Wiktor Wise
Electric Six's Gay Bar is a song about taking a girl to a gay bar, nuclear war, and becoming a superstar. It was written by Electric Six frontman Tyler Spencer, who performs as Dick Valentine. The song was released on May 20, 2003, as the second single from their debut studio album, Fire (2003). The song and its music video received significant airplay, although the lyrics mentioning war were amended due to their potentially offensive nature, as the song debuted at the start of the Iraq War. The video, directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire, is set in the Oval Office in 1983, with Tyler Spencer playing a very gay Abraham Lincoln.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Song Name | Gay Bar |
| Artist | Electric Six |
| Release Date | 2 June 2003 or 20 May 2003 |
| Writer | Tyler Spencer (under the pseudonym Dick Valentine) |
| Songwriter | Dick Valentine |
| Album | Fire |
| Genre | Rock |
| Song Length | 2 minutes and 20 seconds |
| Director | Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire |
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What You'll Learn
- 'Gay Bar' was released on 2 June 2003
- The song's music video was directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire
- The song's lyrics were inspired by a misheard lyric from Devo's 'Girl U Want'
- The song's lyrics were written by Tyler Spencer, under the pseudonym Dick Valentine
- The song's original version was under two minutes long
'Gay Bar' was released on 2 June 2003
"Gay Bar" by Electric Six was released on 2 June 2003 as the second single from their debut studio album, Fire. The song is about taking a girl to a gay bar, nuclear war, and becoming a superstar.
The idea for the song came from band member Tyler Spencer (who performs as Dick Valentine) mishearing the lyrics of Devo's "Girl U Want" as "it's just a girl, it's just a girl at a gay bar" while the song was playing in a loud nightclub. Spencer decided to pair this misheard lyric with a track he had already written. The original version of the song was under two minutes long, so when Electric Six re-recorded it for their 2003 release, they added a verse to make it more radio-friendly. The song's music video, directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire, is set in the Oval Office in 1983, with Spencer playing a very gay Abraham Lincoln.
"Gay Bar" reached No. 5 in the UK charts and received significant airplay. However, the line "let's start a war, start a nuclear war" was edited out of the radio edit and replaced with whip sound effects due to concerns about its potentially offensive nature, as the song debuted at the start of the Iraq War. Despite this, the song and its music video were well-received, with Q and Kerrang naming it the video of the year.
The success of "Gay Bar" and its predecessor "Danger! High Voltage" brought Electric Six critical acclaim and commercial success, particularly in Britain. The band has since released several more albums and continues to perform, with their live shows attracting a diverse audience.
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The song's music video was directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire
The music video for Electric Six's "Gay Bar" was directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire. The video was released in 2003 and features a depiction of Abraham Lincoln, who is portrayed by Tyler Spencer. The character is a reference to the rumour that the former president was homosexual. Spencer, who wrote the song, also stars in the video as himself.
The "Gay Bar" video is set in the Oval Office in 1983. The song's writer and star, Spencer, explained that the video's concept was based on a rumour that Lincoln may have been gay or bisexual. He said: "They had read a rumour that Lincoln may have been gay or bisexual. They were extrapolating gayness from Abraham Lincoln based on something they read."
The video's directors, Kuntz and Maguire, had previously worked with Electric Six on the music video for "Danger! High Voltage". The "Gay Bar" video was well-received, with Q and Kerrang both naming it the video of the year.
The song "Gay Bar" was released as a single from Electric Six's debut album, "Fire", on June 2, 2003. The song and its video received significant airplay, although the lyrics were amended due to their potentially offensive nature. The original lyrics included the line "let's start a war, start a nuclear war", which was edited out and replaced with whip sound effects.
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The song's lyrics were inspired by a misheard lyric from Devo's 'Girl U Want'
"Gay Bar" by Electric Six was released on June 2, 2003. The song was written by band member Tyler Spencer, who performs under the pseudonym Dick Valentine. The song's lyrics were inspired by a night when Spencer was in one of his favorite bars, Gusoline Alley in Royal Oak, Michigan. While there, the Devo song "Girl U Want" came on the jukebox, and Spencer misheard the lyric "she's just a girl, the girl you want" as "she's just a girl... at a gay bar."
