OK, Martin Gore likes to be dominated. It turns him on when you hurt him. How does that make him gay? Allusions to B&D or S&M aren’t enough to convince me someone is gay, plenty of het guys are into that. Especially in light of the fact that he’s married to a woman and has two kids.
Anyone else have The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs? A three CD set, all love songs. Now, some of the the singers are women, but pretty much every song is a queer love song.
Oh yeah, my last post reminded me of kd lang; I think most of her songs are written in the Melissa Etheridge mode. Then there’s “High School Confidential” by Carole Pope and Rough Trade from the 80’s. First song I had ever heard where a woman is sexually fantasizing about another woman.
That was a cover of a pretty old song about heroin, masquerading (as most songs about heroin do) as a love song. I think Sixpence none the Richer is that band that had a surprise hit with this song a year or two ago…I watched them on Letterman thinking there was no way they had any idea what the song was about. To take a more friendly approach, they knew what it was originally about but made it about what they wanted it to be about. It’s all about interpretation after all.
Pyrrho12:
Yeah? How ya figure? Is it all the stuff about “shifting gears?” “Feeling the warmth of the engine and climbing inside?” The second verse about the hypocrisy of the arrogantly religious? I feel so silly…I never realized. If you’re right though, that would make the song that much cooler. I thought that “He’s my Best Friend” was about being gay for years…it was only last month that I realized it was about beating off.
HalberMensch242:
Are you serious?
To add to the list:
R.E.M. Pretty Persuasion (about Michael Stipe’s bisexuality)
Also by R.E.M…“tongue” I was always pretty sure this was about Michael giving head.
Also…what girl sang that cute pop song a few years ago: “When I kiss your mouth, I wanna taste it…turn you upside-down, don’t wanna waste it.” I’m pretty sure that was about eating pussy.
There are plenty of queer punk bands, but I don’t know any names. A friend of mine used to sing a song called “He gave me head.” Including the lyrics “Jetboy, Jetgirl. I’m gonna take you 'round the world. I’m gonna make you penetrate, I’m gonna make you be a girl.”
Somewhere, years ago, I heard the lead singer of BST was gay. The lyrics of TYB are very much aimed at “you” rather than “him” or “her”, a la Etheridge. Then finally at the very end, in the fade out, he throws in a “girl”, practically in an undertone.
There’s got to be something by Sir Elton. “The One,” perhaps? Non-gender-specific.
And y’all are also forgetting the fabulous song stylings of Romanovsky & Phillips, with such songs as “I’m In Love (With My Therapist),” “Closet Case,” “Red Moon Over Boston,” “Love Is All It Takes,” “Don’t Use Your Penis For A Brain,” “He Is My L-O-V-E-R” and many others!
Lynn Lavner, too, for the dyke set, is a great performer. “Dear Mrs. Sperber,” “Thank You, Lizabeth Scott,” “I’d Rather Be Cute (And Wear Leather)” and more!
And there was that lovely duet between Barry Manilow and Lily Tomlin - funny, of course, but the two of them? Come on!
Oh, and I’m also a fan of Pansy Division. I am a femme in a black leather jacket, baby!
One of my favorite songs from any genre is “Feed Jake” by the Pirates of the Mississippi.
The song itself leaves you going “huh?” regarding the orientation of the viewpoint character (and is very touching). The video makes it clear that it’s a song sung by a straight (well, possibly bi-curious) guy from the viewpoint of his gay childhood friend who has died.
Which doesn’t even come close to describing the song. Find it and play it.
“It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Porgy and Bess has definite gay undertones, especially in the version done by the Communards. I was sure that Uke or Eve would have mentioned it by now.
“How about ‘Kiss Me’, by Sixpence None the Richer? IIRC, MTV had an interview recently with the lead singer, where she says it is about two girls…”
I thought so! In one verse, the (female) singer tells the love object of the song to “bring your flowered hat”. Now, I racked my brain, but I couldn’t think of ANY fashion where a man’s hat could be described as “flowered”. Feathers in men’s hats, yes, but not flowers. Assuming no crossdressing, flowered hat = woman.
how about You Don’t Own Me by the Blow Monkeys…I was listening to it before, its on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. Plus the line, Don’t say i can’t go with other boys…, and sung by a guy. What do you think?
Placebo’s “My Sweet Prince” and “Burger Queen”. I believe the lead singer said “My Sweet Prince” was about an old girlfriend, though. Half of the three person band is gay. You’ll figure it out if you see them.
Well, OK, it’s not exactly a queer love song, but isn’t there the line, “Oh, Carol, Don’t let her steal your heart away”? Maybe i’m mishearing it, but in his autobiography Berry does report having been involved with a girl who informed him that she was lesbian. But her name wasn’t Carol.
Ani Difranco has done quite a few lesbian/bisexual love songs, among them…
“Light of Some Kind” - (so maybe you should follow my example/and go find meet yourself a really nice girl)
“Two Little Girls” - I think the title of this one is self explanatory
“In or Out” - This song is mostly about bisexuality in general, but I guess it works. (I just want more than one membership/to more than one club/because I owe my life to the people that I love)
“Little Plastic Castle” - The overall tone of this one is very same-sex
Sleater-Kinney also sings a couple of gay love songs:
“Burn, Don’t Freeze” - This one could be a general bitter love song, except the verses are set up like a dialogue between Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein.
“Milkshake ‘n’ Honey” - A song about a lesbian affair in Paris.
Damn, i was just about to say Ani DiFranco and you beat me to it Ythdecay. There’s no maybe/maybe not there - she’s direct and to the point about it. I saw her live last year.
And i find it unbelievable nobody’s mentioned Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
I seem to remember at Ex of mine being fond of Tori Amos too.
