In 1996, Sheryl Crow's second album was banned from Wal-Mart after one of her lyrics referenced the store's relaxed gun sales.
23 years later, however, following a shooting at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas that left 22 dead, the company has finally decided it will "no longer sell handguns, handgun ammunition, or ammunition that can be used in military-style assault rifles."
Crowe happily reacted to the news on Buzzfeed's AM to DM.
Sheryl Crow Is "So Happy" to See Walmart Change Its Gun Policyyoutu.be
Crow expressed happiness during the interview, saying:
"I was so happy to see Walmart take the stance that it did and how just forward-thinking and responsible it was to take that"
Crow's 1996 song "Love Is a Good Thing" targeted Wal-Mart for their gun selling policies.
"Watch out sister / Watch out brother / Watch our children as they kill each other / With a gun they bought at the Walmart discount store"
Sheryl Crow - Love Is A Good Thing - Sheryl Crowyoutu.be
In response, Wal-Mart banned the record from their stores, with a spokesman for the company saying:
"Selling a record implying behavior that is against all we stand for is something we just could not profit from."
Now 20 years older and wiser, Crow told Buzzfeed she doesn't regret her lyrical choice.
"Being banned at Walmart was really hard because at that time that was where people bought physical records, and in my hometown, that was the only place you could buy your record, but I wouldn't change it. It's always good to point out what you see, even if it's not popular."
Moving forward, Crow hopes Wal-Mart's decision inspires other retailers to take similar steps.
"I'm glad to see Walmart change. I would love to take total responsibility but that was a 20-year-old song. At least they've made the stance that they have, and I hope other stores that sell guns will take that same stance."
Get five Crow albums in one package with 5 Classic Albums: Tuesday Night Music Club (1993), The Globe Sessions (1998) C'mon C'mon (2002), Wildflower (2005) and Detours (2008), available here.
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