In the event you’ve spent any time perusing British tabloids over the previous 24 hours, you could have been tricked into believing {that a} modified model of Queen’s Biggest Hits omitting the tune “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 lately made out there on Yoto, a screen-free audio participant for youngsters that options audiobooks, music, radio, podcasts and extra. Launched in 1981, the unique model of Biggest Hits featured 17 songs launched between 1974 and 1980.
The gathering offered 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 Biggest 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 Day by day Mail, which printed the self-satisfied headline “We Will Woke You! Queen Tune ‘Fats Bottomed Women’ Is Mysteriously Dropped From the Group’s New Biggest Hits Assortment.”
Opposite to what the Day by day Mail needed to say, the choice is neither woke nor mysterious. As an alternative, the omission of “Fats Bottomed Women” was meant to maintain the Yoto model of Biggest Hits as kid-friendly as attainable to adjust to the platform’s whole mission assertion. No matter one’s ideas on the choice, it is not tough to see how lyrics like “Left alone with massive fats Fanny / She was such a naughty nanny / Heap massive girl, you made a foul boy out of me” may very well be perceived as a bit of 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 Biggest Hits: “Please notice that the lyrics in a few of these songs include 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 youngsters.”
Followers who nonetheless cannot recover from the omission can save themselves a variety of hand-wringing by heading to the closest report retailer, the place they will absolutely discover a used copy of the bestselling album for only a few kilos.
