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This was the first track on the album, and released as the B-side for their more well-known "Volunteers." It didn't chart.
Due to Jefferson Airplane's experience and popularity among the American youth, they were granted complete artistic control for the Volunteers album. They exercised it here with a chorus of "Up against the wall, motherf--kers" that became a rallying cry for the counterculture.
One of the first recorded uses of the word "f--k."
On a previous album, After Bathing at Baxter's, they battled with their record company, RCA, over the use of the word "s--t." It was deleted from the lyric sheet.
The (uncensored) performance of this song for The Dick Cavett Show episode broadcast on August 19, 1969 marked the first time that the "f-word" was ever said/sung on television. Apparently, Cavett was asked to make a pre-show disclaimer statement before the broadcast. (thanks, Tony - Westbury, NY)
Comments (9):
Randy Houser
The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.
Pam Tillis
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Desmond Child
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Colbie Caillat
Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_Against_the_Wall_Motherf--kers
I wish their luxury cars would have been stolen, too, but haven't you read the essay "Death of the Author" by Barthes? The author is irrelevant, get over it. All that matters is the words. You'll find hypocrisy in everyone - just judge the words themselves and stop trying to feel superior simply because the author reaches out to heaven and fails to grasp it. Are you truly so saddened by your own failures to reach your dreams you can only spit vritually at others who have equally failed but at least tried?
How sad. Oh well.
We Can Be Together came out in the first part of 1970 when it appeared that the entire country was on the brink of chaos.
One wonders what would have happened if someone tried to steal one of the Airplane's luxury cars and told Grace and Marty,"Hey,all your private property is a target for your enemy"