Explicit Lyrics in Today's Society

Explicit Lyrics in Today’s Society

The First Amendment states that everyone has a right to freedom of speech and expression. Explicit lyrics are just that:

expression through speech. Although explicit lyrics are protected under the first amendment, some people are more than 100%

against it and are hoping to have it change. They believe that some lyrics are too explicit, that they shouldn’t be listened to

because it’s “morally damaging,” and that use of explicit lyrics should be prohibited altogether. That’s like saying the use of the

phrase, “I love God,” is prohibited. Why is it okay to shout your adoration of a holy figure, but not okay to listen to lyrics depicting

sex, drugs, alcohol, etc.? Under the first amendment, that phrase is protected, just like explicit lyrics are.

The exact amendment is: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free

exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to

petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Basically what it states is that we, as Americans, have the right to say

what we want, to express ourselves in any way we choose, or to practice any religion, and congress cannot stop us. When many

think about the first amendment they feel they have the right to say anything that they want to say, which under the first

amendment is completely true, but those same people feel that explicit lyrics should not be covered by the first amendment. If

people had their freedom of speech taken away from them, like some people are trying to do by removing explicit lyrics, then

people will feel as if they can’t say what they feel. How would anyone feel if they couldn’t say what’s on their mind? Or if voicing

their opinion was illegal? Just like music artists would if explicit lyrics weren’t covered by the first amendment. The First Amendment says that everyone has a right to the freedom of speech. I believe explicit lyrics should be protected

as free speech by the first amendment, because that’s exactly what it is. We could go dance up and down Route 66, yelling

religion scriptures, and congress wouldn’t give two hoots about it. So, if we can do all that without it being punishable, why can’t

music artists put explicit lyrics in their songs? You can sit here and say anything and everything that comes to your head, write it

into a song, and publish it, explicit or not. So, if you have that right, shouldn’t music artists? Shouldn’t music artists, people just

like you, be able to express themselves in a way that they feel? Just like you do when you say you don’t support them or their

explicit lyrics? Yes.