"Glad
To Be Gay" was
originally written
by Tom Robinson for
a London Gay Pride
march in 1976. An
out gay songwriter,
he subsequently formed
the TOM
ROBINSON BAND with three (non-gay)
musicians and - inspired
by directness and
confrontational style
of The Sex Pistols
- the band released
a four-track EP called
"Rising Free" on EMI
Records in Feb 1978
which included the
song.
The EP made the UK
Top 20 - reaching
18 in the UK singles
chart within a week
of release. BBC Radio
1 refused to play
"Glad To be Gay"
choosing instead the
less controversial
opening track "Don't
Take No For An Answer".
However, listeners
to rival station Capital
Radio voted it No.1
on their Listeners'
Hitline for six consecutive
weeks.
The song was subsequently
included on the North
American release of
TRB's "Power
In The Darkness"
album later in 1978 and performed at Amnesty International's historic Secret Policeman's Ball concert in 1979 (see above)
The song has been
performed - with the
lyrics occasionally
updated - ever since. Audio and lyrics of the original 1978 version are below.
click for MP3 of original
1978 version
SING IF YOU'RE GLAD
TO BE GAY
The British Police
are the best in the
world
I don't believe one
of these stories I've
heard
'Bout them raiding
our pubs for no reason
at all
Lining the customers
up by the wall
Picking out people
and knocking them
down
Resisting arrest as
they're kicked on
the ground
Searching their houses
and calling them queer
I don't believe that
sort of thing happens
here
Sing if you're glad
to be gay
Sing if you're happy
that way
Pictures of naked
young women are fun
In Titbits and Playboy,
page three of The
Sun
There's no nudes in
Gay News our last
magazine
But they still find
excuses to call it
obscene
Read how disgusting
we are in the press
The News of The World
and the Sunday Express
Molesters of children,
corruptors of youth
It's there in the
paper, it must be
the truth
Sing if you're glad
to be gay
Sing if you're happy
that way
Don't try to kid us
that if you're discreet
You're perfectly safe
as you walk down the
street
You don't have to
mince or make bitchy
remarks
To get beaten unconscious
and left in the dark
I had a friend who
was gentle and short
Got lonely one evening
and went for a walk
Queerbashers caught
him and kicked in
his teeth
He was only hospitalised
for a week
Sing if you're glad
to be gay
Sing if you're happy
that way
So sit back and watch
as they close all
our clubs
Arrest us for meeting
and raid all our pubs
Make sure your boyfriend's
at least 21
So only your friends
and your brothers
get done
Lie to your workmates,
lie to your folks
Put down the queens
and tell anti-queer
jokes
Gay Lib's ridiculous,
join their laughter
"The buggers are legal
now,
what more are they
after ?"
Sing if you're glad
to be gay
Sing if you're happy
that way, hey
Sing if you're glad
to be gay
Sing if you're happy
that way, hey