Holy moley.  I thought EVERYONE knew....I mean, didn't the outfits give it away?!

What a sheltered life you lead.

Yup, I guess so. But I was not alone. We were all sitting there going.....really?

None of us could believe that.......thinking it was just a song about the YMCA. Had no clue.

I think I'll ask my kids.....

I think I'll ask my kids.....

Aren't your kids a bit young to be listening to the Village People?

I'm with dharma. I'm astonished you didn't figure it out. And the fact that more than one person didn't know is even less fathomable . . .

The next thing you're going to tell us is you thought the song "I Like Big Butts" is about cigarettes.

Ok guys so you had fun at my expense. Feeling better.....glad to make your day.

Anyhow, I looked up the lyrics.....and I don't see anything exactly overtly homo to me......exactly.....so how was I supposed to know? Here's the 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 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 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've 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 clean, 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 jive ...

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 ...

It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a
Young man, there's no need to feel down
Young man, pick yourself off the ground

It's fun to stay at y-m-c-a
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a
Young man, are you listening to me?
Young man, what do you wanna be?

y-m-c-a
you'll find it at the y-m-c-a
no man, does it all by himself
young man, put your pride on the shelf

Y-m-c-a
then just go to the y-m-c-a
y-m-c-a
young man, i was once in your shoes
y-m-c-a
young man, I said, I was down and out with the blues.
y-m-c-a

So what EXACTLY was suppose to clue me in? The way the Village People dressed like Dharma said? So all people that dress up like that are automatically gay?

BTW I asked my middle son and he never heard this either. He barely knows the song, but has heard it at ball games. He had no idea either.

ummm...the village people were an openly gay disco band. the disco movement came out of the gay scene in the 70's in part. a lot of gay sex was happenin at the Y apparantly. they were encouraging people to go.

but, the song has transcended beyond that. it is popular at ball games, like mentioned above. also at weddings, at clubs of all types and other social and sporting events. it's apopular sing-along and people like to do the " letters" with their arms / bodies.

I Refuse to do "the Letters"! ;~D

I think this song is why I first learned what gay meant.

gay people saying that its fun to stay at the ymca.

its a pretty catchy song, though. you gotta admit. don't listen to it while you are falling asleep, or you will have some explaining to do.

ever heard puff the magic dragon?

my wife is with you, she doesn't believe it.

I had the album. And yes, even as a sheltered little Christian boy in the seventies, I knew.

It might be more in the subtext then the text, but it's still there.

You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.
...
They have everything for young men to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys ...
...
You can do whatever you feel ...


I mean, come on.

Also, check out the lyrics to "Macho Man" sometime. And if you really want to warp your brain, ponder their song "In The Navy" for a while.

Oh my goodness.
What am I gonna do in a submarine?

What indeed.



(Oh my, in the past couple hours on JU I have admited to owning VIllage People and Spice Girls. My street cred is shot.)

Psst... Should we tell her about Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop"?

Only if you want to start a mass debate. ;~D

It's just a song by a openly homosexual disco band. That doesn't mean it's ABOUT sex. But, given what was going on, yeah, that was probably the reason they sang YMCA instead of Salvation Army. I figured it was just about how the YMCA would help you out if you needed a place to stay. Or, if you were feeling a little down, you coudl go there and play basketball or something. Or, you know, have homosexual sex.

I can't say this article is a revelation - you've always struck me as something of a naif, KFC.



It's possibly one of the most suggestive songs sung in the English language. If it was any more suggestive it'd be blatant (or more correctly, flaming).

Sorry to reinforce your burst bubble, but yep. You are 100% dead-on correct.
According to RUMINT (Wikipedia intel), In the Navy was actually going to be used in Navy recruiting commercials until brass discovered the true nature of the song. The music video was underwritten by the US Navy. This is according to Wikipedia, so take it with a pound of salt.