As Straight readers learned last week, D.O.A.’s Joe Keithley opted not to make his band’s “The Olympics Can Go to Hell” available on iTunes after warnings of possible lawsuits. But Vancouver punk progenitors the Furies have no such fears for their new MySpace release, “Olympic Madness”.

“Ours is a free download, so it’s free speech, as in ”˜free’ speech,” sinewy bandleader Chris Arnett told the Straight. “And everything in that song is true. People have died of exposure because of not having a warm place to sleep.” Arnett believes history will judge the 2010 Olympics “harshly”, saying, “we’re spending six billion dollars on jocks and the appropriation of aboriginal culture and shameless stupid advertising of death-squad drinks and bad food and all the other idiocy that’s come along with this, while people are suffering”¦ The words in the song could be said to be obscene, but it’s a strong reaction against the real obscenity.”

“Olympic Madness” has a refrain of “fuck the Olympics”, although, with the trademark-police in mind, Arnett noted, “I could be singing about the mountain range. It’s very ambiguous, don’t you think?” Given that his song is on-line, free, and has stronger profanity than D.O.A.’s song, does Arnett feel like he has one-upped Joe Keithley, punkwise? The Furies frontman replied, “Business as usual!”