Elvis Costello to stop singing top hit containing 'N' word

Elvis Costello has announced that he will stop singing one of his most popular hits to audiences because it contains a racial slur used to describe Catholics.

Oliver's Army was originally written to describe the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with Costello using the 'n' word in the song because his grandfather was called it while serving in the British Army.

The song, which features in his 1979 Armed Forces album, is one of his best known hits.

The 67-year-old explained that "It's historically a fact. But people hear that word go off like a bell and accuse me of something that I didn't intend", in an interview the Telegraph.

Listeners have responded to the song in a way which Costello claims he "didn't intend" by questioning the lyric: 'Only takes one itchy trigger/ One more widow, one less white n*****.'

The song has previously received multiple plays across all popular radio stations without any complaint but now Costello has requested that they stop playing the original recording

This comes after The Rolling Stones have also asked radio stations to cease playing their hit Brown Sugar.

The 1969 song contains references to slavery and sexual violence, prompting the band to announce that they will no longer perform it.

Keith Richards said the band made the decision to stop playing the track because they don't want to get involved in "conflicts" about the lyrics.