Youth Group Really Want You To Know They Didn't Write That "Sexist" Parody Song

Australian indie veterans Youth Group have distanced themselves from a parody of their 2006 hit ‘Forever Young’, itself a cover of Alphaville’s single from 1984, which was recently thrust back into the headlines after it was played on 2GB radio by shock jock Ray Hadley.

As the Sydney Morning Herald reports, Greens deputy leader Senator Larissa Waters has accused Hadley and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton of perpetuating “sexist claptrap” after they played a song labelling Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young as the “Dumbest Politician in Australia”.

During an interview with Mr Dutton, who last week called Senator Hanson-Young an “embarrassment to the country”, Hadley played the two-minute parody of Youth Group’s ‘Forever Young’ cover, which feature lyrics mocking Senator Hanson-Young.

“Sarah Hanson-Young is just the worst ever. She makes Bob Brown look kinda clever”, the lyrics say, before playing a snippet of comments made by the Senator during a Senate hearing last year, during which she confused the reality series Border Security was mixed up with the drama Sea Patrol.

“Talk about a half-wit”, the song continues. “Sarah Hanson-Young, I don’t want to hear Sarah Hanson-Young. I’m sure she’ll be quite mad forever, forever, not clever.” Mr Dutton can then be heard laughing after the song, one of many in the ‘Ray Hadley Parody Jukebox’.

The song was first played on the controversial broadcaster’s show back in February 2014 and has been played on air a number of times since. Other tunes in the ‘Ray Hadley Parody Jukebox’ include jabs at Clive Palmer, Jacqui Lambie, and Kevin Rudd.

“Today we became aware of a parody version of ‘Forever Young’ denigrating Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young,” the band now write in a recently unveiled statement. “This is not our version of the song being used and the music track is a re-recording [and] we do not endorse it.”

“The use of this version during Ray Hadley’s interview with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton on radio station 2GB yesterday does not reflect our view. That an individual has chosen to appropriate the song in such a way saddens us.”

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“We’re honoured that our version has come to be held dear to many across Australia through its use in so many celebrations and commemorations of loved and lost ones, and in marking the passing of time at schools and social clubs across the country.”

“We believe that it has come to mean something quite different, and diametrically opposed, to the ugliness that marks the parody version played by Ray Hadley. We hope that for the many people who have strong feelings about the song, and a place for it in their hearts about a time, place or person, that this ugliness won’t taint those memories.”

“For the record, we would like to express our support for Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young,” the band write in the closing statement. “We’re all for a respectful and inclusive Australia, not a divisive and disrespectful one.”

While we think it was probably pretty clear to anyone listening that the song Hadley played was a parody and had nothing to do with the actual members of Youth Group, we’re glad the band took the initiative and cleared that up.

Coincidentally, the band have a string of national tour dates coming up soon (see below).