Going Homo [live, London 1990]

Song Meaning

The song kicks off with a direct address, acknowledging the band's image and the perceived "malady" of being queer. The narrator immediately states, "I can't find a dame," setting up a narrative of romantic frustration that leads to a declared shift. This isn't presented as a deep internal realization, but rather a pragmatic, almost resigned, "going homo" as a solution to a perceived problem. The central tension arises from the narrator's stated inability to connect with women, leading to hurt feelings and a decision to "go out with Burt." This choice is framed not by desire, but by a lack of other options, suggesting a societal pressure or personal confusion. The lyrics then pivot to a more defiant stance, "I'm wise / I'm through with telling lies / Hanging out with guys," indicating a move towards authenticity, however it's arrived at. The craft here is in the jarring juxtaposition of the mundane and the provocative. The line "I wouldn't give me AIDS if I were you" is a stark, almost absurd, reference to the era's anxieties, delivered with a flippant tone that underscores the song's provocative nature. Similarly, the observation "All of the girls I know, they're butterballs / They're all the same from the waist down" is a crude, dismissive generalization that fuels the narrator's decision, highlighting a superficial and perhaps immature understanding of relationships. Ultimately, the song's effectiveness lies in its audacious, almost confrontational, embrace of a label. It takes a potentially loaded term and uses it as a declaration, however awkwardly phrased. The repeated refrain of "Going homo today" becomes a mantra of self-acceptance, or at least a bold assertion of a chosen path, even if the reasons presented are rooted in frustration and societal commentary rather than romantic idealization.