the song is the one doing the cleaning. Having both versions broadens the market for the song.

Something really peculiar is going on with "clean lyrics." Several albums by Caetano Veloso, the great Brazilian singer-songwriter, have every cut labelled "clean." But the lyrics are all in Portuguese! Plus, the world-renowned Veloso would hardly be one to let a record company censor him.

So what is going on here? Does any Apple suit ever weigh in here? Is there a way of getting the company to tell us whether or not albums are being altered or "clean" is a label to mollify parents of American kids who are fluent in Portuguese?

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But the lyrics are all in Portuguese!

The notions of Clean and Explicit are not unique to English.

Does any Apple suit ever weigh in here?

Hardly ever. It is a user-to-user forum.


Is there a way of getting the company to tell us whether or not albums are being altered

Often a song appears for sale in both "Clean" and "Explicit" versions, and then you can be darn sure it was altered. "Clean" might also be there simply as information to potential purchasers. Sometimes, the designation "Clean" may simply be an error; it would not be the only one in this database of 3 million songs.

If the artist is of interest, why not listen to the 30 second clips and decide whether they are what you wish to buy or not.

I disagree with one point here. I don't specifically know about Brazil, but most European cultures (I am to some degree familiar with pop culture in Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and some of the Scandinavian countries) do not label any CDs "Parental Advisory --- Explicit Lyrics." So the issue of cleaned up lyrics is one that is peculiar to the American market.

I would presume that, in a 30-second clip, Apple would be sure not to include any language that might offend any customer. So the clips wouldn't really tell you if content had been suppressed.

It would be helpful if Apple offered both the censored and uncensored versions. As it is, I'll have to shop somewhere else for music by the artists they have agreed to gag. It's a shame, really. We're not talking about pimp and ho music --- we're talking about one of the world's most popular, respected, and admired singer-songwriters.

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iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.5)