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YMCA Lyrics
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 you 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 cleaned, you can have a good meal,
You can do whatever 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 you 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 cleaned, you can have a good meal,
You can do whatever 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.
There'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 you men to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys ...
Y-M-C-A ... You'll find it at the Y-M-C-A.
Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down.
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.
Y-M-C-A ... You'll find it at the Y-M-C-A.
Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down.
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.
Y-M-C-A ... Just go to the Y-M-C-A.
Young man, young man, are you listening to me?
Young man, young man, what do you wanna be?
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.
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.
You can hang out with all the boys ...
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.
You can do whatever you feel ...
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!
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.
You can hang out with all the boys ...
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.
You can do whatever you feel ...
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 ...
And said, young man, take a walk up the street.
There'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.
You can hang out with all the boys ...
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.
Young man, young man, what do you wanna be?
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Sony/atv Music Publishing Llc
Writer
Henri Belolo, Jacques Morali, Victor Edward Willis
Producer
Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo
Release date
1978-06-06
Sentiment
Positive
Submitted by
alexboy On Dec 27, 2001
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
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.
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.
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?
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
Besides the music delivering simple fun that's proven timeless, the lyrics are a masterpiece of ambiguity that could allow the song to get on the air in the Seventies but still shout out a message (in remarkably few phrases here and there) that's clear to anyone who hears it.
By the way, not everyone in the band was gay, but nobody's judging.