Now Johnny Mathis’ Christmas classic When A Child Is Born has lyrics censored on radio after being called racist
Heart FM and Magic Radio are censoring When a Child is Born, it was revealed
Listeners have been offended by the lyrics: ‘black, white, yellow, nobody knows’
Johnny Mathis’ beloved Christmas hit could also be censored on the BBC
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Radio stations censored the lyrics of When a Child is Born after listeners called a line from the classic Johnny Mathis Christmas song racist.
Listeners have taken offense to the word ‘yellow’ in a lyric that refers to a child as ‘black, white, yellow, nobody knows’.
“Yellow” has been removed from Heart FM and Magic Radio, The Sun revealed, noting that the BBC said it “cannot rule out censorship” of the song.
The news that radio stations will censor When a Child is Born comes just two weeks after Radio 2 announced it would censor The Pogues’ version of the classic song Fairytale Of New York for the first time this Christmas season.
Radio stations are censoring When a Child is Born after listeners called a line from Johnny Mathis’s classic Christmas song racist. Mathis is shown performing the song in 1976.
Listeners have taken offense to the word ‘yellow’ in a lyric that refers to a child as ‘black, white, yellow, nobody knows’. Johnny Mathis, who made When a Child is Born popular in the ’70s, is shown in June 2021
When a Child is Born was written in the early 1970s, but made popular by Mr. Mathis in December 1976, when the song spent three weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.
It was also the number one Christmas song in Britain that year.
But now, the popular Christmas hit will be banned on some radio stations, despite listeners arguing that the song is “simply a product of its time.”
“The world has gone crazy,” one listener told The Sun. ‘Another ruined Christmas classic. Leave Christmas alone and leave Johnny Mathis alone.
At least two radio stations have already started censoring the tune, and the BBC told the paper it will. ‘continue to monitor audience response’.
MailOnline has approached Heart FM, Magic Radio and the BBC for comment.
‘Yellow’ has been cut on Heart FM and Magic Radio. The BBC said it “cannot rule out censoring” the song. Pictured: Johnny Mathis performing in Florida in January 2022
Last week Radio 2 revealed that it will be playing a censored version of Fairytale Of New York this Christmas. The classic song, sung by The Pogues (pictured), was released in 1987.
Last week Radio 2 revealed that it will be playing a censored version of Fairytale Of New York this Christmas.
So far, the radio station has broadcast the original version of the holiday favourite, which features Kirsty MacColl, with the controversial lyric ‘you filthy fagot’, an offensive term for a gay man.
The song was first released in 1987.
But Radio 2 said it was now “reflecting” what it was “hearing from many of our listeners” who “find some of the lyrics jarring in 2022.”
Instead, the station will air a version with the lyrics: “You’re cheap and you’re emaciated.”
MacColl is said to have used these different lyrics in later years when performing the song.
In 2020 it was revealed that Radio 1 would use an edited version with different lyrics.
At that time, Radio 2 continued to broadcast the uncensored version.
The BBC has said this year that its stations will select the version of the song “most relevant to their audience”.