This misheard lyric became the central concept of "Gay Bar," a song about taking a girl to a gay bar, nuclear war, and becoming a superstar. Spencer paired this idea with a track he had already written, and "Gay Bar" was born. The song was released as the second single from Electric Six's debut studio album, "Fire," in 2003. The song received significant airplay, although the words nuclear and war in the line "let's start a war, start a nuclear war" were often cut out or replaced with whip sound effects due to concerns about their potentially offensive nature, given the song's release coinciding with the start of the Iraq War.
The music video for "Gay Bar" also gained attention for its outlandish concept, directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire. It is set in the Oval Office in 1983, with Tyler Spencer playing a gay Abraham Lincoln. This concept was based on rumors that Lincoln may have been gay or bisexual. The video was named "Video of the Year" by Q and Kerrang.
Electric Six found success with their debut album "Fire," particularly in the UK with the singles Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar." The band has since released several more albums and continues to perform and record music. "Gay Bar" remains one of their most popular and well-known songs, with its catchy lyrics and over-the-top music video contributing to its enduring appeal.
Overall, the story behind "Gay Bar" by Electric Six showcases the unexpected ways in which creative inspiration can strike. A misheard lyric in a noisy bar evolved into a successful song, demonstrating the power of creativity and the unique perspectives of artists like Tyler Spencer.
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The song's lyrics were written by Tyler Spencer, under the pseudonym Dick Valentine
"Gay Bar" is a song by the American rock band Electric Six. The song's lyrics were written by band member Tyler Spencer, under the pseudonym Dick Valentine. Spencer is also the frontman of the band. Valentine has always been the primary songwriter for the band's music and lyrics. He is also the sole original member of the former Wildbunch.
The idea for the song came from Spencer mishearing the lyrics of Devo's "Girl U Want" while the song was playing in a loud nightclub. He misheard the lyric "she's just a girl, the girl you want" as "it's just a girl, it's just a girl at a gay bar." Spencer decided to use this misheard lyric about taking a girl to a gay bar, pairing it with a track he had already written. The song is about taking a girl to a gay bar, nuclear war, and becoming a superstar.
In an interview, Spencer commented on the song's meaning, saying, "I thought it was funny, a straight guy wanting to take a girl to a gay bar. It's stupid but ultimately inoffensive. It's just some words loosely adding up to something yet remaining nothing at the same time." The song was released on June 2, 2003, as the second single from their debut studio album, Fire.
The music video for "Gay Bar" was directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire and is set in the Oval Office in 1983, with Spencer playing the role of a very gay Abraham Lincoln. The video was named "Video of the Year" by Q and Kerrang. Due to the song's release coinciding with the start of the Iraq War, the line "let's start a war, start a nuclear war" was edited out of the radio edit and replaced with whip sound effects to avoid causing offense.
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The song's original version was under two minutes long
"Gay Bar" by Electric Six is a song about taking a girl to a gay bar, nuclear war, and becoming a superstar. It was written by Electric Six frontman Tyler Spencer, who performs under the pseudonym Dick Valentine. The song was released on June 2, 2003, as the second single from their debut studio album, Fire. Both the song and its music video received significant airplay. However, the original version of "Gay Bar" was under two minutes long.
When Electric Six re-recorded the song for their 2003 release, they added an extra verse to make it more radio-friendly, extending the runtime to 2 minutes and 20 seconds. The new verse included the lyrics: "Now tell me do ya a do ya have any money? I wanna spend all your money at the gay bar gay bar gay bar." This re-recorded version addressed concerns about the song's potentially offensive nature, as it removed references to war and nuclear weapons. The line "let's start a war, start a nuclear war" was edited out and replaced with whip sound effects in the radio edit.
The music video for "Gay Bar" was directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire, known for their work on the "`Danger! High Voltage'" music video. It features Tyler Spencer playing a gay Abraham Lincoln in the Oval Office in 1983. This concept was based on rumours that Lincoln may have been gay or bisexual. The video was well-received, with Q and Kerrang naming it Video of the Year.
The inspiration for "Gay Bar" came from Spencer mishearing the lyrics of Devo's "Girl U Want" while the song was playing in a loud nightclub. He misinterpreted the line "she's just a girl, the girl you want" as "it's just a girl, it's just a girl at a gay bar." Spencer found the idea of a straight guy wanting to take a girl to a gay bar amusing, and he paired this concept with a track he had already written.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric Six released "Gay Bar" on May 20, 2003.
The song was written by Electric Six frontman Tyler Spencer, who performs as Dick Valentine.
"Gay Bar" is about taking a girl to a gay bar, nuclear war, and becoming a superstar.
