They censored what?

[Kid Rock wondering how to get Pamela Anderson back.]

Here is the chorus to Kid Rock's current song* where he is supposedly reminiscing about his teenage years in Michigan:

And we were trying different things
We were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long (repeat)

I mention this because on the trip to Jersey last week, we heard this song on the radio approximately 4,338 times. You know, approximately. Now, here's the pop quiz part: which part of this lyric is offensive?

[insert annoying Jeopardy timer music here]

Got your answer? Good. Read on.

My answer: None of it. If you can get past the fact that he's not exactly Dr. Seuss with the rhymes, I think all of it makes for a reasonable chorus.**

One could argue that a teenager shouldn't be doing any of that. Okay, if you're gonna get all prissy and parenty fine. YOU NEVER LET ME DO ANYTHING!!

Um, sorry. Not sure where that came from. Moving on.

If you answered: "smoking", you, too, can be a radio censor. One radio station played a version with the word "smoking" dropped out so it was "We were [empty pause] funny things". How incredibly lame is that?

Is smoking pot worse than drinking whiskey from the bottle or having underage sex? As a teenager, it's all illegal.

And, for that matter, why drop "smoking"? Why not drop "funny"?

What does this do except make kids think the song is cool because it has banned words? At least on one station. Every other station played it as written.

*shakes head* Wacky censors.


* If you can call it "his", since he samples heavily from both "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Werewolves of London. "

** As a kid, I loved Dr. Seuss. As an adult, I had to accept it was pretty much over once he got the restraining order.