I have always suspected, and am fairly convinced at this point, that this song is actually about a young gay man who has experienced a physical relationship, and is coming to terms with the fact that he's gay, in a world where there is still a huge stigma associated with that. think the song is about a person who was raised in the Christian faith, and perhaps in a way where being gay is not accepted, and has to come to a place where they can accept what they know to be true, despite the fact that this is often a painful transition to go through. In particular, the thing that always struck me about the lyrics is the verse where it seems to be about two lovers spending time together, and yet there's "the scent of vasoline in the summertime." I don't want to be too specific, but there's a particular sexual practice that typically involves the use of that product. Waymon Boone has never chosen to get into specifics of his sexual orientation to my knowledge, but now that he's transitioned to being a director, he's been identified at least in one Anthology where he directed an episode, as being one of a group of "queer men of color" in the gay press. Further evidence of this, is in his most recent project, which also involves two men who enter into a gay relationship. I have long believed that the song is basically saying: This is how I was made, and I'm ok with it. God made me this way, and he must have had a reason for that, and someday, it will all be explained to me. It's a person who was raised in a religious background, has a strong connection to their religion, but is still a gay person.
I have always suspected, and am fairly convinced at this point, that this song is actually about a young gay man who has experienced a physical relationship, and is coming to terms with the fact that he's gay, in a world where there is still a huge stigma associated with that. think the song is about a person who was raised in the Christian faith, and perhaps in a way where being gay is not accepted, and has to come to a place where they can accept what they know to be true, despite the fact that this is often a painful transition to go through. In particular, the thing that always struck me about the lyrics is the verse where it seems to be about two lovers spending time together, and yet there's "the scent of vasoline in the summertime." I don't want to be too specific, but there's a particular sexual practice that typically involves the use of that product. Waymon Boone has never chosen to get into specifics of his sexual orientation to my knowledge, but now that he's transitioned to being a director, he's been identified at least in one Anthology where he directed an episode, as being one of a group of "queer men of color" in the gay press. Further evidence of this, is in his most recent project, which also involves two men who enter into a gay relationship. I have long believed that the song is basically saying: This is how I was made, and I'm ok with it. God made me this way, and he must have had a reason for that, and someday, it will all be explained to me. It's a person who was raised in a religious background, has a strong connection to their religion, but is still a gay person.