The Real Story Of The YMCA That Inspired The Village People's Gay Anthem - Gothamist

Contents:

• IS Y.M.C.A. REALLY A GAY SONG? THE MEANG OF THE LYRICS
• THE REAL STORY OF THE YMCA THAT INSPIRED THE VILLAGE PEOPLE'S GAY ANTHEM
• HAPPY PRIDE! HOW “Y.M.C.A.” BEME A GAY ANTHEM!
• SONG PARODI -> "WHY AM I GAY"
• THE TOP 75 MOST INIC GAY ANTHEMS DERVG OF THE TLE OF BEG CALLED THE "GAY NATNAL ANTHEM"
• BLEACHER CREATUR AGREE TO STOP GAY CHANT TO 'YMCA' SONG AT YANKEE STADIUM

IS Y.M.C.A. REALLY A GAY SONG? THE MEANG OF THE LYRICS

Is at the same time the most famo gay anthem the history of mic and one of the bt known dis songs ever. Composed practilly by chance by Village People and released 1978, the song quickly beme a huge succs, both the gay muny of the time and subsequently any ntext where you need a song to get people gog, be at a weddg, a nightclub or a the Village People ed to do their songs, YMCA’s lyrics nta several allns that n be easily noticed by a gay dience. Apparently was also an easy way for young homosexuals to meet other peers when you were new the cy, and this ed the entire homosexual muny to set up as a muny the years, Village People have often been asked if Y.

’s lyrics explicly geared to double meangs that uld be weled by gay dienc. And although the band were openly gay and tend to target that specific dience whenever they uld, lyrics’ thor and Village People founr Victor Willis means as a song about cln and social relatnships of young people new to the neighborhood.

THE REAL STORY OF THE YMCA THAT INSPIRED THE VILLAGE PEOPLE'S GAY ANTHEM

As he stat  this 2017 terview:“YMCA was not wrten to be a gay song bee of the simple fact I’m not gay.

I’m happy the gay muny adopted as their anthem, I have no qualms wh that. S a song about illegal gay sex after Tmp ed on his rally. Village People - YMCA OFFICIAL Mic Vio 1978This don’t exclu that the band played on the multiple terpretatns of the lyrics to wk at the gay muny.

HAPPY PRIDE! HOW “Y.M.C.A.” BEME A GAY ANTHEM!

Also thanks to the official vio, which you n fd a song that n be terpreted a homosexual key, therefore, but that do not necsarily have to be meant wh this only man, there’s no need to feel downI said, young man, pick yourself off the groundI said, young man, ’e you’re a new townThere’s no need to be unhappyYoung man, there’s a place you n goI said, young man, when you’re short on your doughYou n stay there, and I’m sure you will fdMany ways to have a good timeIt’s fun to stay at the YMCAIt’s fun to stay at the YMCAThey have everythg for you men to enjoyYou n hang out wh all the boysIt’s fun to stay at the YMCAIt’s fun to stay at the YMCAYou n get yourself clean, you n have a good mealYou n do what ever you feelYoung man, are you listeng to me? When Village People first started out, they garnered succs by appealg to one of dis’s most engaged dienc – the gay muny.

SONG PARODI -> "WHY AM I GAY"

To some, the group ma specific d referenc that only members of the gay muny would pull out while others thk the nnectn is mere happenstance. Was not wrten to be a gay song bee of the simple fact I’m not gay.

In the 40 years sce the Village People released “YMCA, ” the song has bee a cultural touchstone: a gay anthem famo for s nuendos and double entendr about young, f men “havg a good time, ” as well as a staple at Yanke gam and bar song has also immortalized the Young Men's Christian Associatn pop culture.

THE TOP 75 MOST INIC GAY ANTHEMS DERVG OF THE TLE OF BEG CALLED THE "GAY NATNAL ANTHEM"

Yet former rints of the McBurney Y Chelsea — the buildg that spired the song, and which was featured the vio released late 1978 — say the realy of stays at the YMCA those days was more plited than the lyrics portray, wh gay culture and workg-class workouts existg a sgle munal space. “There was certaly a party aspect to their vio and that time was the height of all the gay clubs Chelsea, ” rells Davidson Garrett, who lived at the McBurney Y om 1978 through 2000. “[The YMCA] did have some overlappg of gay cisg.

BLEACHER CREATUR AGREE TO STOP GAY CHANT TO 'YMCA' SONG AT YANKEE STADIUM

Garrett adds unrgraduate stunts and disabled men to the mix of ethnilly and racially diverse renters, about half of whom he timat were gay. Often gay and their 20s or 30s, the weekend guts ed the YMCA “as a drsg room, ” and as a place to discreetly hook up, Garrett says.

Meanwhile, hoekeepers me not jt to offer towels and change your sheets, but to keep an eye on you, Kangappadan of the song’s charm, of urse, is s petg terpretatns: It n be read equally well as a celebratn of gay culture or of the workg man.