Stoolhardy, I hate to break it to ya, but there are MANY instances where this song can be applied to a male/female relationship. The BDSM/fetish community abounds with people in "Daddy/daughter/little girl" relationships where with consenting adults, the older man assumes that teacher, leadership, dominant role. And even in everyday, vanilla relationships, history is littered with examples of older man/younger woman relationships, from the classic arranged marriage all the way down to the modern-day "trophy wife". If the person in the song was intended to be a woman, perhaps she was 17 or 18, slightly underage or just of age and less experienced than George at the time. Or, it could be just as you claimed. The only one who knows for sure is Michael himself, and since he's not been forthcoming with an explanation, we'll never know for sure. What we DO know is that this song is somewhat disturbing, highly erotic, hauntingly beautiful, and deeply profound to those of us who can claim a higher meaning from its lyrics. And that is why this song--and others of its ilk--will stand the test of time for us listeners. Ultimately, it's not a gay thing, or a straight thing, or even really an age thing,for that matter.It's about the power of love and what a person is willing to do, or be, for the object of his, or her, devotion. And that's what makes it such a great song.
Stoolhardy, I hate to break it to ya, but there are MANY instances where this song can be applied to a male/female relationship. The BDSM/fetish community abounds with people in "Daddy/daughter/little girl" relationships where with consenting adults, the older man assumes that teacher, leadership, dominant role. And even in everyday, vanilla relationships, history is littered with examples of older man/younger woman relationships, from the classic arranged marriage all the way down to the modern-day "trophy wife". If the person in the song was intended to be a woman, perhaps she was 17 or 18, slightly underage or just of age and less experienced than George at the time. Or, it could be just as you claimed. The only one who knows for sure is Michael himself, and since he's not been forthcoming with an explanation, we'll never know for sure. What we DO know is that this song is somewhat disturbing, highly erotic, hauntingly beautiful, and deeply profound to those of us who can claim a higher meaning from its lyrics. And that is why this song--and others of its ilk--will stand the test of time for us listeners. Ultimately, it's not a gay thing, or a straight thing, or even really an age thing,for that matter.It's about the power of love and what a person is willing to do, or be, for the object of his, or her, devotion. And that's what makes it such a great song.