Chinese Democracy: Has it been banned?
While other singers, bands and musicians continue to add China as a stop on their world tours, it looks like Guns N' Roses won't get to do that anytime soon. The Associated Press reports that Chinese state media have blasted their song Chinese Democracy:
In an article Monday headlined "American band releases album venomously attacking China," the Global Times said unidentified Chinese Internet users had described the album as part of a plot by some in the West to "grasp and control the world using democracy as a pawn."The album "turns its spear point on China," the article said...
The Global Times article referred only to the title of the album and not to specific song lyrics. The record's title track makes a reference to the Falun Gong meditation movement that was banned by China as an "evil cult" and warns "if your Great Wall rocks blame yourself," in an apparent message to the country's authoritarian government.
Yet confusion remains over whether the album has actually been banned. The AP seems to suggest it has:
China's Foreign Ministry did not respond to faxed questions about the article, although a spokesman speaking on routine condition of anonymity said: "We don't need to comment on that."According to the AFP though, a spokeswoman with the Ministry of Culture appeared clueless about the new Guns N' Roses album:Spokesmen for the Culture Ministry and State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, government bodies that regulate album releases and performances, could not be reached for comment.
China's Ministry of Culture appeared to be immune to the global hype surrounding the album headed by Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, 46, the only member of the band's original line-up involved in the recording.AFP added:"This is the first time we've heard about it," a ministry spokeswoman said, when asked about the album and reports that it had been banned in China.
"I don't know if they're banned or not," she said. "It might be a rumour."
The album's official site chinesedemocracy.com was inaccessible in communist China and Internet portal Baidu.com blocked music-related searches for "Chinese Democracy".The inaccessibility of the site chinesedemocracy.com may have to do with keyword traps triggered off by the word 'democracy' and have nothing to do with the album itself. Also, MP3 searches for the song on Baidu appear to be working fine within and without China.
Just how subversive are the lyrics of the song Chinese Democracy? Read on after the jump and decide for yourself:
It don't really matter You're gonna find out for yourself No it don't really matter You're gonna leave this thing to somebody elseIf they were missionaries
Real time visionaries
Sitting in a Chinese stew
To view my dis-in-fat-u-ationI know that I'm a classic case
Watch my disenchanted face
Blame it on the Falun Gong
They've seen the end and it can't hold on now'Cause it would take a lot more hate than you
To end the fascination
Even with an iron fist
All they got to rule the nation
When all I've got is precious timeIt don't really matter
Guess I'll keep it to myself
Said it don't really matter
It's time I look around for somebody else'Cause it would take a lot more time than you
Have got for masturbation
Even with your iron fist
All they got to rule the nation
When all we got is precious time
All they got to fool the nation
When all I got is precious timeIt don't really matter
I guess you'll find out for yourself
No it don't really matter
So you can hear it now from somebody elseYou think you got it all locked up inside
And if you beat 'em enough they'll die
It's like a walk in the park from a cell
And now you're keeping your own kind in hell
When your great wall rocks blame yourself
While their arms reach up for your help
And you're out of time
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