# Songs where performer and character are different genders **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 16, 2025, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749 "2025-12-16T12:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/41 "2025-12-16T21:07:28Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Whatever gender _me_ in Me and Bobby McGee had, either Kris Kristofferson or Janis Joplin had a different one. Roger Miller was the first popular singer to put the song on the charts. Bobby McGee was a woman in his version. Written by Kristopherson and first covered by Roger Miller, a kind of off-beat county singer. Before Kris and before Janis, he put the song into popular music. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/42 "2025-12-16T21:22:20Z")
_1963_ by New Order might qualify for this. It starts off with the lyrics “It was January 1963 when Johnny came home with a gift for me” Now, that alone doesn’t mean it is being sung from the point of view of a woman, but later on it goes “Johnny came home with another wife”. Apparently, looking online, it’s a rather weird fantasy song about JFK hiring Oswald as a hit man to kill his wife so he can be with Marilyn Monroe (which makes no sense anyway since she died the year before JFK), but he hit him instead. But I _think_ the narrator is a woman?? ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/43 "2025-12-16T21:49:30Z")
_Betty_ by Taylor Swift is sung from the perspective of James, who is a boy according to Swift, but that’s interpreted differently by others. Cindi Lauper covered Prince’s _When You Were Mine_ without changing the lyrics: I know (_I know_ ) That you’re going with another guy I don’t care (_Don’t care_ ) 'Cause I love you, baby, that’s no lie I love you more than I did when you were mine I always assumed _Beloved Wife_ by Natalie Merchant was sung from the perspective of a husband, but I guess that’s not necessarily true. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/44 "2025-12-16T22:07:32Z")
My favorite version of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda is by June Tabor. The story of an Australian soldier - Gallipoli and all that. The first thing she sings is “When I was a young man…” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uEMcLcGJ79s/maxresdefault.jpg "June Tabor - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEMcLcGJ79s) j ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/45 "2025-12-17T00:08:52Z")
The Eric Burdon version of my childhood was boy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/46 "2025-12-17T01:23:56Z")
Just about my fave, but the Animals did a good job also. They also sang “boy” IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/47 "2025-12-17T03:13:10Z")
> [@Nayna](#): > > I always assumed _Beloved Wife_ by Natalie Merchant was sung from the perspective of a husband Good one. I’m pretty sure it is. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/48 "2025-12-17T04:57:34Z")
Pearl Jam had two on _VS_: “Daughter” and “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” ---
**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:** [December 17, 2025, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/49 "2025-12-17T05:44:38Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > The Eric Burdon version of my childhood was boy. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Just about my fave, but the Animals did a good job also. They also sang “boy” IIRC. Confused - was there an Eric Burdon version _without_ The Animals? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/50 "2025-12-17T10:20:03Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > _Free Man in Paris_ by Joni Mitchell. No because it’s this: > [@74westy](#): > > Could call Free Man in Paris a song from the point of view of someone quoting a man. The first line is “The way I see it, he said, you just can’t win it” The song is Joni quoting David Geffen. The performer is a woman, and the character is a woman describing what a man said to her. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/51 "2025-12-17T11:24:18Z")
Reading the lyrics again, you’re correct. I now have to re-think this song. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/52 "2025-12-17T13:05:20Z")
Not that I’m aware. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/53 "2025-12-17T20:11:39Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Confused - was there an Eric Burdon version _without_ The Animals? That wasnt a good way to say it, sorry, altho certainly Eric sang a bunch of stuff after the Animals, like with War. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/54 "2025-12-17T20:40:49Z")
RICHARD SHINDELL has a song called “Money for Floods” where he narrates as a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/55 "2025-12-17T21:06:13Z")
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s “Truck Drivin’ Song” qualifies, assuming the narrator is a deep-voiced woman and not a man in drag. ---
**Author:** ![Nauplius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nauplius/32/51_2.png) [@Nauplius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nauplius)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/56 "2025-12-17T21:08:03Z")
“Luka” by Suzanne Vega ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/57 "2025-12-18T02:54:03Z")
Any male singer’s version of “I’m Just Wild About Harry.” ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/58 "2025-12-18T04:02:24Z")
“Hands Clean” by Alanis Morissette, at least the verses. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/59 "2025-12-18T06:39:12Z")
The Arctic Monkeys covered Girls Aloud’s _Love Machine_ and didn’t bother to change the lyrics so that should qualify. _Ladies, you’re damn right You can’t read a man’s mind We’re living in two tribes And heading for war Well, nobody’s perfect We all gotta work it But fellas, we’re worth it So don’t break the law_ ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749/60 "2025-12-18T08:01:21Z")
[Sweet Guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoINHdM5WA) by Paul Kelly is a jewel in the Paul Kelly discology: _I went to town with a moody man_ _A handsome Dr. Jekyll_ _He was right by my side turning into Mr. Hyde_ _I ran for cover but I ran too slow_ _I was stitched by strangers_ _And they shook their heads_ _That somebody could do the things he did_ _One thing I’ll never understand_ _It’s become my problem_ _And it’s something that’s right out of my hands_ _My hands are clean_ _What makes such a sweet guy turn so mean?_ But when [his band performs with the magnificent vocals of Vika Bull](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka5PQPWv9UY) the song effectively sexually reorientates, and it is a barn stormer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-performer-and-character-are-different-genders/1025749.md?page=4)