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There was this amazing moment in it, when Blaine (played by Darren Criss) serenades the guy he's crushing on, with the entire Warblers backing him up... and it's at a GAP store!
You can check just that song out here:
It felt like Glee's Valentine to gay viewers everywhere - a cute guy, singing a great song about his liking another cute guy in a really public, joyful way.
But, here's my question:
The song, When I Get You Alone, by Robin Thicke, is about a guy crushing on a girl. Why couldn't they have changed just a few of the words? It would have been even more awesome.
Look at the Lyrics:
Oooh...
Eah!
[Verse 1:]
Baby girl, where you at? Baby Boy, where you at?
Got no strings, got men attached
Can't stop that feelin' for long no
Mmmm
You makin' dogs wanna beg
Breaking them off your fancy legs
But they make you feel right at home, now
[Hook 1:]
(Ooooh)
See all these illusions just take us too long
(Ooooh) And I want it bad..
Because you walk pretty,
Because you talk pretty,
'Cause you make me sick
And I'm not leavin', till you're leavin'
[Hook 2:]
(Ahhh)
Oh I swear there's something when she's pumpin', Oh I swear there's something when he's pumpin'
Asking for a raise
(Oooh) Well does she want me to carry her home now? Well does he want me to carry him home now?
(Oooh) So does she want me to buy her things? So does he want me to buy him things?
On my house, on my job
On my loot, shoes, my shirt,
My crew, my mind, my father's last name?
[Chorus:]
(Ahhh)
When I get you alone ('lone)
When I get you you'll know baby (know)
When I get you alone ('lone)
When I get you alone now (it's all mine)
(Ahhhh....oh)
Come on
Oh yeah-yeah
[Verse 2:]
Baby girl you da shit Baby boy you da shi... (look I slurred it, just like Darren Criss did on Glee!)
That makes you my equivalent
Well you can keep your toys in the drawer tonight,
All right
All my dawgs talkin' fast-
Aint you got some photographs?
'Cause you shook that room like a star, now
Yes you did, oh
[Hook 1:]
(Ooooh)
All these intrusions just take us too long
(Ooooh) And I want you so bad..
Because you walk city,
Because you talk city,
'Cause you make me sick
And I'm not leavin', till you're leavin'
[Hook 2:]
(Ahhh)
So I pray to something she aint bluffin', So I pray to something he ain't bluffin'
Rubbin' up on me
(Oooh) Well does she want me to make a vow? Well does he want me to make a vow?
Check it
(Oooh)Well does she want me to make it now? Well does he want me to make it now?
On my house, on my job
On my loot, shoes, my voice,
My crew, my mind, my father's last name?
[Chorus:]
(Ahhh)
When I get you alone ('lone)
When I get you you'll know baby (know)
When I get you alone ('lone)
When I get you alone now (it's all mine)
(Ahhhh....oh)
Oh no
Get you alone baby
Oohh..
I'm grateful for this moment on Glee, but I want a little bit more for Valentine's Day. I want those nine words.
Namaste, and Happy Valentine's Day!
Lee
7 comments:
I was wondering the same thing while I was watching it. I don't think the integrity of the song would've changed with those small fixes.
I had exactly the same thought. I loved the scene and song so much, but the she/her thing took me out of it and put my in my anthropological brain. So instead of just enjoying Glee's Gay Gap Goings-on, I sat analyzing why they had made such an odd/poor choice.
I decided (on the basis of no evidence at all) that there must be some legal copyright thing. Because otherwise, Glee FAIL.
It's possible that when purchasing the rights of the song for use on the show, they agreed to not change any of the lyrics.
It could of course be for some greedy/corporate reason. But I think a lot of people noticed that the lyrics weren't changed. I know I did!
Still... such a cute moment. And I even love that it didn't go over well.
The flipside to that argument is this: when Rachel sang "Gives You Hell" to Finn (about Finn?), they didn't alter the lyrics either. The song is (ostensibly) sung by a man to a woman (full debate on that can ensue later). Point is, she sings, "If you find a man who gives a damn and treats you well, then he's a fool, you're just as well, hope it gives you hell."
So it could be considered hypocritical for them to change the lyrics for Blaine to sing to a boy when Rachel's song wasn't tweaked to give it a more heterosexual spin.
And, in theory, before they touch a syllable of any lyrics (like they did with "Rose's Turn" for Kurt), they need to seek the songwriter's permission. Maybe some people are only granting permission for their songs to be sung with lyrics intact.
Just a couple thoughts.
I thought it was a stupid song choice anyway. First, because there are other songs that don't specifically mention gender which wouldn't need to be changed. But second, because it's a kinda creepy song to sing to a crush. I mean, "when I get you alone" to someone that you have dated sounds pretty stalkerish if you ask me.
I have such a love/hate relationship with Glee anyway.
Glee has chosen not to change gender references in a number of songs across the board (i.e. not just when changing the lyrics would fit a gay singer, they've done it when the straight female characters were singing too, using "she" rather than changing it to 'he"). I wish I could think of another specific example to site, but I do remembering noticing it. Because I know they've done it consistently, I think it's kind of cool as-is.
I didn't know that, Karol. Given that, I wish that they had picked a different song that would have been a love song to a guy - to really make the gay valentine romance point.
Namaste and thanks to all for your comments!
Lee
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