Censorship of music didn’t start with 2 Live Crew’s infamous “Me So Horny” in the ’80s. It didn’t start with John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” in the ’60s. It didn’t even begin with Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” in the ’30s. It began with the censorship of publisher John Peter Zenger’s songs in 1735 — before the First Amendment ever existed.

The influences of censorship on all art forms has compelled critically acclaimed songwriters to express the importance of free speech in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union Thursday evening.

“Freedom Sings” is a multimedia production that employs videos, graphics and a live band to showcase the history of the First Amendment. The band is composed of six artists who individually sing censored pieces as the rest of the members supply the musical background.

Ken Paulson, “Freedom Sings” narrator, says the band conveys the importance of free speech in America through a series of songs by artists such as Elvis Presley and the Dixie Chicks that have been censored.

“The show is entertaining, educational and a little bit inspiring,” Paulson says. “It is our hope that anyone who sees ‘Freedom Sings’ will be reminded of the role the First Amendment plays in our society.”

The band is composed of “extraordinarily talented” musicians, Paulson says, including two Grammy Award-winning writers and several hit songwriters. While the musicians shed a new light on old songs, Paulson explains why and how each of the songs has been censored in the United States.

Photos of war scenes and the lifestyles of Americans throughout history, along with clippings from newspapers and headlines, are featured in the video and graphic presentation.

Paulson is the executive director of the First Amendment Center, headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. He began “Freedom Sings” in November 2002 in response to a nationwide survey regarding the public’s opinion of the First Amendment. Paulson says the survey found that one in two Americans believes First Amendment rights stretch too far.

“We think Americans sometimes lose sight of the purpose of the First Amendment,” Paulson says. “It protects more than speech. It protects dance, theater, painting and music.”

Lyrics have been censored throughout the history of the United States. Guitarist Don Henry says some of the songs the band will play have recently undergone censorship, including “Fly” by Sugar Ray and “Have You Forgotten,” a No. 1 country song by Darryl Worley.

Other songs to be performed date back to the Revolutionary and Vietnam wars.

“[The songs] all have gone through some form of censorship by businesses or governmental bodies,” Henry says.

Drummer Craig Kramps says the individual pieces are matched with the musicians during rehearsals to provide the most powerful message for the audience.

“Musically, [the pieces are arranged] to how we can best achieve our point,” Kramps says. “Music is an excellent teaching tool about the First Amendment. It helps bring the point home a little stronger.”

“Freedom Sings” began as a smaller event held at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Local artists attended the event to sing banned lyrics and speak about First Amendment rights. After organizing the event on a local level for a few years, Paulson says he decided to take “Freedom Sings” on the road and travel to universities across the United States. By the time the event reaches Iowa State, it will have already traveled to college campuses in Illinois and Indiana.

Henry says Paulson was the person who first drew his attention to “Freedom Sings.” Henry won a Grammy for the song “Where Have You Been?,” recorded by Kathy Mattea in 1991, and says Paulson chose artists for “Freedom Sings” based on their interest in First Amendment rights.

“[Freedom Sings] is a nice complement to my career and it’s really meaningful work,” Henry says. “I like to connect to [students] and really enjoy this show with its message about the First Amendment.”

Kramps says he used to perform in the Nashville version of “Freedom Sings,” and the importance of the message has inspired him to travel with the show.

“It just stuck with me how important [free speech] is,” he says. “Especially now with the controversy surrounding the war movement, it’s extremely important.”

What: “Freedom Sings”

Where: Great Hall, Memorial Union

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Cost: free