I was just thinking about the 1981 Rick Springfield song “Jessie’s Girl”. In case you don’t know, some people often mishear the song as saying “I wish that I was Jessie’s girl…” In deference to Mr. Springfield, don’t worry. It definitely does not say that. But still, I was also thinking. Has anyone ever considered doing a gay version of the song? You would only have to switch around a pronoun or two to get it that way.
Because, you know, as a gay man, I like it when there are songs that are a kind of anthem to gay people and gay rights. But such songs are so few and far between. I mean what else is there? Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl is the only other one I can think of now in any event.
But back to my original question: Has anyone ever considered doing this version. But I would really like to hear it if they did.
Try Jill Sobule’s “I Kissed A Girl” is so much better. It’s about actually enjoying kissing another girl and experimenting. You’d enjoy it. And the video feature Fabio and the guy.
I’ll second this. Perry’s song is all about “Oo, I kissed a girl - what a rebel I am!” whereas Sobule’s is much sweeter in tone.
It’s probably worth also mentioning Melissa Etheridge’s “Come To My Window” which came out about the same time the singer did [fnar] and includes the lines
*I don’t care what they think
I don’t care what they say
What do they know about this
Love anyway *
ETA: I forgot to mention George Michael’s “Outside”, which is a whole different kind of love song altogether.
Agreed 100%. I hate that Katy Perry song, and not just because it’s dumbed down, monotonous fluff pretending to be “edgy.” “I kissed a girl and I liked it / I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it…” So after making that “daring” confession, the very next line in the song drives home the point that I’M STRAIGHT!!! Yeah, she can say she did something mildly risque and got a thrill from it, but in the end it’s all just a put-on to titillate the straight guys - yeah, real progressive there. :dubious:
As to the OP, I swear I’ve heard a female singer (maybe Ani Difranco?) do a cover of “Jessie’s Girl” and not some kind of coy, ironic, wink-wink “this is all just a goofy put-on” cover, but a straightforward cover with all the angst and desire that Mr. Springstee – I mean, Mr. Springfield did originally. That truly gave the song a real interesting new meaning.
And just a side note, I remember this song when it originally came out (Gah, I’m oooold!) and it had some slight notoriety because people swore that in one or two of the lyrics he quietly sang “I wish that I f***ed Jessie’s Girl…”
“Jesse’s Girl” is a gay song. Sure, Springfield is crooning about his unrequited love for Jesse’s girlfriend, but you notice he never says her name once; she’s just generically referred to as “Jesse’s girl”. In reality, when you are infatuated with a girl, you find every excuse you can to roll her name around your tongue, insert it into conversation, and otherwise continue the fantasy that she has any idea who you are. Springfield may say that he “wish that I had Jesse’s girl”, but it really sounds like he is supremely envious of Jesse’s girlfriend for the attentions she’s getting from from him, e.g. "And she’s watching him with those eyes/And shes’ lovin’ him with that body, I just know it/And she’s holding her in his arms late, late at night, " or “I’ll play along with this charade/That doesn’t seem to be a reason to change/You know I feel so dirty when they start talking cute.”
This song is more gay than the shirtless volleyball scene in Top Gun.
Damn, you beat me to it! If the OP is looking for a gay “anthem,” this surely is it.
And no, it wasn’t a “hit” by any measure in the U.S., but it was known to those whose view went beyond Top 40 or AOR radio stations into something a bit more edgy.
Absolutely. Jill Sobule’s “I Kissed a Girl” is really good.
(OT) I met her and shot a short interview with her at a music festival when she was touring in support of her Jill Sobule album which contained “I Kissed a Girl” as well as “Supermodel.” She was very nice to us and seemed very genuine and funny. She also does an excellent version of Warren Zevon’s “Don’t Let Us Get Sick.” (End OT)
Joan Jett has covered songs such as “Crimson and Clover” and “AC/DC” without altering the lyrics. However, she did change “her” to “him” in her biggest hit, “I Love Rock and Roll” (which, unbeknownst to most people, was originally recorded by The Arrows.)
