I never really considered the alternative of leaving the lyrics as they are and having her sing about finishing with 'her woman'...
I may think about that later this evening!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
I never really considered the alternative of leaving the lyrics as they are and having her sing about finishing with 'her woman'...
I may think about that later this evening!
The Canadian national anthem situation is... maybe different from some cover band singer feeling, for whatever reason, uncomfortable about the way a song's lyrics are gendered. The anthem was originally written in French, and we should probably sing that version exclusively instead.
Regendering lyrics can turn out fine or disastrously (I'm glaring at you, Michael Bublé). I don't personally change songs... My friend and I write songs with female pronouns about half the time anyway.
We used to do "locked out of heaven" with a female singer in my old band. I never even thought about the gender issue there. She used to sing a lot of hair metal 80's stuff originally done by men.
I always loved the 80's song "voices carry" and we learned it in an original band I was in, but the other guys in the band thought it was weird for me to change the lyrics, and I felt weird singing it without changing the pronouns. So I don't think we ever performed it. It's a bummer to let a good song fall off the setlist because of little stuff like that.
I would say let the singer dictate what she's going to sing and let her change lyrics a bit if needed.
If the singer is uncomfortable with singing the song, can it.
I always loved the 80's song "voices carry" and we learned it in an original band I was in, but the other guys in the band thought it was weird for me to change the lyrics, and I felt weird singing it without changing the pronouns. So I don't think we ever performed it. It's a bummer to let a good song fall off the setlist because of little stuff like that.
I would say let the singer dictate what she's going to sing and let her change lyrics a bit if needed.
If the singer is uncomfortable with singing the song, can it.
Slightly off topic... A friend of mine's band had two male lead singers who would harmonize all the time. Most of the lyrics they wrote were about relationships, women, unrequited love, etc... The funny part is, when they were harmonizing together, in their heartfelt emotive style, it looked like they were in love and singing to and about each other. It was funny because that was definitely not the intention. 
In time-honoured Canadian tradition - I'm sorry! Just had to make sure my fellow Internet stranger was TOLDTwas just a tongue in cheek comment
The anthem discussion is still a touchy subject in my household, believe it or not...As a fellow Internet stranger Canadian. I'm sorry! Haha!In time-honoured Canadian tradition - I'm sorry! Just had to make sure my fellow Internet stranger was TOLD
Woman sings about picking up guys: Guys in the audience like it, women don't care that much.
Woman sings about picking up girls: Guys in the audience like it, a few women get interested, the rest don't care that much.
Woman sings about pretty much anything else: Guys in the audience like it, women don't care that much
Guy sings about picking up girls: Maybe a few women get interested, the rest of the audience doesn't care that much
Guy sings about picking up guys: Tough to pull this off well, a lot of risk involved - in a few specific places, it'd probably go over REALLY well. Probably best to know your audience for this one, as there are some places where it would NOT go over well. At all.
Woman sings about picking up girls: Guys in the audience like it, a few women get interested, the rest don't care that much.
Woman sings about pretty much anything else: Guys in the audience like it, women don't care that much
Guy sings about picking up girls: Maybe a few women get interested, the rest of the audience doesn't care that much
Guy sings about picking up guys: Tough to pull this off well, a lot of risk involved - in a few specific places, it'd probably go over REALLY well. Probably best to know your audience for this one, as there are some places where it would NOT go over well. At all.
You haven't lived till you've heard a 60 year old due sing "One Way or Another"
This. It's not about a blanket approach; every song's different. For me, it's not so much about whether it's "doable" because of gender, but sometimes a song is just too personal to pull off authentically regardless of gender. There are a whole lot of women who could not pull off Ani DiFranco's "Not A Pretty Girl", and there are a lot of guys who couldn't pull off a song like "Hurt" because they just haven't lived that life.
I wanted so badly to sing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (that's a song where I wouldn't change a thing about the lyrics) but it was too high out of my vocal range. Someday...
I'm a huge fan of not changing the pronouns to suit the gender of the singer...but that has more to do with my propensity to want to screw with societal expectations than any actual awareness of how it impacts the audience's perceptions.
I agree about how hardly anybody cares these days. And those who do are hardly worth caring about. So it’s a non-issue whether or not you genderbend lyrics.
But I think it’s more properly the singer’s call since it’s his or her part. My deal is the singer doesn’t tell me what notes to play and I don’t tell them what or how to sing their part. That’s worked out pretty well for me most times.
I’m also a firm believer in making a song your own if you’re going perform it. Note for note and word for word off the original is far too karaoke for my taste - unless you’re in a tribute band where that degree of verisimilitude is the whole point of the endeavor.
Just my tuppence.
Last edited:
I'll admit, I do get off on screwing with social conventions. Especially in ways that one presents themself as masculine/feminine...say's the straight dude in skintight leather leggings. I look at it as a way of weeding out ignorant people from your life.
IMO, 4 times out of 5 changing pronouns is for insecure people, but there are reasons.
"You know I like my girls a little bit older"
The song's about the complications of love, faithfulness, closeness, and emotions. Doesn't matter the gender.
This song is about how it's socially edgy and somewhat taboo to kiss people of the same sex in mainstream culture. Changing the gender to keep in homosexual preserves the original intention and feel of the song.
If the nature, intention, or message of the song is linked to the relative genders of the singer and the lyrics, then you should swap.
"You know I like my girls a little bit older"
The song's about the complications of love, faithfulness, closeness, and emotions. Doesn't matter the gender.
This song is about how it's socially edgy and somewhat taboo to kiss people of the same sex in mainstream culture. Changing the gender to keep in homosexual preserves the original intention and feel of the song.
If the nature, intention, or message of the song is linked to the relative genders of the singer and the lyrics, then you should swap.
I am in a female led band, and some songs, she re-genders, some she doesn't. We have to swap cuss words for wedding gigs occasionally, so no different IMO. Whatever, as long as it works. If the singer isn't comfortable with a song, I doubt you will be doing it much longer anyway, or you will have unneeded friction.
Excellent points!
To add, in modern society, lesbian relationships are over-sexualized, while gay relationships are not looked at as "hot" or "pornographic". In this situation of the song, sex sells. (straight) Guy's like it because it's mildly pornographic and (straight) girls like it because it's liberating. That's some genius songwriting there. However, we have to acknowledge that the LGBTQ community probably collectively cringes at the exploitation of their identity for the sake of a hit. On the other hand, it does normalize the concept of same-sex relationships in society removing the taboo a little bit. Who knows?
Last edited:
In our times this should not be a big issue, even if she does not swap the pronouns. Maybe, though, you can find a song she's more comfortable with?
Remember, if you need a christian gig, just take every song that has "baby" in it and swap in "Jesus" and you're golden.
Remember, if you need a christian gig, just take every song that has "baby" in it and swap in "Jesus" and you're golden.
I once backed a guy who did a killer version of "Strawberry Wine" without switching pronouns. Yeah, it made some meatheads uncomfortable, but I thought it sounded great.
