<p>The sger-songwrer and A&R man behd the 1978 song remember how punk energy fired up a gay-rights anthem</p>
Contents:
- GLAD TO BE GAYTOM ROBSON BANDTRACK 13 ON POWER THE DARKNS “(SG IF YOU’RE) GLAD TO BE GAY,” ORIGALLY RELEASED 1978 AS PART OF THE BUT EP OF THE GROUP TOM ROBSON BAND IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST FG SONGS OF THE BAND… READ MORE 1 VIEWER23.3K VIEWS12 CONTRIBUTORSGLAD TO BE GAY LYRICS[SPOKEN WORD INTRO]THIS SONG IS DITED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN, ’S A MEDIL SONG AND NCERNS A DISEASE WHOSE CLASSIFITN ACRDG TO THE INTERNATNAL CLASSIFITN OF DISEAS IS 302.0[VERSE 1]THE BRISH POLICE ARE THE BT THE WORLDI DON'T BELIEVE ONE OF THE STORI I'VE HEARD'BOUT THEM RAIDG OUR PUBS FOR NO REASON AT ALLLG THE CTOMERS UP BY THE WALLPICKG OUT PEOPLE AND KNOCKG THEM DOWNRISTG ARRT AS THEY'RE KICKED ON THE GROUNDSEARCHG THEIR HO AND LLG THEM QUEERI DON'T BELIEVE THAT SORT OF THG HAPPENS HERE[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 2]PICTUR OF NAKED YOUNG WOMEN ARE FUNIN TBS AND PLAYBOY, PAGE THREE OF THE SUNTHERE'S NO NUS GAY NEWS, OUR ONE MAGAZEBUT THEY STILL FD EXC TO LL OBSCENEREAD HOW DISGTG WE ARE THE PRSTHE TELEGRAPH, PEOPLE AND SUNDAY EXPRSMOLTERS OF CHILDREN, RPTORS OF YOUTHIT'S THERE THE PAPER, MT BE THE TTHYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS](TRY AND) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 3]DON'T TRY TO KID THAT IF YOU'RE DISCREETYOU'RE PERFECTLY SAFE AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREETYOU DON'T HAVE TO MCE OR MAKE BCHY REMARKSTO GET BEATEN UNNSC AND LEFT THE DARKI HAD A IEND WHO WAS GENTLE AND SHORTHE WAS LONELY ONE EVENG AND WENT FOR A WALKQUEERBASHERS UGHT HIM, KICKED HIS TEETHHE WAS ONLY HOSPALISED FOR A WEEK(AND HE STILL BEARS THE SRS)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 4]AND S BACK AND WATCH AS THEY CLOSE DOWN OUR CLUBSARRT FOR MEETG AND RAID ALL OUR PUBSMAKE SURE YOUR BOYIEND'S AT LEAST 21SO ONLY YOUR IENDS AND YOUR BROTHERS GET DONELIE TO YOUR WORKMAT, LIE TO YOUR FOLKSPUT DOWN THE QUEENS, TELL ANTI-QUEER JOKGAY LIB'S RIDICULO, JO THEIR LGHTER'THE BUGGERS ARE LEGAL NOW, WHAT MORE ARE THEY AFTER?'(TELL THEM!)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAYSG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THIS WAY3EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
- GAY (HOMOSEXUAL) AND GAY (HAPPY)
- 'GLAD TO BE GAY': THE STGGLE FOR GAY LIBERATN BEYOND LEGAL RIGHTS
- HOW TO ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE GAY
- GLAD TO BE GAY: LEADG FIGUR ON 50 YEARS OF LIBERATN
- GLAD TO BE GAY
- GLAD TO BE GAY
- HOW WE MA: TOM ROBSON AND NICK MOBBS ON GLAD TO BE GAY
- "GLAD TO BE GAY" LYRICS
