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Wikipedia article"'Rock N Roll Nigger'" is a rock song written by Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye, and released on the Patti Smith Group's 1978 album 'Easter'. While the song has always been controversial for its repeated use of the racial epithet "nigger," a remix was included on the soundtrack of the 1994 film 'Natural Born Killers' and it has since been covered by several other artists, including Marilyn Manson (1995). Use of the word "nigger"In the song, Smith self-identifies as a "nigger," which she uses to mean a rebellious and honorable outsider. Duncombe and Tremblay suggest in 'White Riot' that Smith is continuing Norman Mailer's tradition of 'The White Negro', adopting black culture to express things she believes her own culture will not allow, and rejecting the oppression white culture has historically imposed on others. In an interview following the release of 'Easter', Smith discussed the song with a reporter from 'Rolling Stone'. 'Reporter': The other day you said that if anyone was qualified to be a nigger, it was Mick Jagger. How is Mick Jagger qualified to be a nigger? ReceptionBecause of its title and repeated use of the word "nigger", which in 1978 was already considered extremely offensive, "Rock N Roll Nigger" received no mainstream radio airplay. It was never released as a single, despite its popularity with live audiences. (The singles from 'Easter' were "Because the Night"/"God Speed" in August 1977, and "Privilege (Set Me Free)"/"25th Floor" about 12 months later.) In 2008, "Rock N Roll Nigger" was listed in 'The Pitchfork 500', a music guide published by 'Pitchfork' that lists the top 500 songs between 1977 and 2006. Cover versionsMarilyn Manson covered the song for their 1995 EP 'Smells Like Children'. Of his decision to cover the song Manson explained: "I thought 'Rock N Roll Nigger' was a song that I could really relate to, and our fans could relate to, about being an outsider. I also thought that nobody else really, in our era of music, had the courage to do a cover of a song like that because, you know, they would get in trouble for the title but this song isn't about racism. It's about standing up for yourself." British indie rock band Birdland released a cover version of the song in 1990, reaching number one in the UK indie charts. Detroit rapper Esham released a cover version of the song on May 28, 2021. Sources* [http://www.allmusic.com/search/all/Rock+n+Roll+Nigger Rock N Roll Nigger, song search, AllMusic Guide] References | |
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