I suspect there's all kinds of criteria for what makes a song "gay"--I'd have to disagree somewhat with Doyle that disco isn't a "gay" genre of music--after all, it emerged from gay (and black) nightclubs, several of its most notable artists were/are gay (Sylvester, K.C.), and the notorious 1979 Comiskey Park riot came specifically from homophobic (and racist) perceptions of disco music.

Having said that, there are also songs that can be interpreted as gay, simply because their lyrics lend themselves to it: in the past, songs such as "Secret Love" or "Secretly" definitely could be perceived as speaking about gay relationships that were kept hidden.

I've always liked to think of Chicago's "Hard Habit to Break" as a gay song, since it's basically a duet between Peter Cetera and Bill Champlain.

Oh, and I know Sheena Easton gets some flack, but dontcha think "Strut" and "Sugarwalls" are pretty empowering songs for women? I do.

Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/

Or is that too radical an idea?

Here's a fave of mine by the great John LaTouche (music by Vernon Duke)

"Rent overdue

My sister has measles

Hole in my shoe

My belt’s drawn tight

My income is nil

My in-laws are weasels

My present is dark

My future’s a fright

But as long as you are there

What in the world do I care?

Though hope is low,

I’m aglow when you smile at me

Life is simple as A B C

Not a thought in my head

Not a care in the world

Though skies are grey

I’m as gay as a Disney cow

Not a wrinkle upon my brow

Not a cent in the red

Not a care in the world

I view the scene

Like that old queen of Russia

As Kate the Great

Used to say long sgo

"Nichevo!"

And so if I move

In a groove with a giddy trot

I’m a trottin’ because I’ve got

Not a bean in my pot

Not a care in the world

Though I can’t jive

I revive when I see your face

Not a limp in my merry pace

Not a crimp in my style

Not a care in the world

Though I’m a wreck

I can peck if you take a chance

Not a shine on my blue serge pants

Not a crack in my smile

Not a care in the world

Why should I fret

When I bet on a sure thing?

Like Nick the Greek

Used to say ev’ry day

"Yip-i-ay!"

And so if I’m struttin’

With nuttin’ ahead in store

There’s a reason I said before

I’ll repeat it once more

Not a care in the world!"

Especially this one, most memorably performed by the great William Hickey.

"I  should like you all to know,
I'm a famous gigolo.
And of lavender, my nature's got just a dash in it.
As I'm slightly undersexed,
You will always find me next
To some dowager who's wealthy rather than passionate.
Go to one of those night club places
And you'll find me stretching my braces
Pushing ladies with lifted faces 'round the floor.
But I must confess to you
There are moments when I'm blue.
And I ask myself whatever I do it for.

I'm a flower that blooms in the winter,
Sinking deeper and deeper in snow.
I'm a baby who has
No mother but jazz,
I'm a gigolo.
Ev'ry morning, when labor is over,
To my sweet-scented lodgings I go,
Take the glass from the shelf
And look at myself,
I'm a gigolo.
I get stocks and bonds
From faded blondes
Ev'ry twenty-fifth of December.
Still I'm just a pet
That men forget
And only tailors remember.
Yet when I see the way all the ladies
Treat their husbands who put up the dough,
You cannot think me odd
If then I thank God
I'm a gigolo."

Whatever Jimmy Kimmel genuinely likes to listen to.

Seriously, straight guys(and some equally homophobic insufferable women) use "gay song" in an incredibly negative sense. It is used to express their homophobia.

Of course, what qualifies as a "gay song" various from clique to clique. In some areas of this country, if you listen to David Bowie you're called "f*gg*t" and then beaten up. But most normal(non-homophobic) people recognize Bowie for the genius that he is. Although, it's certainly possible that certain homophobic people like to listen to Bowie.

There are some old people from the 50's left alive that LOVE showtunes and yet they can be the most homophobic of the lot.

So obviously, it depends.

-- all of whose songs are gay.

Two faves

"Behold the way our fine-feathered friend

His virtue doth parade

Thou knowest not, my dim-witted friend,

The picture thous has made.

Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair

Conceal thy good intent.

Thou noble, upright, truthful, sincere

And slightly dopey gent -- you’re

My Funny Valentine
Sweet comic Valentine
You make me smile with my heart.
Your looks are laughable,

Unphotographable
Yet you’re my fav’rite work of art.
Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak,

Are you smart?
But don’t change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little Valentine, stay
Each day is Valentine’s Day".

And then there's --

"My romance

doesn't have to have a moon in the sky
My romance

doesn't need a blue lagoon standing by
No month of May
No twinkling stars
No hideaway
No soft guitar

My romance

doesn't need a castle rising in Spain
Nor a dance to a constantly surprising refrain
Wide awake

I can make my most fantastic dreams come true
My romance doesn't need a thing but you"

Here he channels Kay Thompson. It doesn't get any gayer.

