Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Elton's Song (rare Elton John video)

Elton John, Elton's Song, 1981. Co-written by Elton and Tom Glad To Be Gay Robinson, this song about a gay school boy with a crush on a classmate was banned in several countries due to "homosexual content." This accompanying video, which may evoke Bronksi Beat's Smalltown Boy for you, was never aired at the time, although tabloids screamed "Elton's Gay (from JMG) Video Shocker!" In 1981 it was relatively unheard of for artists not to appear in their own videos, but despite the title, that may have had more to do with Elton's "I'm bisexual" stance at the time than video "artistry." The result is memorable for its day nonetheless.
"With your razor blade smile, I watched you playing pool, It's all around the school that I love you."

I never heard this song before and I was very touched. Coincidentally, I had just read in The Globe and Mail (yes, a newspaper) about a research study of homophobia in Canadian High Schools. The results so far aren't that surprising. We may have equal rights here; but there is still work to do to have equal respect - especially in that "land that time forgot": high school.

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