52 Weeks of Music - Week 3 - Gordon by the Barenaked Ladies

[Author's Note: I've been a bit under the weather, and the weather's been lousy. I apologize for the tardiness of this post.]

This may sound strange coming from a gay man, but I love Barenaked Ladies. Of course, I mean the musical group. I know, it's a terrible joke. I came to them quite by accident in the mid-1990s, along with some of my other favorite music. Their song "What a Good Boy" appeared in the movie Stonewall, which was one of the first gay movies I ever saw. (As a matter of digression, I first saw Rocky Horror Picture Show, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Jeffrey, and then Stonewall.)

"What a Good Boy" is a lovely ballad that deals with forbidden love, though not explicitly gay. Still the song was a perfect fit for the end credits of the film, and I wanted to hear it more. This was in the early days of the Internet kids, so I actually combed used record stores looking for the Barenaked Ladies. While visiting my sister in Tennessee, I found the Stonewall soundtrack CD in a used record shop and bought it. It was filled with classic tunes by 1960s girl groups, and then it also had "What a Good Boy." I felt satisfied for a few weeks, but kept up my search. I eventually found the current album Born on a Pirate Ship at Target, where I worked at the time. It was one of those goofy multimedia CDs that had music and flash and quicktime. It was a good album, but it just wasn't hitting the spot for me.

I eventually found Gordon at Best Buy and bought it. I loved it. The funky beats mixed with harmonious tones and notes was the perfect thing to help me transcend my working class existence, and the fact that I had to move back in with my parents.

I went on to share the Barenaked Ladies with my best friend, my sisters, my first and second boyfriends, and just about everyone. I think I created somewhat of a cult following among my fellow Targeteers.

I almost consider the boys in the Barenaked Ladies my first real boyfriend, as I bonded with them through their music before I dated anybody. I actually had to buy the CD twice because I left it at a boyfriend's house or something. But I definitely didn't mind paying them royalties again. To this day, Gordon makes me feel good. He was the best boyfriend I had, before my current one of course.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the eventual departure of Steven Page, one of the two lead vocalists for Barenaked Ladies. I don't know much about it, because over the years, my fandom has waned. I still have all of their major albums since Gordon, and there may be another one that strikes me later in the year. Until then, you'll have to explore them for yourself.



Gordon on Wikipedia.

Album Link on iTunes.