# Songs sung from the perspective of the opposite gender **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565 "2019-01-28T18:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/21 "2019-01-28T21:28:27Z")
Here is a great song by Cavale, (real name [Sarah Mount](http://www.hellocavale.com/)). It just blows my mind away. [Gentleman by Cavale.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaLqRXxFZvk) I’ll let an excerpt from the lyrics speak for itself: > [@](#): > > Is it too much to ask for a little distraction > Is it too much to ask > Is it too much to ask for a little attraction > Is it too much to ask > > I can’t love you like gentleman > I’ll love you till I don’t > But I won’t love you till the end > I’ll chew you up and spit you out again > No I cant love you like a gentleman > > Don’t mean to waste your time > Darlin’ make no mistakes > But I get lonely sometimes > You say such a beautiful things > This is the way that I am and I’m not gonna change > This is not everlasting Cavale is also one of the performers on the Instant Love compilation, but this is an original song from long before that. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/22 "2019-01-28T21:51:53Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Burdon changed “girl” to “boy”. Which takes it out of the realm of this thread, since the protagonist of the Animals version is a guy. I’m sure there’s probably a version sung by a man, using the original lyrics, but the Animals version isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/23 "2019-01-28T22:02:57Z")
“Danny Boy” gets a lot of covers by male vocalists. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/24 "2019-01-28T22:11:27Z")
Suzanne Vega’s “Luka” Although sung in a third-person voice, I’d also count Aerosmith’s “Janie’s got a gun”, which is mostly about her thoughts and feelings. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/25 "2019-01-28T22:17:13Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Which takes it out of the realm of this thread, since the protagonist of the Animals version is a guy. > > I’m sure there’s probably a version sung by a man, using the original lyrics, but the Animals version isn’t it. [Here you go.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcZ4MQ0wLEQ) ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/26 "2019-01-28T22:24:00Z")
I Don’t Know How To Love Her. Sorry link messed up [[- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyjoVMaqNOk)](I Don’t Know How To Love Her) ---
**Author:** ![Jungian\_Camisole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@Jungian\_Camisole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jungian_Camisole)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/27 "2019-01-29T00:54:35Z")
I’ve always like Lyle Lovett’s “Stand by Your Man” from The Crying Game. He lends an interesting perspective to the song. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eHSjiBxufxc/hqdefault.jpg "Lyle Lovett ~ Stand By Your Man (Vinyl)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHSjiBxufxc) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/28 "2019-01-29T01:14:21Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > “Danny Boy” gets a lot of covers by male vocalists. I don’t understand. Isn’t Danny Boy about the father seeing his son off to war? ---
**Author:** ![SacFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@SacFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SacFly)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/29 "2019-01-29T01:40:09Z")
John Prine wrote “Angel from Montgomery”. I think both his version and Bonnie Raitt’s version are great. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/30 "2019-01-29T01:45:17Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I don’t understand. Isn’t Danny Boy about the father seeing his son off to war? No, but also yes. Danny’s leaving. That’s the only part that’s clear. Nobody’s sure why he’s leaving. War? Emigration? Terminal illness? Nobody’s sure who’s going to be missing him. Father? Mother? Lover (male or female)? From [here](https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/danny-boy-beloved-irish-ballad): > [@](#): > > There are many theories behind the lyrics of “Danny Boy” with everybody making their own of the song’s true meaning. Some popular theories include a parent wishing their son to return to them before they die, a parent sending a message to a son at war or immigrating and one theory even believes the words are those of a desolate gay lover. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/31 "2019-01-29T01:53:33Z")
Danny is definitely going to war, because the pipes don’t call for emigration, and the narrator isn’t going to be predeceasing him if he’s called by Death. But that doesn’t make it any clearer who the narrator is: I think the consensus is that it’s probably a parent, but mother or father would work equally well. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/32 "2019-01-29T02:02:03Z")
Creepy-as-shit one: Eminem had a song called “97 Bonnie and Clyde”, about a dude who’s murdered his wife and stuffed her corpse in the trunk and is driving it to the ocean, young daughter all unawares riding along in the back seat: > [@Eminem](#): > > C’mon hai-hai, we goin’ to the beach > Grab a couple of toys and let da-da strap you in the car seat > Oh where’s mama? she’s takin a little nap in the trunk > Oh that smell (whew!) da-da musta runned over a skunk > Now I know what you’re thinkin’, it’s kind of late to go swimmin’ > But you know your mama, she’s one of those type of women I’ve not heard the original, but apparently it’s very morbid humor, part of Eminem’s persona. I’ve only heard the Tori Amos cover, which [freaks me the hell out just thinking about it.](https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/01/the-13-scariest-cover-songs/10/) ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/33 "2019-01-29T02:07:57Z")
Tom Waits, [“Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxVo5mjK4eg): > [@](#): > > Hey Charley, for chrissakes > Do you want to know the truth of it? > I don’t have a husband > He don’t play the trombone > I need to borrow money > To pay this lawyer > And Charley, hey > I’ll be eligible for parole > Come Valentine’s Day ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/34 "2019-01-29T02:17:19Z")
“This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush. She wrote it specifically for the movie She’s Having A Baby after John Hughes sent her a clip from the movie. I believe it was the montage used in the movie. This YouTube clip starts before the song does, but it’s worth watching the whole thing to see what leads up to the song, which is, yes, sung from a man’s point of view. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9MZWrEfB_VM/hqdefault.jpg "She's Having a Baby (1988) - This woman`s work (Kate Bush)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MZWrEfB_VM) ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/35 "2019-01-29T02:21:39Z")
Nick Cave’s done more than one, but the one that’s coming to mind is the murder ballad sung from the point of view of a psychotic teenage girl, [Curse of Millhaven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACG9wv69bKU). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/36 "2019-01-29T03:10:52Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Burdon changed “girl” to “boy”. The song is sung by a prostitute. I never knew this before now, but to me the song makes much more sense with a female protagonist. Ignorance (my own) fought yet again. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/37 "2019-01-29T03:11:31Z")
Cait O’Riordan sings the vocals on The Pogues (hauntingly beautiful) version of “I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day”. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FJt4y4fH938/hqdefault.jpg "The Pogues - I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJt4y4fH938) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/38 "2019-01-29T04:15:05Z")
Pretty much any Mecano song which is in the first person. They were always written by men (Nacho or José Cano) and sung by a woman (Ana Torroja). María de los Guardias is sung from the pov of the titular character; it was written and made famous by an all-male group (José Aceves Mejía y los de Palacagüina). Lots of boleros, coplas… are from the pov of one gender but are sung by people of any gender you can name. And then there’s those songs which are specifically cross-dressed, from Count Orlovsky’s in Fliedermaus to Pichi in Las Leandras to a zillion panto characters… ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/39 "2019-01-29T04:17:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Danny is definitely going to war, because the pipes don’t call for emigration, and the narrator isn’t going to be predeceasing him if he’s called by Death. But that doesn’t make it any clearer who the narrator is: I think the consensus is that it’s probably a parent, but mother or father would work equally well. Sure, but I would argue that wife/girlfriend would work as well for the general feeling, although I agree the lyrics regarding time support a parent as the intended interpretation. Frankly, the song is probably better for its vagueness. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565/40 "2019-01-29T04:29:23Z")
[And I Moved](https://youtu.be/IVfCDrb9NQw) by Pete Townshend. Supposedly written for Bette Midler. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-sung-from-the-perspective-of-the-opposite-gender/828565.md?page=3)