Ode To Tipper Gore

Album: Cherry Pie (1990)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Can 55 or so seconds laced with profanity be called a song? "Written" by lead vocalist Jani Lane, "Ode To Tipper Gore" is the final track on the September 1990 Cherry Pie album.

    Lane died in 2011 in tragic circumstances; in his last interview with Denice Ames, he explained how it came to be recorded. He turned up at the studio late, and the engineer was sitting around with nothing to do. The live taping of a Warrant show had come in, and at some point this man received a phone call in which he was ordered to "Take all the profanity out!" So he did, and ran it together as a joke for Lane.

    Lane said he was surprised he'd used so much, but decided to focus his anger on something he thought was stupid, which was Tipper Gore's attempt to censor rock albums. After putting the track together, Lane said he invited her to a Warrant concert, but she didn't show up.

    Lane was far from the first rock musician to take aim at Tipper Gore; Danzig did so a lot more eloquently in 1988 with "Mother." >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.