The word "timeless" has come to denote those rare pop songs that transcend the industry's preoccupation with novelty to become beloved, evergreen hits. Such songs become cultural touchstones, for which it seems everybody, even non-fans, can sing the lyrics and melody, at least in part.

But such transcendence is based on the idea that songs are unchanging; that certain recordings represent the true, immutable version of the song in question. So what happens, for example, when times change and the lyrics to a classic song are no longer suitable due to the changing perspectives of the listening public? In several instances, artists have taken steps to alter the songs that made them famous, either removing lyrics that now seem offensive or dated, in favor of something more acceptable to conte

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