WRONG! https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/dec/05/ymca-has-never-been-gay-says-the-songs-lyricist-and-singer
Victor Willis of Village People says the hit is an anthem to Black male friendship – and his wife threatens to sue those who say otherwise
If you thought that YMCA by Village People was a gay anthem, think again. According to Victor Willis, who wrote the lyrics, the famous song is entirely heterosexual – and anyone suggesting something to the contrary should “get their minds out of the gutter”.
“Come January 2025,” Willis added on Facebook, “my wife will start suing each and every news organisation that falsely refers to YMCA, either in their headlines or alluded to in the base of the story, that YMCA is somehow a gay anthem because such notion is based solely on the song’s lyrics alluding to elicit [sic] activity for which it does not.”
YMCA appeared on Village People’s third album, Cruisin’. It was an international smash hit, getting to No 1 in 17 countries on its release in October 1978. A much-loved staple at sports events, wedding receptions and student discos, it has sold 12m copies. In 2020 it was preserved for posterity by the National Recording Registry of the US Library of Congress as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”, and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
That same year, Donald Trump started playing it at rallies, and has done so consistently ever since, often dancing to it and another Village People hit, Macho Man. While most musicians have reacted with horror to Trump using their songs, Willis says that YMCA has “greatly benefited”.
Willis said on Facebook: “The financial benefits have been great … YMCA is estimated to gross several million dollars since the President Elect’s continued use of the song. Therefore, I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of YMCA. And I thank him for choosing to use my song.”
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OnanTheBarbarian (13134)
a month ago
Do you know what "Cruisin'" means? 🤣
Yeah, sure it also means driving your car around. But it was also gay slang for looking for a sex partner.
Sorry, most the members of Village People were "out" gays. The songs producer Jacques Morali was gay. He's the one who assembled the Village People. Dude. it began as a gay act.
Willis capitalized on that even if he may have been straight himself. He obviously never came out in 1977 and said it wasn't a gay song because he was making too much money off it. Now he's an old grandfather and he's trying to rewrite history.
"Cowboy"? "Leatherman"? "Sailor"? Those were gay club themes from the 70's. "Leatherman"? Really? Straight folks dressed up like leathermen?
Stop trying to rewrite history.
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Guitar King (5100)
a month ago
The gays did try to pervert the meaning of the song because gays always try to pervert everything, even rainbows.
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OnanTheBarbarian (13134)
a month ago
No, as I said, Jacques Morali recruited them as a troupe to appear in trendy gay clubs.
The song was about sex hookups at the YMCA despite Willis' protests now that he's embarrassed as an old straight man.🤣
They had a goddamn member known as "The Leatherman".
Jacques Morali recruited the Village People by advertising for attractive gay singers and dancers in New York City's Village Voice. Morali was inspired to create the group after seeing the costumes at a costume ball at a gay disco in Greenwich Village.
Morali, a French songwriter and producer, and his business partner Henri Belolo created the Village People.
The group's name comes from Greenwich Village, a neighborhood in Manhattan known for being a gayborhood.
The group's characters were a symbolic group of American masculinity and macho gay-fantasy personas.
The group's early releases were popular in dance clubs before going mainstream.
The group's biggest hit was "Y.M.C.A.".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_People#:~:text=Morali%20met%20the%20first%20recruit,uniforms).
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strntz (12773)
a month ago
The hetero writer of the song says it's not a gay anthem despite the band's thrust (sorry) targeted a gay audience.
People say it is a gay anthem with no evidence.
I'm going with the songwriter on this.
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OnanTheBarbarian (13134)
a month ago
Dude, the composer knew what the group was all about when he joined. I also find it hilarious that he waited 40 years to drop that bombshell. "The Village People" are not gay!!! 🤣
I just gave you the evidence. Jacques Morali advertised for gay singers and dancers and Willis showed up. He played a gay macho persona "The Cop". C'mon, it's obvious what this guy is trying to do now that he's old and married.
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strntz (12773)
a month ago
I didn't say the group wasn't gay or that Willis said the group itself wasn't gay (he never said it wasn't), what I clearly said is that the hetero songwriter says *YMCA* is not a gay anthem and that there's no double entendre to it.
None of that can be disputed.
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OnanTheBarbarian (13134)
a month ago
"What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"
I think Willis is getting old and maybe he's a "Christian" now and he's trying to rewrite history.
David Hodo, the "Construction worker", says Victor Willis is full of shit. 🤣
David Hodo, who played the construction worker in the band Village People, said that the band was gay and that their music was often played in gay underground clubs. Hodo also said that the song "YMCA" was written to celebrate gay men.
https://www.classicbands.com/VillagePeopleInterview.html
That song is full of double entendre which Willis obviously wrote for his gay producer, Jacques Morali, his gay band mates, and his gay audience.
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
Please.
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