From (ironically) the BBC NEWS:
BBC Radio 1 has said it will stand by its ban on the word “faggot” from the Pogues’ 1987 Christmas hit Fairytale of New York to avoid offence.
The word, sung by the late Kirsty MacColl as she trades insults with Shane MacGowan, has been dubbed out… Another line, where MacGowan calls MacColl “an old slut on junk”, has also been edited.
The strange thing is that this bowdlerization only applies to Radio 1. Radio 2 will be playing the original version. When I lived in England, Radio 1 was the cutting edge, while Radio 2 was Jimmy Young and Max Bygraves territory; no bad language allowed. How times change.
The only thing this story needs is an announcement by the Beeb that the decision was made on “health and safety” grounds; that seems to be the standard excuse for institutional stupidity these days.
Anyway, here’s the original version, with Kirsty. (Sigh… why did you have to go and die like that?)
UPDATE: Sanity has prevailed!