Why Sebastian Bach Changes Skid Row Lyrics Live
Sebastian Bach applauded a fan who noticed he changed the homophobic lyrics to Skid Row's 1989 song "Sweet Little Sister" in concert.
The second track off Skid Row's self-titled 1989 debut album features the lyrics: "The petting's getting heavy, got my tongue in her ear / Her friend is doing time for kicking ass on a queer." For years, Bach has changed the second line to "Her friend is doing time for knocking over a beer."
A fan who saw Bach on his ongoing Slave to the Grind 30th-anniversary tour wrote to him on Twitter: "You kicked ass last night in SF! As a lifetime fan who has seen you everywhere from Hammerjacks to NY Steel to Broadway — who happens to be gay — I thank you for changing the lyrics to SLS. Words matter! You fuckin ROCK!!" Bach, in turn, responded: "Yes they do. Very cool that someone actually noticed."
Bach infuriated LGBTQ activists in 1989 when he was photographed wearing a shirt that said "AIDS Kills F--s Dead." The singer cheekily brushed it off at the time, though he later insisted more seriously that he meant no harm by the gesture.
"I never wore no fucking antigay T-shirt to an MTV press conference," he told Metal Hammer in 2006. "It's not true. I wore that shirt once in my life. I came offstage in Irvine Meadows in California after Pantera had opened up for us. When we finished, I was totally hot and sweaty. The guys from L.A. Guns were all backstage, so I said, 'Gimme a fucking shirt to put on.' Gerri Miller from Metal Edge magazine is there asking for a picture of all of us, so I just pick up this hideous fuckin' shirt that some fan had thrown up onto stage and put it on. We all knew it was the worst shirt of all time. It wasn't some campaign that I went on."
Watch Sebastian Bach Perform Skid Row's 'Sweet Little Sister' in 2021
Bach has condemned such language and behavior in recent years, notably exiting a 2020 Zoom interview after comedian Big Jay Oakerson made a homophobic joke at Rob Halford's expense. He also performed with the all-gay AC/DC tribute band GAYC/DC in 2015.
In October, Bach told UCR that he's omitted certain lyrics to Skid Row's Slave to the Grind track "Get the Fuck Out" on his current tour, particularly the second verse, which includes the lines: "I ain't buying you breakfast, so keep your mouth busy and wrap your lips all around my attitude." The singer called the lyrics "atrocious" and said, "I can't sing some of those words, especially now — and even then, I didn't like them either. But that chorus is fun and very funny. It's very humorous, and the crowd loves to sing, 'Get the fuck out.'"