GLAD TO BE GAYTOM ROBSON BANDTRACK 13 ON POWER THE DARKNS “(SG IF YOU’RE) GLAD TO BE GAY,” ORIGALLY RELEASED 1978 AS PART OF THE BUT EP OF THE GROUP TOM ROBSON BAND IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST FG SONGS OF THE BAND… READ MORE 1 VIEWER23.3K VIEWS12 CONTRIBUTORSGLAD TO BE GAY LYRICS[SPOKEN WORD INTRO]THIS SONG IS DITED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN, ’S A MEDIL SONG AND NCERNS A DISEASE WHOSE CLASSIFITN ACRDG TO THE INTERNATNAL CLASSIFITN OF DISEAS IS 302.0[VERSE 1]THE BRISH POLICE ARE THE BT THE WORLDI DON'T BELIEVE ONE OF THE STORI I'VE HEARD'BOUT THEM RAIDG OUR PUBS FOR NO REASON AT ALLLG THE CTOMERS UP BY THE WALLPICKG OUT PEOPLE AND KNOCKG THEM DOWNRISTG ARRT AS THEY'RE KICKED ON THE GROUNDSEARCHG THEIR HO AND LLG THEM QUEERI DON'T BELIEVE THAT SORT OF THG HAPPENS HERE[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 2]PICTUR OF NAKED YOUNG WOMEN ARE FUNIN TBS AND PLAYBOY, PAGE THREE OF THE SUNTHERE'S NO NUS GAY NEWS, OUR ONE MAGAZEBUT THEY STILL FD EXC TO LL OBSCENEREAD HOW DISGTG WE ARE THE PRSTHE TELEGRAPH, PEOPLE AND SUNDAY EXPRSMOLTERS OF CHILDREN, RPTORS OF YOUTHIT'S THERE THE PAPER, MT BE THE TTHYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS](TRY AND) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 3]DON'T TRY TO KID THAT IF YOU'RE DISCREETYOU'RE PERFECTLY SAFE AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREETYOU DON'T HAVE TO MCE OR MAKE BCHY REMARKSTO GET BEATEN UNNSC AND LEFT THE DARKI HAD A IEND WHO WAS GENTLE AND SHORTHE WAS LONELY ONE EVENG AND WENT FOR A WALKQUEERBASHERS UGHT HIM, KICKED HIS TEETHHE WAS ONLY HOSPALISED FOR A WEEK(AND HE STILL BEARS THE SRS)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 4]AND S BACK AND WATCH AS THEY CLOSE DOWN OUR CLUBSARRT FOR MEETG AND RAID ALL OUR PUBSMAKE SURE YOUR BOYIEND'S AT LEAST 21SO ONLY YOUR IENDS AND YOUR BROTHERS GET DONELIE TO YOUR WORKMAT, LIE TO YOUR FOLKSPUT DOWN THE QUEENS, TELL ANTI-QUEER JOKGAY LIB'S RIDICULO, JO THEIR LGHTER'THE BUGGERS ARE LEGAL NOW, WHAT MORE ARE THEY AFTER?'(TELL THEM!)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAYSG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THIS WAY3EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
Glad to Be Gay Lyrics: This song is dited to the World Health Organizatn, ’s a medil song and ncerns a disease whose classifitn acrdg to the Internatnal Classifitn of * glad to gay *
Glad to Be Gay Lyrics[Spoken Word Intro]This song is dited to the World Health Organizatn, ’s a medil song and ncerns a disease whose classifitn acrdg to the Internatnal Classifitn of Diseas is 302. 0[Verse 1]The Brish Police are the bt the worldI don't believe one of the stori I've heard'Bout them raidg our pubs for no reason at allLg the ctomers up by the wallPickg out people and knockg them downRistg arrt as they're kicked on the groundSearchg their ho and llg them queerI don't believe that sort of thg happens here[Chos]Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey!
) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 2]Pictur of naked young women are funIn Tbs and Playboy, page three of The SunThere's no nus Gay News, our one magazeBut they still fd exc to ll obsceneRead how disgtg we are the prsThe Telegraph, People and Sunday ExprsMolters of children, rptors of youthIt's there the paper, mt be the tth[Chos](Try and) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey! ) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 3]Don't try to kid that if you're discreetYou're perfectly safe as you walk down the streetYou don't have to mce or make bchy remarksTo get beaten unnsc and left the darkI had a iend who was gentle and shortHe was lonely one eveng and went for a walkQueerbashers ught him, kicked his teethHe was only hospalised for a week(And he still bears the srs)[Chos]Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey! ) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 4]And s back and watch as they close down our clubsArrt for meetg and raid all our pubsMake sure your boyiend's at least 21So only your iends and your brothers get doneLie to your workmat, lie to your folksPut down the queens, tell anti-queer jokGay Lib's ridiculo, jo their lghter'The buggers are legal now, what more are they after?
GAY (HOMOSEXUAL) AND GAY (HAPPY)
How has life changed for gay men the UK sce homosexualy was crimalised 1967? From actor Antony Sher to novelist Alan Hollghurst, men of different generatns om across arts and polics share their stori<br> * glad to gay *
Tom Robson a Brish mician and sger, one of the first, if not the very first pop artist who did not disguise or hi his homosexualy om the general public. Until then homosexual actors, micians, athlet or anyone the public eye had two choic life: to keep their homosexualy a secret, pecially om the media, or adopt the mannerisms and a of drs which were very mp but at the same time (ironilly) never admtg their sexual preferenc publicly. Tom Robson released a very succsful song entled (Sg if you're) Glad to be Gay, was the mid-70s, and I was still at a Catholic primary school when I remember que distctly hearg gay beg ed for the first time to unteract the BrEng rogatory terms such as: poofter, poof, queer, not normal, fairy and queen that were rife at the time.
'GLAD TO BE GAY': THE STGGLE FOR GAY LIBERATN BEYOND LEGAL RIGHTS
The morn gay rights movement began as a rt at Stonewall -- celebrate Pri wh the LGBTQ prott songs. * glad to gay *
In the first verse, criciz the Brish police for raidg gay pubs for no reason at all, once homosexualy had been crimalized sce the 1967 Sexual Offenc Act. In the send verse, pots to the hypocrisy of Gay News beg prosecuted for obsceny stead of porn magaz like magaz Playboy or the tabloid The Sun which publish photographs of topls girls on Page 3. It also criciz the way homosexual people are portrayed other parts of the prs, pecially nservative newspapers News of the World and Sunday Exprs.
For me, a young child livg London at the time, the term gay (meang homosexual and not "happy") was ed much more equently by the media and the general public after the release of "Glad to be Gay". It also helped that Tom Robson looked straight and was not the least mp, he did not f the stereotypil ia of how homosexuals looked and behaved.
HOW TO ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE GAY
* glad to gay *
This is reflectg the extremely recent history of the stggle for gay liberatn; equal legal rights were reluctantly granted to gay people, yet whout acpanyg methods of rercement or tn, such legislative chang the UK did not immediately lead to equaly for gay people. Contrary to the school curriculum’s prcriptive narrativ that wh legal gay rights me equaly, the stggle for gay rights, an end to rampant homophobia, or the btal police treatment of gay people, did not end wh legal chang.
GLAD TO BE GAY: LEADG FIGUR ON 50 YEARS OF LIBERATN
Growg up wh gay parents, I know this to be te om my personal memori, and whilst I nnot attempt to entirely unrstand the experience of growg up gay ten, twenty, or thirty years ago, I n touch upon my recent experienc as the dghter of a gay uple to give some sight to the suatn.
