Holiday was another early queer jazz artist, best known for songs like “Solitude” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
But “Autumn in New York” rightfully earned its place on this fall list thanks to its title. As the lyrics suggest, this song makes you feel like you’re walking through Central Park in October when the leaves are changing colors.
“Lovers celebrating the darkness/On a bench in Central Park/Welcoming fall in New York,” Holiday sings.
Although it was barely mentioned in the 2021 biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Holiday spoke openly about her bisexuality in her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues.
“Autumn in New York” isn’t specifically about women, but Holliday, who lived in New York most of her life, may have taken one of her female lovers on an autumn walk like this. do not have. It’s the perfect song to take your partner on a romantic walk this fall.
3. “You Don’t Own Me” by Leslie Gore (1963)
Many people know this song, as well as other songs such as “It’s My Party” and “Misty” from her 1963 hit album “I’ll Cry If I Want,” but many may not know that Leslie Gore was a lesbian. It has not been done.
Mr. Gore didn’t come out publicly until the early 2000s, well past the peak of his career. She said she knew she was a lesbian since college, where she met her life partner, Lois Sasson.
Gore released “You Don’t Own Me” when he was just 17 years old. Although the song is about heterosexuality, its lyrics are established as an anthem against patriarchy.
“And don’t tell me what to do/Don’t tell me what to say/And please, when I go out with you/Don’t make me stand out,” Gore sings.
The song is great all year round, but Gore’s haunting chorus is a bold statement of her individuality, and it’s perfect for October’s season of self-expression, which means striking Halloween costumes and social norms. It feels like a season of deviation from.
4. “You’re Dead” by Norma Tanega (1966)
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Known for not liking outlandish songs like “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog,” Tanega sings “You’re Dead” with its spooky lyrics, making it stand out as a spooky season staple.
“You never get a second chance / Plan every move in advance / Stay dead, stay dead, stay dead / Stay dead and get out of this world,” she sings.
The song’s status as a classic Halloween song was cemented when it was used as the theme for the vampire comedy film and television series of the time, “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Although Tanega has kept his love life largely private, he wrote a song about and for queer singer Dusty Springfield, who he dated in the ’60s, according to Extra Magazine.
5. “I Only Want to Be with You” by Dusty Springfield (1963)
Springfield achieved huge success with songs such as “Son of a Preacher Man,” which catapulted her to stardom in the ’60s. She was ahead of her time, coming out publicly as bisexual in 1970.
In a 1970 interview with the Evening Standard, Springfield said, “I know that I am just as capable of being swayed by girls as by boys.” You shouldn’t. ”
“I Only Want to Be With You” has cute and uplifting lyrics that are perfect for a date soundtrack and is perfect for the fall mood. It evokes images of cotton candy and holding hands on a Ferris wheel.
“I don’t care where you go or what you do/I want to spend every moment of the day with you,” Springfield sings.
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While the songs these artists left behind contributed and created today’s queer genre, their music was only part of their legacy.
All of these artists were passionate activists. Rainey and Holiday used their songs to amplify Black voices. Tanega defended immigrants. All five were feminists and LGBTQ+ advocates.
This fall, we encourage you to take in the music and work of these singers who helped “establish” the queer artist landscape today.
@dthlifestyle |lifestyle@dailytarheel.com
