LGBT-themed Songs

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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by hectorthebat »

1999 - Danii Minogue - Everlasting Night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWyKo7y_LE8

2014 - Tonight Alive - The Edge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRDVXnACx7Y
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Honorio »

While I was checking the most acclaimed non-English songs per year to update this thread I stumbled upon a song that definitely belong to this thread. It's Marcus Wiebusch's "Der Tag wird kommen" ("The Day Will Come"), it was released in 2014 and deals with the homophobia in the soccer world. The song and (specially) the video clip are remarkable. You can activate the English subtitles in the lower right corner to understand the lyrics.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by StevieFan13 »

So, as a latecomer: this is specifically about songs about LGBT+ issues and whatnot? Because songs by gay icons could also find a place here (Kylie, Madonna, "Groove is in the Heart," etc.).
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by StevieFan13 »

I'd add:
The Beatles - Boys: Another song that changes the gender dynamic by not changing the he's to she's.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by PlasticRam »

StevieFan13 wrote:I'd add:
The Beatles - Boys: Another song that changes the gender dynamic by not changing the he's to she's.
They did. Only the title is not changed.

Edit: Or I don't know how much they changed it. Certainly was unintentional, the gay aspect.
I feel like that
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by StevieFan13 »

PlasticRam wrote:
StevieFan13 wrote:I'd add:
The Beatles - Boys: Another song that changes the gender dynamic by not changing the he's to she's.
They did. Only the title is not changed.

Edit: Or I don't know how much they changed it. Certainly was unintentional, the gay aspect.
Huh. Never mind, then.
How about Panic! At the Disco's Girls/Girls/Boys? That was definitely a clear LGBT+-themed song.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by PlasticRam »

StevieFan13 wrote:
PlasticRam wrote:
StevieFan13 wrote:I'd add:
The Beatles - Boys: Another song that changes the gender dynamic by not changing the he's to she's.
They did. Only the title is not changed.

Edit: Or I don't know how much they changed it. Certainly was unintentional, the gay aspect.
Huh. Never mind, then.
How about Panic! At the Disco's Girls/Girls/Boys? That was definitely a clear LGBT+-themed song.
Yes probably. Early 60s was a time that Beatles hadn't yet started the revolution of opening minds so almost no-one thought of the song as gay back then. By late 60s I think that things had already changed.

Edit: I guess the right word is that they kickstarted the revolution. Other bands followed and in turn Beatles were influenced by them.
I feel like that
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bonnielaurel
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by bonnielaurel »

I don't think these have been mentioned:

Ani DiFranco - Two Little Girls (1998)
Sinéad O'Connor - I Am Stretched on Your Grave (1990)
Melissa Etheridge - Like the Way I Do (1988)
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by StevieFan13 »

PlasticRam wrote:
StevieFan13 wrote:
PlasticRam wrote: They did. Only the title is not changed.

Edit: Or I don't know how much they changed it. Certainly was unintentional, the gay aspect.
Huh. Never mind, then.
How about Panic! At the Disco's Girls/Girls/Boys? That was definitely a clear LGBT+-themed song.
Yes probably. Early 60s was a time that Beatles hadn't yet started the revolution of opening minds so almost no-one thought of the song as gay back then. By late 60s I think that things had already changed.

Edit: I guess the right word is that they kickstarted the revolution. Other bands followed and in turn Beatles were influenced by them.
Of course, the Beatles basically owe their career to a gay man: their manager, Brian Epstein. Hell, you could almost say they owe their very existence to a gay man: while you could also make a case for Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry being the catalyst for their formation, a big factor was also Little Richard and "Long Tall Sally," the first song John Lennon really loved.

Though while we're talking LGBT+-themed songs, while the most famous version isn't particularly heavy on gay themes, the original version of "Tutti Frutti" definitely was.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by StevieFan13 »

Here's a recent one by openly-transgender musician Shea Diamond:
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Henrik »

I suggest Gabrielle's "Fem fine frøkner". It's a song that first became very popular in Norway and then again after it appeared in season 3 of the sensational Norwegian tv-series Skam, which deals with Isak's relationship with Even and is a coming out story that deals with issues of love, sexual identity, authenticity, mental illness, religion and friendship.

Gabrielle said in an interview that when she first saw the song's appearance in Skam she didn't know if she would be happy or not, since Isak doesn't like the song. However, despite Isak's reaction, "Fem fine frøkner" is definitely the song that got the biggest boost from the series (and deservedly so IMO).