"MAYORESS CORA HOOVER HOOPER:
Everyone hates me-yes, yes-
Being the Mayoress, yes.
All of the peasants
Throw rocks in my presence,
Which causes me nervous distress, yes.
OOOH, OOOOOOOOOH, OOOH, OOH, OOOOOOOOOH.

Me and my town, battered about,
Everyone in it would like to get out.
But me and my town,
We just wanna be loved!

Stores are for rent, theatres are dark,
Grass on the sidewalks, but not in the park,
Me and my town,
We just wanna be loved!

The people are starving,
So they sleep the day through.
My poor little people,
What can they do?

TOWNSPEOPLE:
Boo!

CORA:
Who asked you?

Come on the train, come on the bus,
Somebody please buy a ticket to us.
Hurry on down-
We need a little renown.
Love me,
Love my
Town!

OOOHHHH OOOOOHHHHH OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!

BOYS:
Hi there, Cora. What's new?

CORA:
The bank went bust and I'm feeling blue.

BOYS:
And who took over the bankruptcy?

CORA:
Me, boys, me!

BOYS:
Si, si!

CORA:
Me, boys, me!

BOYS:
Tell us, Cora, how you are.

CORA:
I just got back from the reservoir.

BOYS:
And what's the state of the water supply?

CORA:
Dry, boys, dry!

BOYS:
My, my!

CORA:
Dry, boys, dry!

BOYS:
Ay, ay!

CORA:
A lady has responsibilities...

BOYS:
Responsibilities...

CORA:
And civic pride!

BOYS:
Civic pride!

CORA:
Well, I look around and what do I see? I see no crops.

BOYS:
No crops.

CORA:
I see no business.

BOYS:
No business

CORA:
To the North, to the South,
Only hoof-and-mouth!

BOYS:
To the East, to the West,
No community chest

CORA:
I see a terrible depression all over the town-

BOYS:
Oh, a terrible depression,
Yes, a terrible depression.

CORA:
What a terrible depression
And I'm so depressed
I can hardly talk on the phone.
I feel all alone.

CORA AND BOYS:
But a lady has responsibilities-

BOYS:
Responsibilities-

CORA:
To all my poor! Starving! Cold! Miserable!
Dirty! Dreary! Depressing! Peasants!

ALL:
Peasants! Ick!

CORA:
A lady has responsibilities-

BOYS:
Responsibilities-

CORA:
To try to be
Popular with the populace.

BOYS:
She's unpopular with the populace!

ALL:
Unpopular with the populace,
Unpopular with the populace,
Unpopular with the populace...

CORA:
Everyone here hates me at length,
Probably lynch me if they had the strength.
But me and my town,
Me and my town,
We just wanna be loved!

BOYS:
We just want to be loved!
We just want to be loved!

CORA:
Just loved!

BOYS:
A friendship is lovely
And a courtship sublime,
But give her a township-

CORA:
Township!
Every time!

ALL:
What'll we do, me and my town?
Gotta do something or we're gonna drown!
Give me my coat,
Give me my crown,
Gimme, gimme your vote
And hurry on down!

CORA:
Show how much you think

BOYS:
Yeah!

CORA:
Of me!

ALL:
Love me,
Love my
Town!"

afhickman

"It takes a village (to make Village People)"

I was dancing to Aretha and Wilson Pickett at what were then called discos in Europe in the 1960s. I just watched a documentary about Scott Walker in which he calls the Whiskey A Go Go a disco. He should know; he performed there. There weren't any gay associations with disco in those days. But gay music--that's been around at least since Marlene Dietrich sang "Meine Beste Freundin" in 1920s Berlin. (Check out Ute Lemper's recording of this song on her album "Berlin Cabaret Songs.") For anyone who wants an overview of gay music, you can't do better than the 4-CD box set entitled "Club Verboten," which I see is ridiculously underpriced on Amazon at $10! The fourth CD features classical music from the likes of Tchaikovsky and Poulenc. As I said in my review at the time, there are tons of songs I would like to have seen on the set, but the compositors have done a marvelous job with what space they had. As it is, the four CDs run the gamut from Bessie Smith to Edith Piaf to Johnny Ray, and from Janis Ian to Peter Allen to Lou Reed, and there are the obligatory disco standards as well, including Sylvester's classic "Mighty Real." The near 100-page booklet is alone worth the price of admission!

I don't know about you, but I was not alive at this time. Listening to all these 80 electro pop songs I come to realize the videos and songs were if not gay, then gay friendly. Here are some of my examples:

Human League-Obession, Erasure-Chains of Love, Frankie goes to Hollywood-Relax

Those are my personal favs.

P.S: The Cure was definately Bi-curious!

