In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Young man, there's no need to feel down
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy
Young man, there's a place you can go
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do what ever you feel
Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, what do you want to be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams
But you got to know this one thing
No man does it all by himself
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A
I'm sure they can help you today
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do what ever you feel
Young man, I was once in your shoes
I said, I was down and out with the blues
I felt no man cared if I were alive
I felt the whole world was so tight
That's when someone came up to me
And said, young man, take a walk up the street
It's a place there called the Y.M.C.A
They can start you back on your way
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
Y.M.C.A, it's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down
Young man, young man, pick yourself off the ground
Y.M.C.A, you'll find it at the Y.M.C.A
No man, young man, does it all by himself
Young man, young man, put your pride on the shelf
Y.M.C.A and just go to the
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy
Young man, there's a place you can go
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do what ever you feel
Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, what do you want to be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams
But you got to know this one thing
No man does it all by himself
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A
I'm sure they can help you today
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do what ever you feel
Young man, I was once in your shoes
I said, I was down and out with the blues
I felt no man cared if I were alive
I felt the whole world was so tight
That's when someone came up to me
And said, young man, take a walk up the street
It's a place there called the Y.M.C.A
They can start you back on your way
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
Y.M.C.A, it's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A
Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down
Young man, young man, pick yourself off the ground
Y.M.C.A, you'll find it at the Y.M.C.A
No man, young man, does it all by himself
Young man, young man, put your pride on the shelf
Y.M.C.A and just go to the
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i though this song had a much deeper significance, young gay teenagers in the 70s being kicked out of thier houses by thier parents. YMCAs had to provided shelter for them no?
THE most subversive pop hit EVER...hide your sons.
From what I've heard, in the late 70's when this song came out most men were still in the closet. YMCA's were a very common place for gay men to rendez-vous.
is this a gay song? on closer inspection i'm beginning to suspect it.
You CANNOT have a party album without this song...it'd be like having cheesecake without the cheese!
Also, many service men who had just returned from war and needed temporary housing stayed at the YMCA. This is not a 'gay' song. It's just a song. Not sure about you, but I spent much of my childhood (1970's) having swimming lessons 3x weekly and swimming on the swim team and not once did I ever have gay sex or see gay sex going on at the Y. UGH...you guys are crazy.
You can relate to the song however you want, but the Village People are gay, and that's what they did. I don't know about having sex on the premises, but they did go to the Y to meet other gay men.
This song is the ultimate party hit, no party is complete without YMCA being played at least once
yes, this song is definitely a coded gay song, but it's awesome to party to all the same
The genius of this song (besides its outrageously catchy theme) is how perfectly it walks that line. Is it about going to the YMCA to meet other gay men, or just a place to get back on your feet and make new friends? Lines like "They have everything for you men to enjoy, you can hang out with all the boys" and "You can do whatever you feel" could definitely be read both ways. Innocent anthem to a gym/society, or a subversive gay theme that gets entire baseball stadiums of fans to dance along?
Classic, who at some point has not sang along to this song or done the Y-M-C-A thing with your arms?