Some of the lyrics of the song, translated to English:

Five fine ladies in the club, we're command
Turn it all the way up to the sky
If there are five fine guys, doesn't matter to me
There's no one else I'd rather do this with

Send me that thing you know makes us feel like our bodies are burning
It's like flying over all of our city, this song is cool so we start it again, clubbidubin, my ladies are so stunning
Maybe we're a bit disgusting
But what does that matter when it's not day anymore
Five fine ladies, three in a row
They stand alone, but we do it as a team
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by BleuPanda »

Sometimes I wish I could know more about an artist to know whether I'm reading into things too much or if I'm actually correct in my perception; Sufjan Stevens certainly has a lot of homoromantic references through his works, but people will get in endless debates about what they 'really' mean (though it's really quite fun when the debate is whether the person in question is a gay lover or God...quite a difference there).

The big one for me recently was Art Angels by Grimes; the whole album feels like it has this asexual overtone to it, but I can't tell if that is Grimes writing from the view of an asexual person or simply rejecting romance as a narrative tool. The problem of identifying asexual themes is they are easily confused with narrative that simply don't deal with sex or romance as a subject (and with how overlooked asexual people are, my default assumption will go toward the latter).
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Huangal70 »

I think there's a bit of a transgender theme in Running up that hill
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by babydoll »

BleuPanda wrote:The big one for me recently was Art Angels by Grimes; the whole album feels like it has this asexual overtone to it, but I can't tell if that is Grimes writing from the view of an asexual person or simply rejecting romance as a narrative tool. The problem of identifying asexual themes is they are easily confused with narrative that simply don't deal with sex or romance as a subject (and with how overlooked asexual people are, my default assumption will go toward the latter).
I think the whole thing with Art Angels - and why I think it's one of the most brilliant albums of the decade - is that she's rejecting conventionality, musically, aesthetically, and lyrically. Hence, I think she's simply rejecting the romance narrative tool. I don't think it's really meant to be asexual, but it comes off that way, and really, one of the great things about art is that you connect to it in a different way than how the artist made it. For example, I don't view Lemonade as a saga of marriage and infidelity, but more as an album that deals with overcoming patriarchy. Hence, for you, Art Angels is probably one of the albums that deals with asexuality. It's been a while since I've heard it, but I can honestly see why you think that and on the next listen, I'd probably hear it. But for now, I think it's dealing with rejecting conventional means, to embrace one's own oddities and idiosyncrasies.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

Thanks everyone for mentioning more songs and for the comments about them. When I have more time I will create an appendix containing all the songs not mentioned in the opening post of this thread and link it to that post.

And thanks for mentioning Skam, Henrik. I binge-watched translated episodes of the third season recently. Never thought I'd enjoy watching a series about Norwegian teenagers so much - I can see why Norwegian and Swedish parents are as fascinated by it as their kids. :)

About The Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein, some people have suggested that "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" was written for Epstein, who had to hide his homosexuality from the public. But John Lennon never confirmed that.

And about asexual songs, one that springs to mind is Victoria Wood's hilarious "Pam". I wish there were more songs that overtly dealt with asexuality.

Here's one for the aromantics: Stephen Sondheim's "Live Alone and Like It".
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Huangal70 »

The new Alex G song Bobby seems to be bisexual and listen to Papa was a Rodeo by the Magnetic Fields
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Harold »

Jap123 wrote:... listen to Papa was a Rodeo by the Magnetic Fields
Dan, who started this thread, wrote in that first catalog post that he was limiting the list (at least initially) to one song per artist; obviously there are many, many Magnetic Fields songs that would qualify (heck, a whole bunch of new ones - I assume - landed just a week and a half ago), and Dan selected "Underwear" (also from 69 Love Songs) for 1999.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

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Edit: This post was about 2017 songs, which have now been added to the main (first) post.
Last edited by Dan on Sun Jul 17, 2022 12:57 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

I added Partner's "Play the Field" to the list of 2017 songs. Thanks for the recommendation, DocBrown! I also decided to add all of the 2017 songs to the opening thread instead of just a few of them. Why not.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Henrik »

I went back to this marvellous topic and realised that there wasn’t a spotify list...



I added Carl Bean’s ”I Was Born This Way”.

