It's as American as ... Gay People!
What's the greatest gay song ever? In honor of Gay Pride, I'll tell you.
You are so wrong if you're expecting Over the Rainbow/ I’m Coming Out/ It’s Raining Men/ I Will Survive/ I Am What I Am.
Not that I have anything against those songs. I love them all. They are legendary Pride anthems.
But the greatest gay song ever is 'A Patriotic Finale,' the most celebratory, clever and fun song about being gay you will ever hear.
Never heard of it? Meet your friendly, neighborhood show tune queen: Me.
'A Patriotic Finale' is from 'When Pigs Fly,' a romp of a show that Ziegfield would have loved -- if he'd had a commitment ceremony with Noel Coward. It's the brainchild of Howard Crabtree, with sketches and lyrics by Mark Waldrop and music by Dick Gallagher. When it opened in New York in 1996, the New York Times called it an "exceptionally cheerful, militantly gay new musical revue that comes close to living up to its own billing, 'the side-splitting musical extravaganza.'"
No one -- and I mean no one -- I have ever played this song for hasn't grinned ear to ear. It will make you laugh. It will make you marvel at the cleverness of gay people. It will make you glad you're gay. If you're not gay, it will either make you want to be gay, or at least want to know someone who is.
Check out a few of the lyrics below. I encourage you to download this song from AOL Music Now or iTunes, or buy it on Amazon. Think of it as my little Pride gift to you (only with you forking over the .99 cents/$12 bucks.)
A Few Select Lines From 'A Patriotic Finale'
You can't take the color out of Colorado
You can't take the Mary out of Mary-Land
As John Phillip Sousa said, "I can't march
If I can't hear the boys in the band."
You can't take the sissy out of Mississippi
He's there and he's going to stay
And so Q.E.D., it's as plain as ABC
You need US to make the USA
Who will never be passe in Old El Paso?
Who will always know what's new in New Orleans?
Chicago without chic would be boring and oblique
And you can't have New York City without QUEENS
You cannot replace those Staten Island faeries
And who'll always keep Santa fey?
Yes, we're proud to state, we help make this country great
You need US to make the USA
It goes on. It gets better. It's the greatest gay song EVER.
But hey -- this is just my opinion. What do YOU think the gayest song ever is? Post the obvious -- or the obscure. Think you can out-gay me? Try. Just try.
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32 comments:
"I am what I am, I don't give a damn"...no, not the "La Cage" song, this was before that, it's a line from 1974's "Man Enough To Be a Woman" by groundbreaking transgender rock n roll pioneer Wayne County(who, these days, is now Jayne County); visit Jayne's site at jaynecounty.com if you want to get schooled as to where the first incursion into the pop rock realm happened, during the period when Alice Cooper and David Bowie were playing with the concept, Wayne County was living it!
YMCA BY THE VILLAGE PEOPLE
keep ur sickness in the closet so our children don't have to witness your deranged views !!!! the bible condemes those type a acts.. no matter what you say it will never be accepted within our majority society. no matter what
True Colours- Cindy Lauper
Words are awesome....Be proud of yourself and your choices! The people that matter are going to accept you and see YOU FOR YOU ..not some stereotype!
Just like the greek and roman empires...homosexuality will destroy modern western civ
how about Denice Williams "Lets Hear It For The BOY".......can ya top that?
God also condems pornography StoneTone, but seeing as you are single, I'd be willing to bet you've got some stashed somewhere in your apartment.
As much as I hate to burst your gay bubble, THIS show queen cannot let the oversight that has occured go unreported. The proper lyric is:
Chicago with no chic would be boring IN A WEEK.
Ooh. I hope I haven't just launched a screaming queen war. :-)
If you were gay-Ave.Q (The musical)
^_^
I like those lyrics.
~Raeli
The Lehigh Valley Gay Men's Chorus (of which I am a proud member) has performed this song at several of our concerts and at our local Pride Day event. It's always a big hit, and it never fails to make me smile. The line that usually gets the biggest laugh is "You can try to take the KY from Kentucky...but I doubt that you'll get very far."
I have this CD, and loved the entire show. All the songs are hysterical.
I saw the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles perform the "Patriotic Finale" some years ago. The audience almost peed their pants.
Travis
I have to agree with "true colours"; of course, I've always been a Cyndi Lauper fan, especially since her song "when you were mine" that deals with a guy who was in a relationship with a girl, then left for another guy. She's always been a risk taker, and has a tremendous voice !
A song that could top that ? Perhaps "Proud" from the Queer as Folk first season soundtrack, by Heather Smalls. Here are the lyrics for "true colours":
"true colours"
--cyndi lauper
You with the sad eyes; don't be discouraged.
Still I realize it's hard to take courage
in a world full of people; you can lose sight of it all,
and the darkness so inside you makes you feel so small.