‘Glad To Be Gay’My spiratn for this article was origally Tom Robson Band’s song, first released 1978, lled ‘Glad To Be Gay’ which, after listeng to first several months ago, ntued to echo my md for some time. The song pairs a misleadgly upbeat melody, wh btally ironic lyrics scribg the realy of homophobia Bra the 1970s - after the troductn of legal rights.
Inially misguid by the happy notatn and tone of the mic, the lyrics h me hard; still, when I listen to this song I feel emotnal, and grieve for everyone who grew up durg a time – not so long ago – when beg gay was not socially accepted by most. The song opens wh a thls illtratn of the state of Bra regards to homophobia and the treatment of gay people, spe the legalizatn of homosexualy the Sexual Offenc Act of 1967, (albe wh an unequal age of nsent pared to heterosexualy).
GLAD TO BE GAY
The openg l offer a sarstic nial of the homophobic police btaly that was rife Bra; police equently raidg gay bars, physilly assltg, and verbally harassg gay people. This led me to thk about the experienc of my own parents such s, and realize what a urageo thg was to be openly gay a time when homophobia was not only socially accepted, by actively perpetrated by the police, stutns, and employe.
Yet the chos, wh the eponymo lyrics, ‘Sg if you’re glad to be gay, sg if you’re happy that way’ remds of the empowerg value beg open and standg proud, the face of jtice–every person who openly intified as homosexual or who volly supported this ntributed to the materializatn of progrs. The next verse addrs the role played by the media, pecially the prs, rercg social narrativ, here the notn that beg gay was somehow wrong, or perverse. Robson’s lyrics expose the hypocrisi popular media pani nmng homosexualy for beg explic, whilst simultaneoly slappg hyper-sexualized imag objectifyg women all across their pag.
The fal verse turns to the realy of beg gay the UK the 1970s, addrsg the persecutn of gay people, the unequal age of nsent, and the qutn of rponsibily not only for those who were gay but also for iends and alli. This is bee foc on the monplace cricism of gay people beg aquate parents, a sentiment which has been voiced by criqu, policians, and even everyday people teractns throughout my life.
GLAD TO BE GAY
” The statements obvly sound que ironic, but realy, this was a wispread cricism of gay people wh children, or those aspirg to be parents.
The homophobic crique agast lbian women beg mothers, a crique of the basic right to motherhood, only dit how enormoly brave each lbian who beme a mother mt have been – the odds were fely not their favor. Nowadays, havg gay parents is often nsired ‘ol’ and progrsive, excg cursy people, but was not always met wh this warm receptn. In the subsequent s followed a mpaign to legalize homosexualy, om the Wolfenn Report’s remendatns September of 1957, to the Sexual Offenc Act 1967.
Whilst I was brought up wh the belief homosexualy was totally natural, upon startg school I beme aware that this was not the se for everyone.
HOW WE MA: TOM ROBSON AND NICK MOBBS ON GLAD TO BE GAY
The first time I realized this was primary school; the word ‘gay’ was flung about abundantly as an sult, although I did not ially rrelate this to my parents’ sexualy.
Fortunately, our school was que progrsive, wh a diverse mixture of children om a variety of backgrounds: workg class, middle class, Mlim, Christian, ternatnal… At this time, any discsn of homosexualy was sentially absent om curriculums, yet our school ma an active effort to enforce equaly and did not tolerate discrimatn any form.
"GLAD TO BE GAY" LYRICS
I soon realized that this playground lgo was imative, and not ually tend as homophobia cricism - most children were too young to even know what beg gay meant.
I learned to disnnect om such vert stanc of homophobia when younger, however as I grew olr, I learned to pot out that was wrong to e such terms, and I gradually learned to be open and vol about havg gay parents. I glow wh pri when I thk about my parents and their urage of brgg up children as a gay uple a world that was not always so acceptg.
If anyone readg this was brought up by gay parents, you will unrstand what I mean when I talk about that awkward, advertent, slightly-unnecsary-feelg ‘g out’ to your iends, not about you beg gay, but about your parents.