‘Y.M.C.A.’ lyricist: Song is not a ‘gay anthem’

: World Tribune; 03 December 2024; Hits: 14

by WorldTribune Staff, December 3, 2024 Real World News

The popularity of the Village People classic tune “Y.M.C.A.” skyrocketed as President-elect Donald Trump used it, and danced to it, at his rallies during the 2024 presidential campaign.

In fact, after more than 45 years in release, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Many also consider “Y.M.C.A.” a “gay anthem.”

The song’s lyricist says that is not the case.

Singer/songwriter Victor Willis said he wrote the 1978 disco hit about what he knew about the Y.M.C.A. at the time.

“When I say, ‘hang out with all the boys’ that is simply 1970s black slang for black guys hanging-out together for sports, gambling or whatever. There’s nothing gay about that,” Willis wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

Willis said the song’s reputation as a gay anthem could have been sparked by the fact that multiple members of the Village People were gay, and that the group’s first album was about the gay lifestyle.

Willis said he was not offended that gay people have embraced the song, but warned people not to make assumptions. News outlets who do label it a “gay anthem” could start facing legal action in January, he said.

As for Trump using the song at his rallies, Willis said:

“I started noticing numerous artists withdrawing the President Elect’s use of their material. But by the time I said to my wife one day, hey, Trump seems to genuinely like Y.M.C.A. and he’s having a lot of fun with it. As such, I simply didn’t have the heart to prevent his continued use of my song in the face of so many artists withdrawing his use of their material. So I told my wife to inform BMI to not withdraw the Trump campaign political use license.”

Willis added: “The financial benefits have been great as well as Y.M.C.A. 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 Y.M.C.A. And I thank him for choosing to use my song.”