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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

Fab. Thanks Henrik! I've added your playlist to the opening post.

A lot of research went into this thread. It could probably do with a few changes, though (like renaming it LGBTQ+ Songs to make it more inclusive, adding more suggestions from others in the opening post, and doing even more research to find songs that I've missed). Nevertheless, I’m happy with what it is at the moment. It was created with good intentions, and Henrik, I’m really pleased that this thread and these songs have connected with you in a meaningful way.

Looking forward to adding some songs from 2018!
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Jirin »

69 Love Songs has a few songs on it that are ostensibly LGBT. Some only because the singer of the gender is the same as the gender specified as the love interest. Acoustic Guitar, When My Boy Walks Down The Street. Although nothing in Acoustic Guitar lyrics explicitly identifies the gender of the singer so men and women can sing it equally.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Romain »

Quickly, I see three for Gainsbourg:

Rupture au miroir:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eexavCSSNo

I'm the Boy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXHtHY7Crz4

Kiss me Hardy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZDacXycw

Other wise:
Indochine - Troisième sexe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWtiCRntA-E
Renaud - Petit Pédé
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXEf7AF72D4
Zazie - Adam et Yves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-KKyAKC7L4
Starmania - Un garçon pas comme les autres
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8d2YQREQa0

these are the ones that come to mind, I'll look for other songs later
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by prosecutorgodot »

From the new Idles album, "Samaritans".
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

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1º Frank Ocean - Forrest Gump 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnZ9q1eXvYA

Forrest Gump appears, he's Venus as a boy, a happy ending is coming ... but he is a runner

There is a lot of love here.

2º Angel Olsen - Sister 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf663c2EcCU
A beautiful song about a woman falling in love with another woman
To face the stranger in this case is to stop trying to change.

3º George Michael - Freedom '90 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diYAc7gB-0A
This song speaks explicitly about being gay for me.
I think it's strange that some people have noticed George Michael's sexuality with Outside

4º The Knife - Full of Fire 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoH6k6eIUS4

This song is incredible, it talks about resisting and fighting against conservatism.
These verses are cool:

"...Not a vagina
It's an option
The cock had it coming
You can't
Have an opinion"


5º Cazuza - O Tempo não Para 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9i_GqYX1ys

Great gay icon of the Brazilian rock who was a victim of AIDS in the early 90's.

In the music is exposed the hypocrisy of the Brazilian society that judged Cazuza because he was gay and meanwhile the corruption dominated Brazil.


This can be described as his last great act before he died.
Last edited by Elder on Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

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6º Patti Smith - Gloria 1975
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPO0bTaWcFQ

Is not only a refusal to change the pronouns used in the original song.

In Gloria, Patti Smith adds a new verse in early music, in which she confronts a religious dogma,
turning the music into a lesbian anthem.
It is liberating to hear her sing: my sins, they belong to me


7º Pet Shop Boys - It's a Sin 1987
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRHetRTOD1Q

I see in "It's a Sin" a strong gay connotation for dealing with sin as a permanent situation and not as something related to the practice of an action.

Sin is to exist:
"....Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin"


8º Antony and The Johnsons - You Are My Sister 2005
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vskbBZ1h6ls

This song is duet with Boy George, is a song with a cheerful lyrics accompanied by a sad melody.

Just as in Angel Olsen's song the word "Sister" has great importance, now with another meaning.

9º The Smiths - Hand in Glove 1983
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcys6BMJ5Vw

I like to think of The Smiths as a gay version of The Beatles.
This song is "I Want to Hold Your Hand" from The Smiths.

10º Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I See a Darkness 1999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAriDxTeed8

Practically the screenplay for the movie "Brokeback Mountain"

11º Panda Bear - Bro's 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTnBc_-QCXk

A long and highly acclaimed song about a Gay relationship.

... Hey man you are my "best new lover".

12º Roberta Flack - Ballad of the Sad Young Men 1969
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vjR2K6208Q

I's funny, but it's true and it's true, but it's not funny.

13º Divine - You Think You're a Man 1984
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd2Gzkkwe9Q

Great LGBTQ+ icon, His interpretation of Drag catches my attention enough to represent a strong and aggressive woman.
Without the image of Divine, "You Think You're a Man" is just another gay relationship song like so many other songs.

14º David Bowie - Young Americans 1975
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSHY1_ux8rs

Everyone wants the young American including the Davie Bowie.

