Songs that have been covered/remade in a obviously gay/homosexual/queer style; help!

[soong]

Hi all


For a college assessment i need to give a presentation how a song that has been 'queered' or covered to include a new/different (queer) meaning; so perhaps a song that once had zero queer connotation to one that has.


Any thoughts? I know, strange question...

[Rockingbird]

Which Backstreet Boy Is Gay, a remix of I want it that way.

[soong]

Originally Posted by Rockingbird

Which Backstreet Boy Is Gay, a remix of I want it that way.

Notable suggestion, though that one was more or less a parody, which isnt primarily what im after.

[upandb]

Maybe find a song that was covered by a singer of the opposite gender?

I have two examples, but they aren't specifically queer:

Lostprophets covered Sweet Dreams My LA Ex by Rachel Stevens. There's a line that goes "Does it make you feel the man, pointing the finger because you can?," so when the dude from Lostprophets sings it, it could be taken as gay I guess

Chevelle covered Black Boys on Mopeds, by Sinaed O'Conner. There's a line she sings that goes "I love my boy," and Chevelle didn't change it. Again, not specifically gay.

That's all I got

[Ian Perge]

I'd pick almost any song from Tori Amos' "Strange Little Girls" release, where as a Female artist she covered a number of songs that come very much from a "Male" point-of-view, such as Slayer's "Raining Blood" or Eminem's "'97 Bonnie and Clyde".

[pacojas]

school assignment...,yeah right! what class is it?!!!

[soong]

Originally Posted by pacojas

school assignment...,yeah right! what class is it?!!!

Thanks for suggestions guys, and keep em coming.

And @paco, i mentioned 'college' and not school. Im studying my B. Mus and university gets me to case study all facets of music!

[bass12]

That's a difficult one. All I can think of off-hand are songs where references to "he" or "she" hasn't been changed to suit a heterosexual perspective - for example, Me'shell Ndegeocello's cover of Bill Withers' "Who Is He And What Is He To You".

[rollerberg2000]

Melissa Etheridge cover of "Maggie". I actually like it better than Rod Stewart's version.

[soong]

Originally Posted by Ian Perge

I'd pick almost any song from Tori Amos' "Strange Little Girls" release, where as a Female artist she covered a number of songs that come very much from a "Male" point-of-view, such as Slayer's "Raining Blood" or Eminem's "'97 Bonnie and Clyde".

Interesting! I'd love to hear the whole album. What made you suggest these songs are 'queer/gay' though?

[BurningSkies]

Don't forget Gay Sera Sera.

[Bevo1995]

Cowboys are secretly fond of each other: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u4CXlIYjyE

[Nashrakh]

Only thing I can think of is 'Ironic' by Alanis Morissette. Not really queer though.

She changed some lyrics... from

It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife

to

It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful husband

Sorry, all I got. Won't help you that much, I'm afraid...

[bongomania]

Kinda borderline, but Diamanda Galas covered "At the Dark End of the Street" as part of a tribute to her brother, making it about gays having to hide their love (as opposed to an interracial couple, or whatever the original song intended). She didn't change any words, it was all about context.

Also, I've seen plenty of gay men dancing to Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl". "...I kissed a girl, I hope my boyfriend doesn't mind!"

[Ian Perge]

Originally Posted by soong

Interesting! I'd love to hear the whole album.

Absolutely killer album - both her complete lack of lyrical Gender changes and her interpretations of the songs picked. For example, Slayer is played in the extreme low end of Tori's 97-Key Bösendorfer piano.

What made you suggest these songs are 'queer/gay' though?

I spoke to my Wife, who is finishing her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and has extra studies & training in Women's/Gender Studies & GLBT issues regarding your original post, and informed me that Colleges/Universities that have a "Queer Studies" major often overlap with traditional "Women's Studies" programs and that they both take a large focus on Gender Issues in society. Also, Tori as both an artist as as a person has self-identified as "Bisexual", has a large Gay following, and many of her songs have discussed various issues regarding the above.

[uethanian]

it's raining men

i feel pretty from west side story

[PJSShearer]

"Mad about the Boy" - Dinah Washington actually turned the song "straight".

It was orignally written by Noel Cowerd (who was Gay) in 1932 and there are many rumours as to who "the boy" on "the Silver Screen" he was referring to was :-).

[rewopnayr]

she loves me not by tatu covered by spasm.
original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0tBHqwOUY
spasms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDqnpuNmRwE

[zipflint]

Stagger Lee.
"normal" vesion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCPutYaGFlE

Nick Cave's (way more awesome) version with great bass line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYyl7...eature=related

[Tampabass]

Ian's right, and I was going to ask if that particular course was being led by a women's studies prof. That whole gender studies/"queer" studies thing is a big part of women's studies, and some English programs, too. And much of it amounts to looking for something that exists only in the minds of those doing the looking, IMO. But that's a different discussion.

As to your question - Texas singer-songwriter and all-around quirky guy Lyle Lovett did a version of Tammy Wynette hit "Stand By Your Man." There was no intentional "queer" meaning to it, but I'm sure some could read it that way if they chose.

http://ilike.myspacecdn.com/play#Lyl...90ba7224f9f4c6