But I see your true colours shining through
I see your true colours, and that's why I love you,
so don't be afraid to let them show.
Your true colours
your true colours
are beautiful like a rainbow...
Show me a smile, then don't be unhappy.
Can't remember when I last saw you laughing.
If this world makes you crazy, and you've taken all you can bear,
you call me up, because you know I'll be there.
But I see your true colours shining through
I see your true colours, and that's why I love you,
so don't be afraid to let them show.
Your true colours
your true colours
are beautiful like a rainbow...
lyrics from Queer as Folk Soundtrack's...
"Proud"
--Heather Smalls
I look into the window of my mind.
Reflections of the fears I know I've left behind.
I step out of the ordinary;
I can feel my soul ascending.
I'm on my way; can't stop me now,
and you can do the same...
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
It's never too late to try.
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
Cuz you could be so many people,
if you make that break for freedom
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
There's still so many answers I don't know
{there are so many answers}.
I realize that to question is how we grow
{to question is to grow}.
I step out of the ordinary;
I can feel my soul ascending.
I'm on my way; can't stop me now,
and you can do the same, yeah...
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
It's never too late to try.
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
Cuz you could be so many people,
if you make that break for freedom.
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
Yeah... we need a change, yeah,
do it today, yeah.
I can feel my spirit rising.
Change, yeah... we need a change, yeah,
so do it today, yeah.
Cuz I can see a clear horizon...
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
To make you feel proud, yeah.
lemme hear ya;
lemme hear ya;
lemme hear ya;
So what have you done today to make you feel proud ?
Cuz you could be so many people,
just make that break for freedom
What have you done today to make you feel proud ?
The greatest Gay Anthem EVER is I Want To Break Free by Queen. Maybe a little mainstream to be as cool as this one to some people, but hey- it is by Freddie Mercury of QUEEN.
I have to agree with you about that song. I used to see with the River City Mixed Chorus and we did that song at one of out Pride concerts several years ago- it's perfect!! Love it.
I have loved that song and that CD for years now! Sadly I was not able to see the show on stage but have listened to the CD for many years now. I think that you are right when you say that it is the greatest gay song ever!
Lynn
I always thought it was "I Will Survive" or "Respect."
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I couldn't agree more. I was fortunate enough to see "When Pigs Fly" off-off-Broadway in New York (1997?) and thought at the time that this song should become the theme song of every GLBT parade and pride event in America.
Isn't now the time for a revival of the show? It was hugely popular with straight and gay audiences alike. Maybe this will spur some producer(s) with the support of lots of "angels" (like us) to put it together. It's the most exciting theater project think of.
(Dear Producer: Think of the power of the Internet to spread the word and find investors and audiences alike!)
Jerome Witt
jawitt33@aol.com
greatest gay song? non other than zappa's bobby brown goes down
The greates gay song ever is "I'm Walking Behind You>"
THE GAYEST SONG EVER??? ANYTHING JERRY HERMAN EVER WROTE.
Queen- good old fashioned loverboy..the kind of old timey sound mixed with lyrics you could never get away with back in that day..its just a great song
what about steal away by Robbie Dupree? two men singing about stealing away if it were a straight song wouldn't a woman be singing the other part along with Robbie?
what about the change songs Lovers holiday and paradise
HELP! Can someone please tell me the song title and who sings it in the beginning of the movie "A girl like me". By the way, I LOVED THE MOVIE!!!!!!
Also, if anyone can tell me the song in the middle of the movie "Odd Girl Out"?
There is a sad song in the middle of this movie where Vanesssa is skipping school.
If anyone can help me, please contact me at Nikkeg22@aol.com. Hope you can help! Nikke.
The gayest song that I have ever heard is called Birth Control and Beer (I think. LOL) It is absolutely hilarious!!!!!!!!!!! I heard it years ago and came across it not too long ago while searching for music online. Has anyone ever heard of it?
Gayest song ever: Yoko Ono's "You're My Angel" tra-la-la-la-laaaaa!
The Gay National Anthem should be "Boom Boom". With the advent of "Metrosexuals" there needs to be a clear distinction for gaydom. You're not queer until someone has split your "Boom Boom". Isn't anything else just teasing?
I think a great pride parade song is "We Are Family."
Gail
Cincinnati, OH
Although it might seem cliche, "Over the Rainbow" is the closest song the gay community has to a national anthem. It's been linked to the gay community for over 50 years.
Ummmm...I am sort of partial to RAINBOW CONNECTION. It was the opening song to the last Diversity Dance I attended.
its obvious...diana ROSS'S " IM COMING OUT'. ha
HEY HEY GUY is a cool GAY SONG
I saw "when Pigs fly " and now send my best friend a flying pig ornament whenever I find one. It was a great show to see and the costumes were amazing. They had torch songs between acts that featured the worst bigotted republicans at the time including a song about Rush and his name rhyming with the name of poppers. Great show and song.
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