15º Jenny Hval - Conceptual Romance 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CyUsST0JOU

It's an ambiguous, incredible song.
In "Conceptual Romance" it's all intuitive, but I think it fits this list perfectly.


16º Suede - The Drowners 1992
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nWJQStqrfw

I think it talks about sex between brothers ...

17º Annie Lennox - No More I Love You's 1995
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSkboTTTmpg

Because of the video in which various gender stereotypes are broken, I include this song.
The following verse of this song sounds inspiring to me:

"...No more I love you's
The language is leaving me
No more I love you's
Changes are shifting
Outside the words"



If you love, you must accept the changes that are happening...

18º Nirvana - All Apologies 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWmkuH1k7uA

I know that in English the word "gay" can be translated as something like "happy"
MORE like I've never heard a gospel song that said, "I'm gay for loving Jesus"...
I presume the word "gay" was purposely inserted to demonstrate dissatisfaction in a marriage with a woman.

19º Elton John - Rocket Man 1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LX7WrHCaUA

I thought that Bowie had established a parallel between the characters "Ziggy Stardust" and "Rocket Man", so I discovered that the similarity is with "Major Tom".
Now I do not even think of music as gay.

"...And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home"



"Rocketman" is a metaphor, this song has a subjective lyrics.

20º Sigur Rós - Viðrar vel til loftárása 1999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akYuy2FMQk4

Again music and video should be interpreted together.
This is gay-themed video that most caught my attention in my life.

21º Bruce Springsteen - Backstreets 1975
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oID_fZDtcs0

fanfic with Bruce Springsteen

22º RuPaul - Supermodel (You Better Work) 1993
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw9LOrHU8JI

It tells the story of a young black and effeminate gay who achieved success.

23º James Blake - Retrograde 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XClvMMxBg1k

A secret gay romance.
Last edited by Elder on Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:36 pm, edited 9 times in total.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

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Me being me, here are some LGBT-themed songs from one of Europe’s most proudly LGBT-friendly events, the Eurovision Song Contest.

Ketil Stokkan - Romeo (Norway 1986)
Ketil Stokkan represented Norway on home ground in 1986, when the contest was held in Bergen. The song itself isn’t explicitly LGBT-themed; rather, it’s just a catchy standard Europop song about winning a girl’s affections. What makes it notable is that it was the first proper representation of the LGBT community on the Eurovision stage, as Stokkan was joined by members of the Great Garlic Girls drag troupe. It was the first appearance of a drag queen in a Eurovision act. It wouldn’t be the last. It finished 12th. Stokkan would try his luck again in 1990, only to finish joint last with Finland.

Paul Oscar - Minn hinsti dans (Iceland 1997)
This was notable for being the first Eurovision entry performed by an openly gay man. Translated, it means “My final dance,” a reflection on a luxurious life coming to a close (either by changing his ways or his imminent death - they never say which). He states, however, that he doesn’t regret a thing. Oscar is a former drag queen who had already stirred up some controversy in his homeland, and his Eurovision performance was radically different from anything else on display that year. It was very sexually suggestive, with Oscar and some female dancers forming suggestive poses over a modern electronic dance beat (British commentator Terry Wogan made a rare mid-song interruption to ask, “Are you sure we haven’t switched to Channel 4?”). It went under appreciated by the juries, although the televote system introduced by some countries that year was very receptive. The song finished in 20th place.

Dana International- Diva (Israel 1998)
A landmark Eurovision moment. Dana International was the first openly transgender Eurovision participant, a striking return to the contest after two years’ absence. “Diva” was an anthem celebrating strong women in history, set to a modern dance beat. It was co-written by Svika Pick and Yoav Ginai, both of whom had attempted to compete for Israel in the past. Dana International was a very controversial choice for a competitor, and faced backlash from Orthodox Jews and conservative countries. She even had to stay in a hotel room with a bulletproof window. The race was very close between Israel and Malta, up until the very last vote (in which Israel received eight points from Macedonia, while Malta received neither of the remaining two scores, allowing Israel to win and Malta to finish third). Dana International brought the contest to Israel and would later return with the song “Ding Dong” in 2011, failing to qualify from her semi-final. Her victory was seen as a major moment for Eurovision’s large LGBT fanbase, and it remains a popular entry.

