I thought the performance of the song “Ring of Keys” from “Fun Home” on the Tony Awards show was the best thing on the broadcast. Since I am completely unfamiliar with the show and the source material, perhaps someone here can enlighten me. In the song, is the ring of keys on the delivery person significant in any way other than being a detail that she notices about the person?
I’m just listening to the soundtrack. I think they may have cut out an important bit for the Tonys: There’s a spoken part where the Allison describes her younger self seeing an “old-school butch” lesbian and being immediately taken with her.
It seems to be her first crush on a woman and young Allison is fascinated by her.
I listened to the cast recording today too and noted that the “old-school butch lesbian” piece was missing from the dialogue on the Tonys. It was still obvious from the song’s lyrics what the deal was, to me anyway.
I haven’t seen this musical, and while I have read the graphic novel Fun Home I don’t remember this specific detail. However, I’d say that wearing a ring of keys on the belt or beltloop can be kind of masculine/butch looking. That’s actually how I’ve carried my keys for years, but I rarely see other women doing so. It’s more common to carry them in a purse, but the butch lesbian described in the song presumably isn’t carrying a purse.
Beyond that, wearing a keychain on the belt used to be associated with gay culture, although AFAIK that was more of a guy thing. A quick Google pulled up a thread about this on this very message board. ETA: Scrolling down the Google results a little more, here’s a blog post titled “Dyke Style Update” claiming carabiner keyrings as “the exclusive property of dykes”.
I have both heard the musical and read the book (which is fantastic).
Ring of Keys is about Allison’s sexuality-womanhood-awakening, realizing that butch women exist, and realizing that she wants to be like one.
I don’t think Ms. Ring of Keys Hot Stuff is in the book.
Also a highlight is I’m Changing My Major (to Joan).