Steve Sings Up Storm Over Abortion Clinics

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Page 37

The Sun-Herald (Sydney, AU)
June 19th, 1988
© 1988 The Sun-Herald
Page 37

By OWEN CRAIG

WHEN Christian singer Steve Taylor arrives in Sydney next month, he will walk into a storm over his song about blowing up an abortion clinic.

The American artist's song, I Blew up the Clinic Real Good, has been banned by many record stores in the US and may face problems in music shops here.

Word Records Australia, local distributors of Taylor's latest album, I Predict 1990, said the controversial track had attracted criticism because of the violent solution Taylor apparently suggests as a way of dealing with abortion clinics.

Taylor's lyrics say:

Now I don't care if it's a baby or a tissue blob
But if we run out of youngers
I'll be out of a job, and so I did my duty cleaning up the neighbourhood
I blew up the clinic real good
Try and catch me, coppers
You stinking badges better think again
before you mess this boy around
Preacher on a corner
calling it a crime
says, "The end don't justify the means anytime"
I stood up on my van
I yelled, "Excuse me, sir
Ain't nothing wrong with this country
that a few plastic explosives won't cure"

Mr. Greg Turnbull, youth pastor at Chermside Assembly of God Church in Brisbane, has written to Word Records to register his "total disgust" with the album.

Mr. Turnbull said he found it offensive that a record should be released "under the pretence of Christian music," carrying such lyrics as, "I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good".

"To tell Christian young people that the use of plastic explosives will solve problems is irresponsible at least, not to mention inciting rebellion ... with words like 'Try and catch me coppers, you stinking badges better think again before you mess this boy around," he said.

Rebellion

"After examining the rest of the lyrics I came to the conclusion that it would be easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find God in these words," Mr. Turnbull added.

Mrs. Margaret Tighe, chairwoman of Right to Life Australia, was equally scathing.

"This must be the work of a sick mind," she said. "We are never going to solve any problem by violence.

"There have been a number of incidents in the US where people have blown up clinics, and I think this song is really a sick joke and highly inappropriate.

"It sounds like he believes in such a fiery solution to what is a terrible holocaust of human life -- and I can understand his feelings.

"If the concentration camps had been blown up in Germany I guess whoever did it would have been hailed as a hero -- but bombing is a vioelnt solution this movement rejects, no matter hwo passionate one's feelings may be."

But 29-year-old Taylor, son of a Baptist preacher, vehemently rejects the criticisms.

The singer said from the US that people tended to misunderstand the satirical nature of his songs. He was keen to correct misconceptions and had recently telephoned 140 US record stores to explain his album to them.

"In essence it was like protest music -- it's wanting to see things changed."

Sarah Hawkins, promotions executive of Word Records in Melbourne, said she did not expect any problems when Taylor toured Australia next month.

[Photo and caption: STEVE TAYLOR: lyrical blast]