Olivia Newton-John Reveals How She Felt When Her Song ‘Physical’ Was Banned From Some Radio Stations

It’s been 40 years since the iconic 1980s song “Physical” came out, and to mark the occasion, Olivia Newton-John is opening up about how “embarrassed” she felt when the song was banned from various radio stations because it was dubbed too scandalous for some markets. 

Take a look a the video here:

Newton-John ‘Embarrassed’ To Be Banned

“I felt a little embarrassed to be banned,” Newton-John, 72, told Fox News. “But looking back now I go, ‘That was great.’ It got attention. And also compared to what I’m listening to on the radio now, it’s more like a lullaby.”

Newton-John went on to admit that the lyrics were a little “raunchy” but “I don’t think I was really aware of how raunchy it was when I was recording it until afterward, and that’s when I freaked out.”

She then explained that the song allowed her to “reinvent” her image from good girl to sultry siren in the wake of the fame she achieved from the movie Grease. 

Related: Olivia Newton-John Fires Back At Woke Haters Trying To Cancel ‘Grease’

‘They Call It Reinventing Yourself’

“They call it reinventing yourself,” she added. “I wasn’t doing it on purpose. It just was the song that I was attracted to and the album. But I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to record it.”

“Physical” was originally written for Rod Stewart before it was offered to Tina Turner, who turned it down. 

“I heard the song and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a great song.’ I didn’t really realize what it was about. I don’t think until I’d finished it and then freaked out,” Newton-John said. “[I thought then] ‘I think I’ve gone too far, I think I’ve gone too far.’ But it worked for me, so I’m very happy that I took the chance.”

Below she talks about her panic attack when the song was released:

Related: Olivia Newton-John Gives Fans Devastating Cancer Update

Newton-John’s Cancer Battle 

In this same interview, Newton-John also opened up about her ongoing battle with cancer. 

“I feel very fortunate that I’m here,” she said. “And you know, I have my days. I take a lot of cannabis and that really helps me greatly. My husband grows it for me and it helps me with pain and sleep and inflammation.”

Newton-John continues to tirelessly work with her foundation, the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, to fund cancer treatment for the future. 

“So my dream is that in my lifetime, we will find the answers,” Newton-John said. “Because cannabis is not something that you can overdose on or die from, whereas a lot of the other drugs that you have to go through on your cancer journey are not safe. So that’s my long-term dream.”