Music Review: Bowling For Soup "I'm Gay"
JoeUser Forums
Bowling For Soup
I’m Gay
Album: The Great Burrito Extortion Case
Year: 2007
Emo rock annoys Jaret Reddick in the rambling “I’m Gay.”
In the intro, Reddick says that the single is going to be outgoing and have a sense of humor. (“This fucking song is all personality/Dude, that's the shit.”)
Clamorous guitars open the single, setting a boisterous tone. He does not like emo. It’s basically the guys who weren’t anything in high school trying to make themselves look important. They say it’s their parent’s fault for staying together or getting divorced, for buying them too much or too little. However, misery is a choice. At anytime, they can let go of their anger. He says everyone can relate to their pain and appreciate their love of metaphors and wordplay. But it’s a marketing ploy and not even real. It’s just another way to get to the bottom line. He watches the music videos and laughs, mocking their whining and nasally voices. (“Well, we've all heard about how the guys in the band/Weren't the popular kids in school/Now you hate your parents 'cause the way you turned out/But in the end, the blame's on you/And we all sympathize with your torn apart heart/And your really artistic worldly views/It sells records when you're sad these days/It's super cool to be mad these days/I think rock 'n' roll is really funny when it's serious.”)
In the chorus, he says Bowling For Soup likes to have fun and be pretty. Everyday, people are faced with hurt and cruelty. Their music has none of it. They want to make people forget about it. He’s read the comments on the Internet, all the faceless people calling them “gay.” Well, then, he says, go ahead. (“Don't hate us 'cause we're happy/Don't hate us 'cause we're beautiful/Don't hate us if we make you smile/Or if we go the extra mile/To make someone feel better on a really shitty day/And if you're hearing what I'm saying/Then I want you to say I'm gay, say I'm gay,(I'm gay, I'm gay.”)
He suggests that people let themselves enjoy life and not create problems in their lives. He wants everyone to pledge, starting with band members Chris Burney and Gary Wiseman. (“Let's start a movement, let's start it right now/And if you don't know where to start/I can show you, I'm your new team captain/Put your left hand over your heart and repeat after me/"It's perfectly fine to be a happy individual"/"It's perfectly fine to be a happy individual"/"Chris, Gary", "Yeah, buddy?", "You guys wanna join in?"/Sure, "Oh, man, sorry dude"/"It's perfectly fine to be a happy individual"/"It's perfectly fine to be a happy individual"/"Very nice, very nice.”)
In the second chorus, he adds other people have to got to stop taking their problems out on them. (“Don't hate us 'cause we're happy/Don't hate us 'cause you're miserable/Don't hate us if we make you smile/Or if we go the extra mile/To make someone feel better on a really shitty day/And if you're hearing what I'm saying/Then I want you to say I'm gay, say I'm gay, (I'm gay, I'm gay.”)
In the bridge, he says the band can double as people’s therapy. They can chant and be the happiest little campers at Smiley Park in Smiley, USA. (“That's right ladies and gentlemen/Pick up the phone 'cause Bowling For Soup is on the line/And you don't have to be sad anymore/You don't have to be mad anymore/We can all join hands/And do 'Ring Around The Freaking Rosie'/In fact, can we get some la la's up in here please?/It sells records when your sad these days/It's super cool to be mad these days/I think rock 'n' roll is really funny when it's serious/(Yo, where my la la's at?)/La la la/La la la/La la la.”)
Reddick’s artless vocals are really trying to be cool about the band’s flagging sales. He masks the bitterness by laughing it off with an awful pun. However, in today’s current climate saying “I’m gay” hasn’t hit the funny part yet. People are still using it as a slur and a reason to discriminate others.
The ignorant “I’m Gay” has plenty of spite for a genre it won’t ever be able to capitalize on.