Marija Serifovic - Molitva (Serbia 2007)
Eurovision wouldn’t see another LGBT winner until Marija Serifovic brought Serbia their first victory as an independent nation with “Molitva.” The song had an intense stage performance, with Serifovic joined by five singers in matching suits and red nails. The black and red color scheme and Serifovic’s unique voice and look (very androgynous, with a full suit, short hair, and glasses) made the act stand out around Europe, and won the contest handily (including top marks from host country Finland). Another thing of did for the first time since Dana International was win in a native language, as the rule forcing contestants to sing in only their native language was lifted the year after her victory, leading all victorious songs from 99-06 to be in English. “Molitva” would also be the last until Portugal’s win in 2017 with “Amar pelos dois” by Salvador Sobral. Serifovic would come out as bisexual in 2013. And speaking of which...

Krista Siegfrieds - Marry Me (Finland 2013)
Siegfrieds’ marriage-themed entry was notable for being her way of trying to convince the Finnish government to legalize gay marriage. The performance featured Siegfrieds dressed as a bride, flanked by backing singers dressed as her bridesmaids. In the end, though, the object of her affections is actually one of them, rather than the groom, leading to a kiss. The same-sex kiss (the second of three in Eurovision history) was one of the reasons that longtime competitor Turkey withdrew from participating, and they haven’t come back since. Finland would legalize gay marriage a few years later.

Conchita Wurst - Rise Like a Phoenix (Austria 2014)
Another controversial winner came in the form of Austria’s Conchita Wurst, an androgynous performer noted for (at the time) being a drag queen with a beard. His powerful performance of “Rise Like a Phoenix” won the hearts of Europe, although he faced criticism from conservative countries like Armenia (whose representative made an unkind remark about his appearance). Nevertheless, he still managed to win points from most competing countries, even Russia and Ukraine.

Ryan O’Shaughnessy - Together (Ireland 2018)
Just this year, we saw Ryan O’Shaughnessy use “Together” as a way to feature a touching gay love story. The act involved O’Shaughnessy focusing on two relationships: between him and his piano accompanist and between two gay dancers. It brought Ireland back to the final after five years, finishing in 16th place. It also got China banned from broadcasting the second semi-final and the grand final, as their broadcast of the first semi cut Ireland’s performance for LGBT content, which led to the European Broadcasting Union taking away their broadcasting rights.

These are far from the only examples, but they were the first that came to mind.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Henrik »

Dan wrote:Fab. Thanks Henrik! I've added your playlist to the opening post.

A lot of research went into this thread. It could probably do with a few changes, though (like renaming it LGBTQ+ Songs to make it more inclusive, adding more suggestions from others in the opening post, and doing even more research to find songs that I've missed). Nevertheless, I’m happy with what it is at the moment. It was created with good intentions, and Henrik, I’m really pleased that this thread and these songs have connected with you in a meaningful way.

Looking forward to adding some songs from 2018!
You’re welcome! It was the least I could do.

And the thread just keeps growing! :happy-partydance: I will update the spotify list when I find the time.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Elder »

24º Hot Chip - Over and Over 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl8JLyhgZRE

I do not know who this guy called Casio, but this song is gay because of him.

25º Mac DeMarco - My Kind of Woman 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R3B2Xr8kwQ

What kind of woman are you?
-Men


26º Queen - Love of My Life 1975
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUJkCXE4sAA

He made this song for a woman who was his great love.

It can be interpreted as discovering that the love of your life is a woman, BUT he realizes that he is attracted to men and the relationship of the couple becomes friendship.

27º Grimes - Flesh Without Blood 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNuQmBRB69g

Grimes said that this song is about a relationship of admiration for another woman, does not involve sexual interest.

It reveals how we can always explore multiple interpretations in one ambiguous song.

28º Pabllo Vittar e Rico Dalasam - Todo Dia 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63VaFHu5g8Q

Pabllo Vittar is a Drag queen that with her songs reached a success in Brazil that no other artist of this segment managed in the world.
This song in partnership with Rico Dalsam basically talks about sexual freedom.

Well, I can affirm that currently Pabllo Vittar confronts the conservatives of Brazil more than all the Rappers, Rockstars and New Tropicalists added.

