Gay Bar (song)
Encyclopedia
"Gay Bar" is a song written and performed by the Detroit-based rock band Electric Six
. It was the second single
off their debut album, Fire
released in 2003.
While both the song and music video received significant airplay, various lyrics
mentioning war
were edited due to their possibly offensive nature since the song made its air debut at the start of the Iraq War. It is considered by many to be the band's most well-known song.
, directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire, was recorded in April 2003 at a movie studio in Toronto
, Canada
. The video depicts a series of Abraham Lincoln
('Gaybraham') look-alike
s in the White House
, portrayed primarily by the band's lead singer Dick Valentine
, but stand-in
s were used for some scenes.
version of the song, the words "nuclear" and "war" (in the line "let's start a war, start a nuclear war") are cut out and a whip lash sound is used instead.
A Japanese radio version exists in which the same lyrics are replaced with "let's do an edit, do a radio edit".
musician Peaches
covered the song as a bonus track for her album Fatherfucker
.
The Bosshoss
covered the song too.
of clips featuring George W. Bush
and Tony Blair
, edited to look like they are apparently singing the song to each other by cutting the clips at different points so their mouths match up. The original video was distributed on many forums and imageboards as a Flash file, and it had become a viral video
long before the advent of YouTube
, where it has been uploaded several times. The original uploads have been removed due to copyright claims from the band, with one remaining version having more than 570,000 hits.
Electric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
. It was the second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
off their debut album, Fire
Fire (Electric Six album)
Fire is the debut album of Electric Six, released in 2003.The album received generally positive critical reviews. Rolling Stone called the album "the summer's most brilliantly demented party record" and Blender hailed the music as "convincingly ferocious"...
released in 2003.
While both the song and music video received significant airplay, various lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
mentioning war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
were edited due to their possibly offensive nature since the song made its air debut at the start of the Iraq War. It is considered by many to be the band's most well-known song.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire, was recorded in April 2003 at a movie studio in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The video depicts a series of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
('Gaybraham') look-alike
Look-alike
A look-alike is a person who closely resembles another person. In popular Western culture, a look-alike is a person who bears a close physical resemblance to a celebrity, politician or member of royalty. Many look-alikes earn a living by making guest appearances at public events or performing on...
s in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, portrayed primarily by the band's lead singer Dick Valentine
Tyler Spencer
Tyler Spencer , also known as Dick Valentine, is a vocalist, best known for his role as lead singer for the six-piece Detroit-based band Electric Six...
, but stand-in
Stand-in
A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting.Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of production. Lighting setup can be a slow and tedious process; during this time the actor will often be somewhere else...
s were used for some scenes.
Trivia
- According to singer Dick Valentine, the idea for the song came up from incorrectly hearingMondegreenA mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. It most commonly is applied to a line in a poem or a lyric in a song...
the lyrics of DEVODevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
's "Girl U WantGirl U Want"Girl U Want" is a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It was the first single released from the album Freedom of Choice. In 1995, Devo rerecorded the song for the soundtrack to Tank Girl.-Song Information:...
" as "just a girl, just a girl at a gay bar" while the song was playing in a very loud nightclub.- The actual lyric is "She's just the girl, she's just the girl, the girl you want".
- In 2009, the song was released as downloadable contentDownloadable contentDownloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for the Rock Band series along with "I Don't Like YouI Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the MasterI Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master is the fourth album by the Detroit rock band Electric Six.Music videos were made for the tracks "Down at McDonnelzzz" and "Randy's Hot Tonight!".-Track listing:...
" and "Dance EpidemicSeñor SmokeSeñor Smoke is the second album from Electric Six, following Fire in 2003. It was released in the UK February 14, 2005 by Warner Music imprint Rushmore Records...
".
- The song was featured in a sketch on The Armstrong and Miller ShowThe Armstrong and Miller ShowThe Armstrong and Miller Show is a British sketch comedy television show produced by Hat Trick Productions for BBC One. It features the double act Armstrong and Miller and a number of notable scriptwriters including Andy Hamilton and The League of Gentlemen's Jeremy Dyson.The series followed four...
Censorship
In the cleanRadio edit
In music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
version of the song, the words "nuclear" and "war" (in the line "let's start a war, start a nuclear war") are cut out and a whip lash sound is used instead.
A Japanese radio version exists in which the same lyrics are replaced with "let's do an edit, do a radio edit".
Covers
Canadian electronicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
musician Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
covered the song as a bonus track for her album Fatherfucker
Fatherfucker
Fatherfucker is the third studio album by Canadian recording artist Peaches, released on September 23, 2003 by XL Recordings. Cover versions of Electric Six's "Gay Bar" and Berlin's "Sex " are included as bonus tracks.-Writing and development:...
.
The Bosshoss
The BossHoss
BossHoss is a band from Berlin which started in 2004 with Country & Western style cover versions of famous pop, rock and hip hop songs, for example "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, "Toxic" by Britney Spears and "Hey Ya!" by Outkast. They incorporate stereotypical American cowboy behavior into their act...
covered the song too.
Parody video
The song was used in a parody video shortly after the beginning of the Iraq War. The video is a mash upMashup (video)
A video mashup is the combination of multiple sources of video—which usually have no relation with each other—into a derivative work, often lampooning its component sources or another text. Many mashup videos are humorous movie trailer parodies, a later genre of mashups gaining much popularity...
of clips featuring George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, edited to look like they are apparently singing the song to each other by cutting the clips at different points so their mouths match up. The original video was distributed on many forums and imageboards as a Flash file, and it had become a viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
long before the advent of YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, where it has been uploaded several times. The original uploads have been removed due to copyright claims from the band, with one remaining version having more than 570,000 hits.
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
5 |