Good thread, Dookie. It's nice to be able to 'open up' about ourselves a little. It shows that we're humans and not just a bunch of opinions.
Sometimes, song lyrics can be applied to emotions or situations that they were never intended for by the artist (or may have been, but it was never apparent at the time).
In the LGBT community, it's often the case that an individual will assign a particular song to their experience of their first realisation that they're gay, or coming out of the closet or some other relatively meaningful experience. The reason for this may be intensely personal to the individual and mean something only to them. Regardless of the specific occasion, they're always known as "Coming Out Songs." I have two.
The first came about when I started dating a classmate at school. (Her gaydar worked me out). We were both 14 at the time. How we kept it secret for two years in an all-girl school is a miracle of subterfuge worthy of a John le Carre novel. But we did. Then, on the radio in the kitchen at home one afternoon, a song was played and the lyric mainlined right into my consciousness.
It cemented in my mind the attitude I became determined that I'd take if we ever were found out. You can't imagine how incredibly empowering that felt to a very scared 14 year old at that time.
THEY DON'T KNOW (Kirsty MacColl)
You've been around for such a long time now
Oh Maybe I could leave you but I don't know how
And why should I be lonely every night
When I can be with you
Oh yes You make it right
And I don't listen to the guys who say
that you're bad for me And I should turn you away
'Cause they don't know about us
And they've never heard of love
I get a feeling when I look at you
wherever you go now I want to be there too
They say we're crazy but I just don't care
And if they keep on talking still they get nowhere
So I don't mind if they don't understand
When I look at you and you hold my hand
'Cause they don't know about us
And they've never heard of love
Why should it matter to us if they don't approve?
We should just take our chances
while we've got nothing to lose
Baby
There's no need for living in the past
Now I've found good loving gonna make it last
I tell the others don't bother me
'Cause when they look at you
They don't see what I see
So I don't listen to their wasted lines
Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs
'Cause they don't know about us
and they've never heard of love
Sarah and I broke up when I stayed on at the school to do Sixth Form and she went to take her A Levels at a different college. It had run its course and we parted amicably. We're still in touch via Facebook. We both attended each other's weddings. She's living in Manchester now and her wife had a little boy a couple of years ago. Life has been good to us.
On her hen night party we sang They Don't Know as a karaoke duet. I must admit, my voice wobbled a little and I got a bit sappy at the end. Silly cow, Jenny..!!