Little Big Town Tune Pulled From Radio?

This time, it’s Little Big Town – or at least radio program directors daring to play the country quartet – that has listeners ready to storm their stations with torches and pitchforks.

“Girl Crush” – an ode of sorts from a jilted lover about her replacement – has some pretty provocative lyrics if one is possessed of an even mildly dirty mind. Well, that’s us, so let’s take a look!

“I want to taste her lips, yeah cause they taste like you / I want to drown myself in a bottle of her perfume,” warbles LBT singer Karen Fairchild. “I want her long blond hair, I want her magic touch / Yeah cause maybe then, you’d want me just as much … I got a girl crush.”

Before you could say “flyover state,” Lynn started getting calls and emails after playing “Girl Crush,” accusing her and her radio station of “promoting the gay agenda” and threatening to boycott, according to the Washington Post.

The last time Lynn heard such vitriol, the DJ told the paper, was “The Dixie Chicks’ President Bush comments.”

Well, this ain’t that. A not-even-close listen to the lyrics reveals a jealousy angle, not the dreaded Gay Agenda. Some critics, like the good folks at SavingCountryMusic.com, think it’s all just a tad bit calculated for controversy. And they aren’t even fans of mainstream country radio much.

The Post article says country radio stations are being “forced” to take the song out of regular rotation. While it doesn’t quite cite direct evidence or quote any station managers saying they have dumped the song over the misunderstood lyrics, it does point out two figures that could suggest as much:

“Girl Crush” was No. 4 on iTunes but languishing at No. 33 in radio rankings during the week of March 21. at the time the Post looked. So, um, yeah. It kinda looks like the tune isn’t as popular with the bean counters in programming as it is with those at iTunes.

Though finding social media users complaining about the song was futile, there is plenty of support for Little Big Town and “Girl Crush” on the interwebs, from fans, other artists and radio personalities taking to Twitter.

“The best song on the radio is barely ever on the radio.This is a major problem for country music. #GirlCrush” tweeted Nashville songwriter Shane McAnally.

Twang Nation’s Baron Lane didn’t mince words: “The controversy around #GirlCrush is ridiculous and is fueled by people that don’t understand metaphors beyond dirt and truck.”

Even the venerable Grand Ole Opry got into the act: “For the record, we are loving #GirlCrush from #Opry group @littlebigtown!”  The Opry helpfully added a link to a video of Little Big Town performing the song on its historic stage.

Syndicated country DJ Bobby Bones hosts a hugely popular morning show and interviewed the band recently about the controversy, asking: “Is it frustrating to you that here is your song – that is one of the Top 10 sellers for weeks and weeks and weeks – and people on the radio are still afraid to play it because they think it’s a ‘lesbian song?’” the Post reported. “It would drive me insane!”

Maybe it drives LBT a little insane, too. Or, if we were cynical, maybe it provides a hook to hang some publicity on. The band has responded to the controversy with a video explaining “Girl Crush.”

Much ado about nothing? Or is Little Big Town coming for The Children?