Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Music Talk
Reload this Page >

Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Community
Search
Music Talk Discuss music in all its forms: CD, MP3, DVD-A, SACD and of course live

Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-09-12, 06:59 PM
  #1  
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
 
PopcornTreeCt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,913
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

So, what I'm talking about is in pop songs when male singers either use pronouns like "she" or "her" and females sing about men. Are there any that specifically talk about a man when it's a male singer?

I was just curious because Adam Lambert's "What Do You Want From Me" came on the radio and he never uses any pronouns. I suppose making it universal makes it more appealing to everyone.
Old 03-09-12, 07:21 PM
  #2  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East of Ypsi
Posts: 8,905
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Sure, there are tons. Depends on how you define a pop song though. I suspect what you're really asking is if there have been any hit songs.
Old 03-09-12, 07:27 PM
  #3  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
tommyp007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Kingsport, TN
Posts: 6,416
Received 120 Likes on 80 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Sophie B Hawkins "Damn, I wish I was your lover" includes the following lyric..

I sat on a mountainside with peace of mind
And I lay by the ocean
Makin' love to her with visions clear
Walked the days with no one near
And I return as chained and bound to you
Old 03-09-12, 08:50 PM
  #4  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Norm de Plume's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Toronto
Posts: 20,047
Received 799 Likes on 567 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Donovan's "To Try for the Sun"

Songs by Bronski Beat
Old 03-09-12, 08:52 PM
  #5  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
mickey65's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 4,695
Received 66 Likes on 55 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Crimson & Clover - covered by Joan Jett

"...and when she comes walking over - I think I can love her, Crimson & Clover"
Old 03-09-12, 09:31 PM
  #6  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,238
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3j4t185wl-0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 03-09-12, 09:46 PM
  #7  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
The Bus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 54,916
Received 19 Likes on 14 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

You mean aside from Right Said Fred and Gerardo?

I've always liked Electrelane's cover of Springsteen's "I'm on Fire"...



"Tell me now baby is he good to you, can he do to you the things I do?"
Old 03-09-12, 11:12 PM
  #8  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Formerly known as Groucho AND Bandoman/Death Moans, Iowa
Posts: 18,295
Received 372 Likes on 266 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Ani Difranco's cover of Dylan's "Most of the Time"
Old 03-09-12, 11:39 PM
  #9  
Premium Member
 
The Cow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Grazing in a field somewhere...
Posts: 23,630
Received 694 Likes on 464 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

" 'scuse me while I kiss this guy..."

Oh right, not a pop song
Old 03-10-12, 02:06 AM
  #10  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
Giantrobo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Gateway Cities/Harbor Region
Posts: 63,287
Received 1,805 Likes on 1,127 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Prince...."If I was your Girlfriend"
Old 03-10-12, 03:26 AM
  #11  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Originally Posted by Giantrobo
Prince...."If I was your Girlfriend"
I don't think so. The song rather seems to be about a man's jealousy over the fact that although he and his girlfriend are in a romantic relationship, she nevertheless remains closer to her female friends than him. He's wondering whether their relationship would be better if he was her girlfriend, as she would presumably then share more with him. Yet, the last part of the song appears to indicate exactly why their relationship doesn't work like he's hoping.

As for PopcornTreeCt's question, it's interesting that while I can think of female artists singing about women (in romantic or sexual terms), I find it much harder to come up with any male singers specifically singing about men. I wonder if that says something about my music collection or the society we live in. But openly gay (male) singers seem to prefer to sing in a way that allows for a free interpretation of what gender the person really is that they are singing to/about.

One song that came to my mind though is David Bowie's John, I'm Only Dancing, which I think is usually interpreted as the singer trying to convince his lover called John that while he is dancing with this girl and while she turns him on, she really means nothing to him. But the song does seem to have a number of other possible interpretations as well.
Old 03-10-12, 04:46 AM
  #12  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,898
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

kinks- see my friends
the herd- something strange
Old 03-10-12, 05:19 AM
  #13  
Mod Emeritus
 
benedict's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Outside of the U.S.A.
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Tom Robinson was "Glad to be Gay"

Not quite what the OP specified but this thread is incomplete without reference to:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zHG2LJGfEdw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

FWIW I believe that Mr Robinson is now married with several kids.
Old 03-10-12, 06:42 AM
  #14  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: behind the eight ball
Posts: 19,970
Received 241 Likes on 152 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Originally Posted by mickey65
Crimson & Clover - covered by Joan Jett

