This song was truly banned for no reason. It all started with a teenage girl’s father who penned a concerned letter to Attorney General Robert Kennedy, blaming the “extreme state of moral degradation” of the nation on the “Louie Louie” ditty. An F.B.I. investigation duly commenced. Of concern, according to the F.B.I. report, were lyrics that seemed to say, “At night at ten / I lay her again / F*** you girl, oh / All the way.”
To wit, the only obscenity of the song, it turned out, occurred at about 50 seconds when the drummer drops a drumstick and yells, “F***.” Ironically, the F.B.I. didn’t catch it. Song fact: Richard Berry wrote and recorded the calypso-inspired song with his band in 1957. The Kingsmen covered it based on a cover version by the Wailers that they heard playing on local jukeboxes.
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles
This song, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, was originally recorded by The Shirelles, an all-girl foursome. Rumor had it that it is about a girl ready to be intimate with a boy for the first time due to the lyrics, “So tell me now, and I won’t ask again, will you still love me tomorrow?” (How, exactly, is beyond our imagination). But several U.S. radio stations spotted the line and banned the song.
In 1960, the mere hint of suggestion was enough to trigger the alarms. The bans were not enough, however, to stop the song from the first black all-girl band from topping the U.S. charts and hitting No. 4 in the U.K.
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd
In 1952, the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” shot to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The adorable jingly-jolly holiday carol was recorded with lyrics sung by 13-year-old Jimmy Boyd. It sold two million copies during that holiday season. But not everyone was impressed.
The Catholic Church condemned the song for linking intimacy with Christmas. Several radio stations banned it. The line, “She didn’t see me creep/Down the stairs to have a peep,” was also considered indecent. (Wait. That’s not daddy dressed as Santa Claus?!)
"If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears
The way Britney Spears sings it, “If U Seek Amy” seeks an obscenity ban by wordplay. With an emphasis on “IF U See K,” a pun makes a double entendre of the refrain. Take a listen to judge for yourselves.
In case it appears inadvertent, a quick look at her music video clarifies her intentions. A wild party is winding down to a conservative domestic scene, like a risqué version of “Mrs. Robinson.”
"(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones
When this song was first released in the U.K., only pirate radio stations would play it. In the U.S., “Satisfaction” topped the charts at No. 1 for four consecutive weeks. But its aggressive lyrics were censored on TV, partly because Mick Jagger’s gyrations on stage were considered lewd. The words, “I’m trying to make some girl,” got zapped. Following the 1965 ban in the U.K. for lyrics deemed too suggestive, the song rose to No. 1 on the U.K. charts as well. However, it was also criticized for “tasteless themes.”
Critics found anti-establishment tendencies in lyrics such as, “When I’m watchin’ my TV, and a man comes on and tells me / How white my shirts can be / But, he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke / The same cigarettes as me.” Despite the denunciations, it’s the second greatest song of all time, according to Rolling Stone magazine. Devo, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Britney Spears, and Vanilla Ice have all released cover versions.