That Time Motley Crue Has Had It With Cancel Culture

Motley Crue has released the title track from their Cancelled EP, their first collection of new music since founding guitarist Mick Mars exited the band. Following the release of “Dogs of War” and their cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right”, this song leans heavily into the band’s classic sound.

“Cancelled” delivers a swaggering guitar riff and drumbeat reminiscent of their “Girls, Girls, Girls” era. Vince Neil belts out lyrics like, “Woke up in the morning, just got cancelled / Daily Mail is such a handful / Take a shot, throw a hand grenade / Monkeys on the internet got it made.” The track aims at cancel culture in true Crue fashion—unapologetic and full of attitude.

The Story Behind the Song

Drummer Tommy Lee shared the inspiration for the track during an appearance on the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher. Lee said:

“There was this article that was like, ‘How did Motley Crue ever not get cancelled?’
“And we were like, ‘Fuck, we got to write a song about that because we didn’t ever get it.’ We snuck in under whatever threshold, wherever that was, where we got away with fucking murder.”

Return to Their Roots

Motley Crue is set to revisit their beginnings next week with three charity shows at legendary Los Angeles clubs: the Troubadour on Oct. 7, the Roxy on Oct. 9, and Whisky a Go Go on Oct. 11. The band’s career started in these venues, making the “Hollywood Takeover” series a nostalgic nod to their roots.

Looking ahead, Motley Crue will kick off a Las Vegas residency on March 28, 2025. Fans can expect a revamped set list and an immersive experience tracing the band’s history, culminating in their recent record-breaking Stadium Tour.

With Cancelled, Motley Crue proves they’re still rocking hard and unapologetically loud.

Listen to the track in the audio video below: