When you’ve spent any time perusing British tabloids over the previous 24 hours, you will have been tricked into believing {that a} modified model of Queen’s Best Hits omitting the track “Fats Bottomed Women” is proof of the so-called “woke agenda” taking maintain of the music trade.
In actuality, there is a completely affordable (and fewer rage-inducing) clarification for the change.
Why Is ‘Fats Bottomed Women’ Lacking From New Queen Compilation?
The British rock giants’ first greatest-hits compilation was just lately made accessible on Yoto, a screen-free audio participant for kids that options audiobooks, music, radio, podcasts and extra. Launched in 1981, the unique model of Best Hits featured 17 songs launched between 1974 and 1980.
The gathering bought greater than 25 million copies worldwide and stays the bestselling album of all time in Queen’s native United Kingdom. The newly launched model of Best Hits that seems on Yoto is just about the identical as the unique incarnation, aside from the omission of “Fats Bottomed Women.”
Some publications have tried to blow this alteration out of proportion, such because the Each day Mail, which revealed the self-satisfied headline “We Will Woke You! Queen Tune ‘Fats Bottomed Women’ Is Mysteriously Dropped From the Group’s New Best Hits Assortment.”
Opposite to what the Each day Mail needed to say, the choice is neither woke nor mysterious. As an alternative, the omission of “Fats Bottomed Women” was supposed to maintain the Yoto model of Best Hits as kid-friendly as doable to adjust to the platform’s whole mission assertion. No matter one’s ideas on the choice, it isn’t troublesome to see how lyrics like “Left alone with massive fats Fanny / She was such a naughty nanny / Heap massive lady, you made a nasty boy out of me” might be perceived as slightly too saucy for younger listeners.
Watch Queen’s ‘Fats Bottomed Women’ Video
And lest anyone accuse Yoto of making an attempt to fully sanitize Queen’s discography, the platform issued the next disclaimer on their Best Hits: “Please notice that the lyrics in a few of these songs comprise grownup themes, together with occasional references to violence and medicines. These are the unique and unedited recordings. While no swear phrases are used parental discretion is suggested when taking part in this content material to or round youthful kids.”
Followers who nonetheless cannot recover from the omission can save themselves numerous hand-wringing by heading to the closest file retailer, the place they will certainly discover a used copy of the bestselling album for only a few kilos.