Noah Kahan Reacts to Kidz Bop Lyric Edits for 'The Great Divide'

Noah Kahan has reacted to Kidz Bop's G-rated alterations of the lyrics to his song, "The Great Divide." The long-running Kidz Bop series, known for adapting popular songs for a younger audience, frequently modifies adult-themed lyrics to be more child-appropriate. Kahan took to social media on Monday, June 15, to comment on the specific changes, calling them "Such a specific choice."

Several lines from "The Great Divide," featured on Kidz Bop 53, underwent significant changes. The original lyric, "I can't recall the last time we talked about anything but lookin' out for cops," was revised to "I can't recall the last time we talked about anything but hanging with the cops." Another line, "We got cigarette burns in the same side of our hands, we ain't friends," became "We got the same rug burns on the same side of our hands."

Further edits include changing "morons" to "just two kids" and transforming "high enough to still care if I die" into "I'm smart enough to still care if I try." The phrase "You said, 'F--k off,' and I said nothin' for a while" was sanitized to "You said 'get lost' and I said nothin' for a while." A reference to feeling "sh--ty and unfair" was softened to "petty and unfair," and "shooting birds who can't sing" became "they only cage the birds who cannot sing."

This is not the first time Kahan's music has been adapted by Kidz Bop. His 2022 hit "Stick Season" also saw lyrical adjustments in 2024, with a line about "smokin' weed" being replaced with "my TV does not replace." Kahan's album, *The Great Divide*, achieved commercial success, becoming his first LP to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while its title track peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kahan is currently on tour, with a performance scheduled for Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 26.

(Source: Billboard)