29º Elton John - Your Song 1970
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJaWmGVQ5Ws

I am surprised that this song is not considered explicitly Gay, with verses like:


"...I don't have much money, but, boy, if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live"

"....You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen
"

30º Underworld - Born Slippy .NUXX 1995
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTFrCbQGyvM


It may be a song about a handsome boy with lipstick.
In music the beauty and the desire for this boy are exalted.

31º Queen - I Want to Break Free 1984
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Mc-NYPHaQ

Again clip + music.
Getting liberated here is to overcome the gender barrier, even if it is while you clean your house.

32º Frankie Knuckles/Jamie Principle - Your Love 1987
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl6uliNCkUU

Great anthem.

33º Pulp - Babies 1992
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38by00DGid0

This song is very suggestive, it is not certain whether the narrator's friend is a man or a woman.

34º The Smiths - I Know It's Over 1986
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah2NgBVC1ps

I can describe it as a song about a man who is probably gay, narcissistic and lonely.

"...If you're so very good-looking
Why do you sleep alone tonight?
I know
Because tonight is
Just like any other night
That's why you're on your own tonight
With your triumphs and your charms
While they're in each other's arms"


"...Love is natural and real
But not for such as you and I
My love"

35º Patti Smith - Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer (de) 1975
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSk6jfln84A

I read on Pitchfork that this song was inspired by a homoerotic book.
Well, it was not just me who found this song gay.

36º Suede - Breakdown 1993
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv4eGLt6KvM

It's about a gay romance where he's left by a woman.

"...you can only go so far
for womankind"


"....does your love only come
does he only come in a Volvo?"


I think most gays may have wondered at some point if they would be happier in a family with a wife, children and a handsome Volvo.

37º The Zombies - Care of Cell 44 1967
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afrdo2qneoI

As women almost never commit crimes...

I can assume that this song speaks of a man in love with another man waiting for his partner to get out of prison.

being gay will never be an obvious interpretation in ambiguous songs.

38º Bloc Party - This Modern Love 2005
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oRlpGyI1rg

A gay man singing a beautiful song about modern loves.

39º Cássia Eller - Eles 1992
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTF1t4d0k_I

It's about gays and lesbians who want to stay with their lovers without being bothered.

You do not need to know the Portuguese language to be impressed by Cassia's voice.

40º Troye Sivan - Bloom 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41PTANtZFW0

Pull up to my bumper baby,
In your long black limosine
Last edited by Elder on Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:57 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by BleuPanda »

Elder wrote:24º Hot Chip - Over and Over 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl8JLyhgZRE

I do not know who this guy called Casio, but this song is gay because of him.

CASIO is a company that produces, among many other things, electronic music instruments...

I think you may be stretching things a bit with some of these. Like, I wouldn't assume "Care of Cell 44" is about a man just because it's more common for men to be in prison. I've always viewed that song as kind of playfully eschewing traditional gender roles, about a man keeping a home in shape while his love is the one in prison.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Elder »

BleuPanda wrote:
Elder wrote:24º Hot Chip - Over and Over 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl8JLyhgZRE

I do not know who this guy called Casio, but this song is gay because of him.

CASIO is a company that produces, among many other things, electronic music instruments...

I think you may be stretching things a bit with some of these. Like, I wouldn't assume "Care of Cell 44" is about a man just because it's more common for men to be in prison. I've always viewed that song as kind of playfully eschewing traditional gender roles, about a man keeping a home in shape while his love is the one in prison.

Care of Cell 44

"As women almost never commit crimes..."
it was a joke
´
Over and Over
CASIO (Tadao Kashio)
I thought it was a joke made by Hot Chip

are ambiguous songs
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Huangal70 »

I always saw I See A Darkness about more male friendship than romance - to me thats why its such a great song because there arent many of a similar kind. Same goes for Bobby Jean and Backstreets.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Rob »

Jap123 wrote:I always saw I See A Darkness about more male friendship than romance - to me thats why its such a great song because there arent many of a similar kind. Same goes for Bobby Jean and Backstreets.
Agreed, that's part of the appeal of that song for me. I like Elder's list and comments in general, but I agree with BluePanda that some are a huge stretch. There isn't the fainted hint in I See a Darkness that any kind of romance (or sex) is involved. Elton John's song is obviously about an astronaut who doesn't like his job (I guess the line "I'm not the man they think I am at home" does it for you? In context of the rest of the song it means something different than being gay). There are a few others. Everybody brings their own bagage to a song which can make you interpret them in unexpected ways, but I'm not sure if such songs should be on Henrik's playlist celebrating gay music as they could feel like intruders.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Elder »

I noticed that the "Tainted Love" version of Soft Cell is not on the general list.