To generalize a song as gay we run the risk of painting an entire population, so colorful in nature, with one monochromatic brush stroke. "Over the Rainbow" I thought has always hit a chord with many a homosexual. It took into account how people are more than just one thing gay or straight, or one color. So I would say that "Over the Rainbow" is the only gay song, a gay theme. Only because, in a tribute on NBC to Tim Russert, it was used as the song of choice. "Over the rainbow" is for an entire poplulation. Gay, straight, Catholic, or dare I say a Patriot fan.

I find some music by some gay-artists dreadful, some music by notorious homophobes as nothing but lyrical. I like songs indisputably about gays ie. anything by the "Pimp." I also like songs about a girl from a boy, anything by "The Ditty" or "The King." Disco has been known to be gay, but sometimes with an illicit connotation. So why use that music as our anthem/songs? I like punk rock music. Goths have accepted or adopted many homosexual trends and their music ie (sic) "Morisey."

That said: I'm so Over "Over the Rainbow." Ironically, because of the gay-Karaoke on Tuesdays.

It's from Cabin in the Sky and  first sung by everybody's favorite knife-wielding bi-polar lesbian, Ethel Waters.

No straight man could have written these lyrics!

"Here I go again
I hear those trumpets blow again
All aglow again
Taking a chance on love

Here I slide again
About to take that ride again
Starry eyed again
Taking a chance on love

I thought that cards were a frame-up
I never would try
Now I'm taking that game up
And the ace of hearts is high

Things are mending now
I see a rainbow blending now
We'll have a happy ending now
Taking a chance on love

Here I slip again
About to take that trip again
I got that grip again
Taking a chance on love

Now I prove again
That I can make life move again
I'm in a groove again
Taking a chance on love

I walk around with a horseshoe
In clover I lie
And brother rabbit of course you
Better kiss your foot good-bye

On that ball again
I'm riding for a fall again
I'm gonna give my all again
Taking a chance on love"

Future epitaph: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Mad props for the poster above who mentioned "Club Verboten."  It's an OUTSTANDING overview of gay/queer music from the 20th century, even if it can't (and doesn't) cover everything.  (No Village People, no Bette Midler, no Johnny Mathis, no Elton John or Bowie, etc.)  However, you'll be amazed by rarities by Frances Faye, Rod McKuen (whose "All the Sad Young Men" is  the embodiment of the Coward line, "Extraordinary how potent cheap music is"), Donovan (the marvellous "I'll Try For The Sun") and my favorite, Joan Baez's description of a gay bar in "The Altar Boy and the Thief."  The 3rd disc gets a teensy heavy on women's music, but it WAS the heyday of such.  And if does conk out before the 1980's, so lots of other goodies like Culture Club, Madonna, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys, Romanoffsky and Phillips, etc.  aren't represented.

So, anything with outsiders or rebels who don't conform to society's rules (see the Baez track above, "Don't Rain On My Parade," et all), but also songs that deal with sexuality either explicitly or in code (yes, "Jailhouse Rock" qualifies) or longing/unrequited passion.  ("The Boy Next Door" "Secret Love" "You Don't Know Me" all fit this pattern.)  Come the 70's and 80's, the double-entendres and eroticism really got more and more forthright ("Cream" "Use It Up/Wear It Out" "Relax"), which dovetailed with gay pride and power.  Now, of course, straight artists like Franz Ferdinand regularly write "gay" songs ("Michael") and no one thinks about it.

The ultimate gay song is, for me, probably "Go West," especially the Pet Shop Boys remake.  Everything about it is a hymn to the West Coast of Los Angeles/San Francisco, where freedom and liberation await anyone willing to leave home and start a new life.  However, Madonna's "Vogue" is a close second, if only for its message of: Be Whomever You Want To Be--just strike a pose.

is from The Nervous Set -- a legendary Broadway flop that I'm lucky enough to have seen. it was written by Fran landesman and Tommy Wolf. There was a jazz combo that played onstage instead of an orchestra. Gerald Hiken, Del Close and Larry Hagman were featured in the cast. And this fag-hag's lament was sung by Tani Seitz

"Sing a song of sad young man
Glasses full of rye
All the news is bad again
Kiss your dreams goodbye

All the sad young men
Sitting in the bars
Knowing neon nights
Missing all the stars

All the sad young men
Drifting through the town
Drinking up the night
Trying not to drown

All the sad young men
Singing in the cold
Trying to forget
That they're growing old

All the sad young men
Choking on their youth
Trying to be brave
Running from the truth

Autumm turns the leaves to gold
Slowly dies the heart
Sad young men are growing old
That's the cruelest part

All the sad young men
Seek a certain smile
Someone they can hold for a little while
Tired little girl does the best she can
Trying to be gay for her sad young man

While the grimy moon
Watches from above
All the sad young men
Play at making love

Misbegotten moon
Shine for sad young men
Let your gentle light
Guide them home again
All the sad young men"

Daydream, I walk along on air
Building a castle there
For me and my love to share

Don't know the time,

Lordy I'm in a daze
Sun in the sky,

while I moon around, feeling, hazy

Daydream, don't break my reverie
Until I find that he,
Is daydreaming just like me"

by an older man:

"Punctured bicycle
On a hillside desolate
Could nature make a man of me yet?

