Cigarettes Will Kill You - Ben Lee

Australian version
from the 1998 album Breathing Tornados

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ben
• lee
• cigarettes
• will
• kill
• you
• breathing
• tornados
• australian
• version

[elonbroadway]

why is there always an 'american version' of international artists work anyway?! its ridiculous, its like, this is the artist's work, take it or leave it. if you don't like it, then don't play it but don't change it or adapt it into something its not. they think they are making the work more 'appealing' to the US market, but what is that exactly? how do they know what the people want? stop telling them and maybe they'll start embracing non US artists for what they are.

[TACH999]

yeah its much better that the us version..

[EyepopTheSailorMan]

@Madando2011 Seems fairly unlikely tbh. Is there any evidence at all of fictional depictions of smoking or gun violence being actively restricted on Australian television in the 1990s?

My preferred theory is that someone just suggested the white body paint section was kinda goofy and offputting. Which would be a fair point. :)

[SuperVampirecat]

unless some die in videoclip it won't interest an american audience according to the media propaganda.

[Hollibal666Lecter]

haha its so funny how his face contorts when he sings..

[mygreatlovenova]

Such a fabulous Australian talent...........

[mygreatlovenova]

@skoonz awww how sweet........

[fadkits]

I wish I could say that everyone was wrong....Excellent !

[Madando2011]

@elonbroadway. I just watched both versions and my guess is that Ben wrote and produced the song and video while living in America. Then the Video was not approved by Australian censors, who have strict rules regarding both Ciggarettes and Guns. So he made the US version first, and then remade it for Australian audiences.

Like I said, this is just a guess, but an educated guess, because I don't see a lot of smoking and guns in mainstream music videos here in Australia,

[TheSingingQueen94]

Honestly I don't see any difference from the US version except for the back up in the chorus.

[WizFizz]

@elonbroadway Agree completely! Surely Americans are sick of being told what to watch. Sure they must feel patronised?

[WizFizz]

Why couldn't the US have this version? It's so much better. The other one is so much more literal. Oh wait...