I thought it would be an obvious choice.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Elder »

Thanks for the comments, I made some corrections in my texts.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

Thanks for the posts in this thread last month. I'm having fun exploring the songs I don't know, from the French ones to the Eurovision entries and beyond.
Elder wrote:I noticed that the "Tainted Love" version of Soft Cell is not on the general list.

I thought it would be an obvious choice.
"Tainted Love" was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964 and didn't have a LGBT-related theme. I suppose it could be argued that the song took up a different meaning when Soft Cell covered it - maybe gay vocalist Marc Almond chose to perform it to confront homophobic ideas at the time about gay love being tainted/polluted/bad? But I couldn't find any evidence to support this, and I excluded it because I was a bit pedantic about there being clear LGBT themes in the songs I chose for the general list. That said, I also included a few songs by LGBT artists that weren't explicitly LGBT-themed, so from that perspective I guess I could've included it. I'll add it when I get round to updating the general list. :music-listening:
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by tfguenther »

In Germany there's a song that's inseperably connected with the gay community. It's just another example of changing the intended meaning of the lyrics by keeping the male pronouns when sung by a man. The refrain goes "Er gehört zu mir, wie mein Name an der Tür" which you can translate as "He belongs to me, just like my name on the door sign". So it's not really a LGBT-themed song. But - I don't know about now, but at least in the 80s/90s - for many years this has been sort of a theme-song at the Christopher-Street-Parade and so on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv8xB9EKv68
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by tfguenther »

If I'm not mistaken, "Under one roof" by The Rubettes hasn't yet been listed?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT005cG_GZE
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

Edit: This post was about 2018 songs. Those songs have now been added to the opening post.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

The opening post of this thread was in need of an update. I’ve added over 150 new songs to the main list. This includes a few songs that I previously hadn’t been sure about in terms of their LGBT-related themes, as well as recommendations that meet the eligibility criteria from other forum members since I first started this thread years ago. Thanks again for the suggestions!

Unfortunately, I still haven’t included any songs that are not sung in English. There have been many wonderful recommendations from forum members around the world about songs sung in other languages. I’ve started to do my own research too, and quickly realised that there are a LOT of international LGBT-related songs to discover. I hope to add songs not sung in English the next time I do a proper update, including, of course, the recommendations already made.

I went up to 2021 as 2022 hasn’t finished yet, but these are some of the songs from 2022 that will be added at the end of the year:

Lucy Dacus | Kissing Lessons ( Indie Rock )
Angel Olsen | All the Good Times ( Americana, Alt-Country )
Ezra Furman | Book of Our Names ( Art Pop )
Kae Tempest feat. Kevin Abstract | More Pressure ( UK Hip Hop, Slam Poetry )
Beyoncé | Pure / Honey ( House, Alternative R&B )
Kendrick Lamar | Auntie Diaries ( Hip Hop )
Oliver Sim | Hideous ( Art Pop )
Sunken Screens | There Are Worse Things I Could Do ( Chamber Pop )

Hopefully this will continue to be a useful resource for LGBT-related music. :)
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Le Jeune Rylan »

Thank you for your meaningful post! It greatly helps me learn about these LGBT-themed songs and the history behind them (for example, it's the first time I've heard that Billie Joe is also part of the LGBT+ community), and the private writing you and others share is also touching and inspiring!

As a native Chinese speaker, a bisexual and also a former victim of school violence, I think the song below from Taiwan may be one of the most influential LGBT-themed songs in recent years around the Sinophone world, which is in memory of a little boy called Yeh Yung-chih (葉永鋕) who was bullied and died in campus because of his gender nonconformity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeh_Yung-chih_Incident). It truly gives me and the LGBT+ community around me great encouragement and comfort, especially when we’re still struggling in a land ruled by a horrible Putin wannabe with increasingly hopeless prospects.

Rock Version by MayDay (五月天)

Electropop Version by Jolin Tsai (蔡依林)
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

Thank you for sharing, Le Jeune Rylan. I’m pleased that you have gained something positive from this thread. One of the main intentions of creating this thread was to have a space where people in the LGBT community who love music (and their allies) could be inspired by musicians who have written about various aspects of the LGBT+ experience.

