I dońt believe the cabaret story. I don't but it. I'm a Dire Straits fan and I'm gay. Let's face it: Les Boys is a song about gays, not only german, all gays. It's a bit of a harsh comment, but true. As usual it's a vignette about life, with a bit of caustic humor. The fact that it sounds a bit silly is what makes it so good. It enhances the ridiculous side of this whole gay behavior. The lyrics point out the contradictions of this lifestyle, how artificial, and childish it can be, the bars, the S&M thing, the leather scene, the drag queens. It criticizes with the usual humor from this very intelligent man. I love the song and totally agree with it. I don't consider it homophobic af all. It is more of a wink. A warning with tenderness. If you are queer, you don't have to act like one. Act like the human being you are. Don' t get lost in this bad theater. That´s what it is. Under the SS regime, the gays were gassed. To put it in Germany was to show how risqué to wear the SS cap. Or for a man to dress like a woman . Or dress like a biker, or loose your life pumping iron to look like one. How futile! As usual, a song to make you think a bit. A sort of "where do you think you're going" with that? Great song.
@guy-paul10 that does not mean the German disco story isn't true.
@guy-paul10 that does not mean the German disco story isn't true.
When this song came out, in NZ anyway, homosexuality had been illegal a few years before. We took it to mean gay people could be more open as well as a wry comment about how some of those opposed to homosexuality were gay, particularly the wide spread belief the SA leadership was gay and the Nazi party was founded in a Munich gay bar. Beliefs still used to try to discredit gay people in the 70s.
When this song came out, in NZ anyway, homosexuality had been illegal a few years before. We took it to mean gay people could be more open as well as a wry comment about how some of those opposed to homosexuality were gay, particularly the wide spread belief the SA leadership was gay and the Nazi party was founded in a Munich gay bar. Beliefs still used to try to discredit gay people in the 70s.
At the time, popular images of gay people was that they were effete limp wristed girlie boys. Then you had the village people, and the whole macho gay thing happening.
It was a time that saw the start of questioning male sexuality in response to the women's movement and the gay rights movement in the 70s. A couple of years later, Joe Jackson put out real men.
See the nice boys, dancing in pairs
Golden earring golden tan
Blow-wave in the hair
Sure they're all straight, straight as a line
All the gays are macho
Can't you see their leather shine
Being a teenager in the 70s and 80s meant having to examine what it was to be male our female, gay or straight. People today are lucky we suited all that out and they don't need to worry about it.
@guy-paul10 some of the business men in the seventies ... if theyd been 18 in 1940 they'd only be 58 in 1980. Maybe they brought their own ss caps. German people at that time would still apologize for the war. And the bader meinhof gang claimed any German over 40 was guilty.
@guy-paul10 some of the business men in the seventies ... if theyd been 18 in 1940 they'd only be 58 in 1980. Maybe they brought their own ss caps. German people at that time would still apologize for the war. And the bader meinhof gang claimed any German over 40 was guilty.
Things looked a lot different then. The battle of Britain was more recent to them when this song was released than the songs release is to us today.
Things looked a lot different then. The battle of Britain was more recent to them when this song was released than the songs release is to us today.
I dońt believe the cabaret story. I don't but it. I'm a Dire Straits fan and I'm gay. Let's face it: Les Boys is a song about gays, not only german, all gays. It's a bit of a harsh comment, but true. As usual it's a vignette about life, with a bit of caustic humor. The fact that it sounds a bit silly is what makes it so good. It enhances the ridiculous side of this whole gay behavior. The lyrics point out the contradictions of this lifestyle, how artificial, and childish it can be, the bars, the S&M thing, the leather scene, the drag queens. It criticizes with the usual humor from this very intelligent man. I love the song and totally agree with it. I don't consider it homophobic af all. It is more of a wink. A warning with tenderness. If you are queer, you don't have to act like one. Act like the human being you are. Don' t get lost in this bad theater. That´s what it is. Under the SS regime, the gays were gassed. To put it in Germany was to show how risqué to wear the SS cap. Or for a man to dress like a woman . Or dress like a biker, or loose your life pumping iron to look like one. How futile! As usual, a song to make you think a bit. A sort of "where do you think you're going" with that? Great song.
@guy-paul10
@guy-paul10
First line I meant: I don't buy it
First line I meant: I don't buy it
@guy-paul10 that does not mean the German disco story isn't true.
@guy-paul10 that does not mean the German disco story isn't true.
When this song came out, in NZ anyway, homosexuality had been illegal a few years before. We took it to mean gay people could be more open as well as a wry comment about how some of those opposed to homosexuality were gay, particularly the wide spread belief the SA leadership was gay and the Nazi party was founded in a Munich gay bar. Beliefs still used to try to discredit gay people in the 70s.
When this song came out, in NZ anyway, homosexuality had been illegal a few years before. We took it to mean gay people could be more open as well as a wry comment about how some of those opposed to homosexuality were gay, particularly the wide spread belief the SA leadership was gay and the Nazi party was founded in a Munich gay bar. Beliefs still used to try to discredit gay people in the 70s.
At the time, popular images of gay people was that they were effete limp wristed girlie boys. Then you had the village people, and the whole macho gay thing happening.
It was a time that saw the start of questioning male sexuality in response to the women's movement and the gay rights movement in the 70s. A couple of years later, Joe Jackson put out real men.
See the nice boys, dancing in pairs Golden earring golden tan Blow-wave in the hair Sure they're all straight, straight as a line All the gays are macho Can't you see their leather shine
Being a teenager in the 70s and 80s meant having to examine what it was to be male our female, gay or straight. People today are lucky we suited all that out and they don't need to worry about it.
@guy-paul10 some of the business men in the seventies ... if theyd been 18 in 1940 they'd only be 58 in 1980. Maybe they brought their own ss caps. German people at that time would still apologize for the war. And the bader meinhof gang claimed any German over 40 was guilty.
@guy-paul10 some of the business men in the seventies ... if theyd been 18 in 1940 they'd only be 58 in 1980. Maybe they brought their own ss caps. German people at that time would still apologize for the war. And the bader meinhof gang claimed any German over 40 was guilty.
Things looked a lot different then. The battle of Britain was more recent to them when this song was released than the songs release is to us today.
Things looked a lot different then. The battle of Britain was more recent to them when this song was released than the songs release is to us today.
@guy-paul10 homosexuality wasn't legal in NZ until the mid 80s. Still an issue at the 1990 election.
@guy-paul10 homosexuality wasn't legal in NZ until the mid 80s. Still an issue at the 1990 election.