Even Avian Flu Won't Stop The Rolling Stone's China Debut
With SARS a threat of the past, The Rolling Stones will play their first concert in Shanghai, China on April 8th. After 40 decades of trying to get Chinese censors to allow them to play, they were finally granted a concert 3 years ago, but it was thwarted twice when SARS kicked into full swing. Ticket prices of the Rolling Stone's 2006 April Shanghai concert range from 300 yuan ($37.50) to 3,000 yuan ($375). 3,000yuan is a on the high end of a monthly middle income salary in Beijing.
The band is not supposed to perform the following songs (links to lyrics): Brown Sugar, Honky Tonk Women, Beast of Burden, and Let's Spend the Night Together. I am trying to figure out why these particular songs are problematic, considering there are plenty of other Rolling Stones songs that could be labeled as inflammatory. Here are my guesses for the "raciest" words that rendered each song banned for their concert performance.
- Brown Sugar: I bet your mama was a tent show queen, Had all the boyfriends at sweet sixteen
- Honky Tonk Women: I played a divorcee in New York City,
- Beast of Burden: Ooh! Ooh! Please
- Let's Spend the Night Together: Let's spend the night together
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