I’m sorry to hear about your history of school violence. I truly hope that you have found a way to rise above it and not be controlled by negative thoughts.

Thank you for your wonderful suggestion. I will definitely include it when I do the update about international LGBT-related songs. And by the way, I’m enjoying listening to your recommendations of Chinese music in the non-English music poll. Some good stuff there.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Le Jeune Rylan »

Dan wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 8:57 pm Thank you for sharing, Le Jeune Rylan. I’m pleased that you have gained something positive from this thread. One of the main intentions of creating this thread was to have a space where people in the LGBT community who love music (and their allies) could be inspired by musicians who have written about various aspects of the LGBT+ experience.

I’m sorry to hear about your history of school violence. I truly hope that you have found a way to rise above it and not be controlled by negative thoughts.

Thank you for your wonderful suggestion. I will definitely include it when I do the update about international LGBT-related songs. And by the way, I’m enjoying listening to your recommendations of Chinese music in the non-English music poll. Some good stuff there.
Thank you for your concern, Dan! You are so nice! Moreover, I never expected you to notice my tiny post about Chinese music, which was absolutely another surprise to me! Hope you enjoy them! :romance-kisscheek:
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by BeckJohn21 »

The song about LGBT that I love: doubletake - dhruv
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Last edited by BeckJohn21 on Mon Oct 16, 2023 7:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Honorio »

Excellent update, Dan! Sadly it's not getting many comments. I've been relishing it little by little, listening to 10 tracks per day while reading the comments. I began with the first 5 and the last 5 and I'm going my way to the middle of the list.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Dan »

BeckJohn21 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:42 am The song about LGBT that I love: doubletake - dhruv
Thanks BeckJohn21. I've added the song to the opening post and playlist.
Honorio wrote: Sun Oct 02, 2022 5:52 pm Excellent update, Dan! Sadly it's not getting many comments. I've been relishing it little by little, listening to 10 tracks per day while reading the comments. I began with the first 5 and the last 5 and I'm going my way to the middle of the list.
Thank you, Honorio. Numerous hours of work have gone into the update, but I’m honestly not bothered about the lack of responses to it. There’s a lot of information to take in (I once copied and pasted that opening post into a Word document to check spelling and grammar, and it ended up being over 50 pages long… so it will take a long time to digest for anyone interested in reading the comments and listening to the songs). And if this thread resonates with just a handful of LGBT people or allies who haven’t stumbled across it before, then I feel all the work is worth it.

Also, one of the main reasons for keeping my LGBT songs thread here on the Acclaimed Music Forums for now rather than migrating it to a blog or another platform is that I know there won’t be a bunch of nasty comments because it’s a mostly quiet, friendly forum. And of course, I owe the wonderful experience of discovering great music to this website and forum, so it makes sense for this topic to have its home here.

But I’m really pleased to hear that you are enjoying the update and making your way through it. I know that you and I share a love of international music that’s not necessarily sung in English, so I’m looking forward to updating the thread with LGBT-related songs from more countries around the world to make it a global and more comprehensive resource.
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by Romain »

Hello Dan, always a pleasure to see you posting here!
I know you're not introducing non-English songs yet, but when it's their time, don't forget that beautiful song by Aznavour, which was important to the gay community at the time in France.

Charles Aznavour - Comme ils disent !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4-zC8WtwBw

And you have a wikipédia page just for the French songs about homosexuality:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexua ... %C3%A7aise
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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

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Re: LGBT-themed Songs

Post by luvulongTIM »

Well from seeing all the Suede references here, or the London Suede as they’re unfortunately know as here in the States. If anyone does the research as to why the controversy, it’s because there is this mildly, somewhat known, lesbian lounge solo act named Suede who had most of her name value with the LGBT community. So since she has dibs to the name well before 1993 she went ahead and filed the lawsuit which of course she won. And in that lawsuit, being that (the London) Suede was one of the earliest acts to be presented with that britpop title, that lawsuit might have been what jumpstarted the way britpop acts were presented. Many keeping their popularity UK centric, where they were just whisper of a cult act at best here in the States. Had it not been for the lounge singer, the britpop sensations might have been bonafide superstars and that could have laid the groundwork for how the rest of the genre would have been publicized and promoted. So all the could have, should have, would have, questions pretty much begin with this little known lesbian jazz performer.
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