Spasticus Autisticus
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Spasticus Autisticus" is a song written by Ian Dury and co-written by Chaz Jankel, released both as a single and on the album Lord Upminster.
Criticism and history
"Spasticus Autisticus" was written in 1981 for the International Year of Disabled Persons. It was a cross between a battle cry and an appeal for understanding. Quote: "Hello to you out there in normal land. You may not comprehend my tale or understand!"
The lyric was deliberately provocative, as the word Spastic (a name for sufferers of cerebral palsy) was becoming taboo in Britain, due to its use as a derogatory term. Despite the fact that Dury was himself disabled from polio, rather than cerebral palsy, the BBC deemed it offensive to polite sensibilities and denied it airplay, only confirming the validity of Dury's uncompromising lyrics.
See also