Then in this charming car
This charming man

Why pamper life's complexities
When the leather runs smooth
On the passenger seat?

I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "it's grusome
That someone so handsome should care"

A jumped-up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things

I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "it's grusome
That someone so handsome should care"

La, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man ...
La, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man ...

A jumped-up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things

He knows so much about these things"

"Thought that maybe we'd fall in love over the phone
Thought that maybe I'd really love being alone
Everybody but Heaven knows how I was wrong

Oh Lord, what have I done to myself?
What have I done to myself?

In this vicious world
Such a vicious world
There isn't anything you can do
In this vicious world

Soaking on the ice, makin' eyes all by myself
Didn't realize you were so top of the shelf
Just you want and see when you turn, turn 23

Oh Lord, what have I done to myself?
What have I done to myself?

In this vicious world
Such a vicious world
There isn't anything you can do
In this vicious world
Such a vicious world
There isn't anything you can do
In this vicious world
There isn't anything you can do
In this vicious world"

"There was an old zany who lived in a tub;
He had so many fleabites
He didn't know where to rub.
He kept looking for an honest man
Said "I'm gonna find him if I can"
If i could meet Diogenes today,
This is what i'd say:
Rub-a-dub-dub

Oh, Diogenes!
Find a man who's honest!
Oh, Diogenes!
Wrap him up for me
Oh, Diogenes!
Find a man who's stolid-solid
Hook that fish if he's in the sea
Hunt him! Trail him!
Catch him! Nail him!
If he is free
Have you got your stick?
Have you got your lantern?
Can you do the trick
And produce him, please!
Catch that fellow!
Ring that bell,
Oh,

Oh!

Oh, Diogenes!"

of pop songs, some popular some not, that are definitely "gay" in content. "Smalltown  Boy" by Bronski Beat, "Johnny Are You Queer" by Josie Cotton, "Homosapien" by Pete Shelley, and "Macho Man" by The Village People, are pretty explicit.  "You Think You're A Man" by Divine is also a gay club classic by a gay man.

Funny, many of the songs that were named above I never considered "gay". Mind you most of them I was not fond of so I never sat through them and actively listened to the lyrics.

Cheers

JBE

Um, maybe people might make such an assumption because of the fact that Disco music has played incessantly in gay bars almost since the 70's?

To the extent that the great (if rather odd) sage Quentin Crisp once remarked: "A lifetime of disco is a horrible price to have to pay for one's sexual preference."

But it holds so true that even in a Will & Grace episode where Will and Jack walked into a backwoods gay bar that really didn't look gay at all they knew they were in the right place when the first line of "I Will Survive" wafted through the air.

I have been lamenting for 15 years now that there appears to be no such thing as a gay Rock bar (okay, I didn't get all the gay genes).  In the rare event that a gay bar is willing to play something other than Disco/Dance/Trance/Techno it's usually something Pop by the latest diva-in-waiting like Britney, Christina, etc.  Madonna and Cher are, of course a given.

Indeed, the older crowd also seems to prefer music by straight females.  Liza, Barbra, Judy, etc.  Ad nauseum. 

Ironically, I think I've heard music by known gay musicians, even very famous ones like Elton John and George Michael, only a fraction of the times I've heard Gloria Gaynor.

Why is it that the gay crowd seems to prefer hearing "female empowerment" rather than actual gay men singing?  Regardless, and let's face it, the only reason people associate Disco with us is because Gaynor has been our virtual anthem for decades.

Lyrically, he's the closest thing to getting "us" right:

Where is my master the rebel prince
Who will shut all of these windows
It's these windows all around me
It's these windows who are telling me
To rid my dirty mind of all of its preciousness...

His cover of "One Man Guy" felt hella gay, too

Pet Shop Boys of course!

And especially -for me- their first album: Please. e.g. from Later Tonight "that boy never cast a look in your direction, never tried to hook for your attention, dresses like the mod of your invention..."

There is of course also "To speak is a sin" (you look first, then stare. And once in a while, a smile if you dare) and countless others, some more obvious than the other ("It's a sin", "Was it worth it", "Domino Dancing") 

Re: why female empowerment songs... I think it might be because all these songs are sung from the perspective of someone feeling oppressed and taking their lives into their own hands. Something that rings true for a lot of the gay community.

And there are "gay-ish" rock songs out there as well, if you ask me... most of the songs from Placebo e.g.  (Nancy Boy), & Suede always sounded pretty sexually ambiguous to me