"...and when she comes walking over - I think I can love her, Crimson & Clover"
That's a cover of a Tommy James song. He also sang about "her". She just didn't change the lyrics. As for why she didn't change the lyrics...
Old 03-10-12, 08:12 AM
  #15  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Pizza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,136
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Originally Posted by mickey65
Crimson & Clover - covered by Joan Jett

"...and when she comes walking over - I think I can love her, Crimson & Clover"
She's just singing the lyrics as originally written. I've heard a lot of singers do that. Not to say she didn't mean it.
Pet Shop Boys have a few on their albums.
How about I Kissed a Girl?
Old 03-10-12, 09:20 AM
  #16  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Sean O'Hara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Vichy America
Posts: 13,533
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fXSO6I5YHyY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 03-10-12, 09:55 AM
  #17  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Ky-Fi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Cape Ann, Massachusetts
Posts: 10,928
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Originally Posted by LosingMyMind
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3j4t185wl-0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I think that's another one that's not overtly gay--it just kind of depends on the listener's perspective and what they bring to the song.
Old 03-10-12, 10:23 AM
  #18  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
davidh777's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Home of 2013 NFL champion Seahawks
Posts: 52,634
Received 1,016 Likes on 840 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Originally Posted by Pizza
She's just singing the lyrics as originally written. I've heard a lot of singers do that. Not to say she didn't mean it.
Yes, and when they do switch the pronouns sometimes the gender change doesn't work as well.

Originally Posted by Pizza
How about I Kissed a Girl?
That's what came to mind for me.

<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tAp9BKosZXs?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tAp9BKosZXs?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
Old 03-10-12, 05:45 PM
  #19  
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
 
PopcornTreeCt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,913
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Interesting, I didn't know about a number of these songs.

Originally Posted by vili
As for PopcornTreeCt's question, it's interesting that while I can think of female artists singing about women (in romantic or sexual terms), I find it much harder to come up with any male singers specifically singing about men. I wonder if that says something about my music collection or the society we live in. But openly gay (male) singers seem to prefer to sing in a way that allows for a free interpretation of what gender the person really is that they are singing to/about.

One song that came to my mind though is David Bowie's John, I'm Only Dancing, which I think is usually interpreted as the singer trying to convince his lover called John that while he is dancing with this girl and while she turns him on, she really means nothing to him. But the song does seem to have a number of other possible interpretations as well.
That's pretty much what I was getting at. It does seem a little more common when it's a girl singing about a girl but a lot rarer when it's about a guy singing about another guy. I don't think Elton John or Freddie Mercury ever had songs specifically mentioning other men.
Old 03-10-12, 10:58 PM
  #20  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 43,205
Received 36 Likes on 20 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
I was just curious because Adam Lambert's "What Do You Want From Me" came on the radio and he never uses any pronouns.
No gender-specific pronouns, you mean.
Old 03-11-12, 12:50 AM
  #21  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
KaBluie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,010
Received 24 Likes on 17 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

<object width="425px" height="360px" ><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=3918698,t=1,mt=video"/><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=3918698,t=1,mt=video" width="425" height="360" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></object>
Old 03-11-12, 06:03 AM
  #22  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
Giantrobo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Gateway Cities/Harbor Region
Posts: 63,287
Received 1,805 Likes on 1,127 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Originally Posted by vili
I don't think so. The song rather seems to be about a man's jealousy over the fact that although he and his girlfriend are in a romantic relationship, she nevertheless remains closer to her female friends than him. He's wondering whether their relationship would be better if he was her girlfriend, as she would presumably then share more with him. Yet, the last part of the song appears to indicate exactly why their relationship doesn't work like he's hoping.
Fair enough
Old 03-11-12, 10:55 AM
  #23  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 24,948
Received 275 Likes on 172 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

I'd say that half of all love songs are gender neutral anyway
Old 03-11-12, 10:59 AM
  #24  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4SMwHgEsgPo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 03-11-12, 11:24 AM
  #25  
DVD Talk Legend
 
cungar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 22,980
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes on 9 Posts
Re: Are there any deliberately gay pop songs?

Those two "I kissed a girl" songs are about as gay as a lipstick lesbian porn video. Everything to do with tittliation and selling records and nothing to do with homosexuality.


Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.