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I love music. Love it. Most of the music I listen to is written and produced by straight men and women, which is great. However, there are times when it's nice to listen to lyrics and perspectives from those who have had similar experiences as I have. This evening I searched and searched the Internet trying to find a good, gay guy who made music that wasn't thump-thump "Cher-lite." Good gay literature and music is so hard to find. The stuff I always seem to run across is packaged & promoted in such a...sexual way. Clearly marketers of gay "entertainment" think they know their demographic. Bare chested men looking longingly into the camera and images of men groping each other dominate book jackets and CD covers of even "serious" gay artists.
I don't quite fit the mold described above. I like folky, melodic, alternative music. Oh sure, I like the occasional dance song, I'm quite into electronic music (Goldfrapp, etc.) and I love my 80's hits, but for the most part I'm all about the guitar playing singer/songwriter. I like intelligent lyrics and artful packaging. There aren't many gay folky singers that I could find, and the one or 2 I could find I either didn't like their voice (Rufus Wainwright, Eric Hinman) or they're ambiguously gay...like Sufjan Stevens, who is either super gay, or a devout Christian.
My research on Sufjan Stevens uncovered a huge Internet debate about whether or not the guy is gay. I must admit that the gay bashing, even in 2007, was a bit disturbing. There was talk of a musical "gay trap"...where an artist makes sexually ambiguous music to secretly turn straight people on to gay music. People thought when he mentioned a "he" in his lyrics, he was referring to Jesus. While I have no doubt he is a Christian man and peppers his music with religious metaphors in his music. lyrics like the ones below, about Sufjan and his best friend at summer camp, make me wonder. The following lyrics are from the song "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!":
and:
of course, there is this:
which is followed by this:
So it's tough to figure out. I want him to be gay so I can really feel like I relate to the guy, but in the end it doesn't matter because the music is what's important.
I'm getting away from my point. I guess I just found it funny how the straight people out there couldn't like this guy if he was gay (which hasn't been proven) because they wouldn't be able relate to him. I can totally relate to straight men and women singing about each other, so I found it odd that they couldn't relate to me. Sure, I change the meaning of some songs around in my mind a little, but I can always appreciate a talented singer. I just found it rather close-minded, especially since I, as a gay guy, am constantly exposed to ideas and art that doesn't come from someone like me, yet I'm able to appreciate the art all the same.
Oh, and the best part of tonight's search was stumbling across this list of "Gay Bands". I think you'll find the list an absolute hoot.
I don't quite fit the mold described above. I like folky, melodic, alternative music. Oh sure, I like the occasional dance song, I'm quite into electronic music (Goldfrapp, etc.) and I love my 80's hits, but for the most part I'm all about the guitar playing singer/songwriter. I like intelligent lyrics and artful packaging. There aren't many gay folky singers that I could find, and the one or 2 I could find I either didn't like their voice (Rufus Wainwright, Eric Hinman) or they're ambiguously gay...like Sufjan Stevens, who is either super gay, or a devout Christian.
My research on Sufjan Stevens uncovered a huge Internet debate about whether or not the guy is gay. I must admit that the gay bashing, even in 2007, was a bit disturbing. There was talk of a musical "gay trap"...where an artist makes sexually ambiguous music to secretly turn straight people on to gay music. People thought when he mentioned a "he" in his lyrics, he was referring to Jesus. While I have no doubt he is a Christian man and peppers his music with religious metaphors in his music. lyrics like the ones below, about Sufjan and his best friend at summer camp, make me wonder. The following lyrics are from the song "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!":
Oh how I meant to tease him
Oh how I meant no harm
Touching his back with my hand I kiss him
I see the wasp on the length of my arm
and:
We were in love. We were in love.
of course, there is this:
Lamb of God, we sound the horn.
Hallelujah!
To us your ghost is born.
Hallelu-
which is followed by this:
I can't explain the state that I'm in
The state of my heart, he was my best friend
Into the car, from the back seat
Oh admiration in falling asleep
All of my powers, day after day
I can tell you, we swaggered and swayed
Deep in the tower, the prairies below
I can tell you, the telling gets old
Terrible sting and terrible storm
I can tell you the day we were born
My friend is gone, he ran away
I can tell you, I love him each day
Though we have sparred, wrestled and raged
I can tell you I love him each day
Terrible sting, terrible storm
I can tell you...
So it's tough to figure out. I want him to be gay so I can really feel like I relate to the guy, but in the end it doesn't matter because the music is what's important.
I'm getting away from my point. I guess I just found it funny how the straight people out there couldn't like this guy if he was gay (which hasn't been proven) because they wouldn't be able relate to him. I can totally relate to straight men and women singing about each other, so I found it odd that they couldn't relate to me. Sure, I change the meaning of some songs around in my mind a little, but I can always appreciate a talented singer. I just found it rather close-minded, especially since I, as a gay guy, am constantly exposed to ideas and art that doesn't come from someone like me, yet I'm able to appreciate the art all the same.
Oh, and the best part of tonight's search was stumbling across this list of "Gay Bands". I think you'll find the list an absolute hoot.
1 comments:
By
Dragon Lady, at
2:47 PM
First of all:
Wilson Phillips? Really? Bad adult comtemporary music, maybe. Gay music? I laughed so hard.
I wonder if they know the Dresden Dolls made a song about a sex change operation and several songs about masturbation. There is constant speculation that Amanda is gay as well.
Hmmm.......Cyndi Lauper also made a song about masturbation.
Who submits to this list?
Can't people just listen to music? If it is GOOD music, what difference does it make regarding the sexuality of the artist???