Holiday, another early queer jazz artist, is best known for songs like “Solitude” and “I'll Be Seeing You.”
“Autumn in New York” naturally made it on this fall list, though, because of its title. True to its lyrics, the song feels like a walk through Central Park in October, with the leaves changing color.
“Lovers that bless the dark / On benches in Central Park / Greet autumn in New York,” Holiday sings.
Although it was barely touched in the 2021 biopic “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” Holiday was open about her bisexuality in her autobiography “Lady Sings the Blues.”
While “Autumn in New York” is not specifically about a woman, Holiday very well may have taken one of her lady-lovers on such an autumnal walk, having lived in New York for much of her life. It is the perfect tune for taking one's own partner for a romantic stroll this fall.
3. “You Don't Own Me” by Lesley Gore (1963)
While many know this song and songs from her hit 1963 album “I'll Cry If I Want To,” such as “It's My Party” and “Misty,” it is less common knowledge that Lesley Gore was a lesbian.
Gore did not publicly come out until the early 2000s, long after the height of her career. She said that she knew she was a lesbian since her college days, which was where she met her lifelong partner Lois Sasson.
Gore released “You Don't Own Me” when she was just 17. Although the song is about a heterosexual relationship, its lyrics establish it as an anthem against the patriarchy.
“And don't tell me what to do / Don't tell me what to say / And please, when I go out with you / Don't put me on display,” Gore sings.
It is a great song year-round, but Gore's almost haunting delivery of a chorus — which boldly asserts her individuality — feels like October's season of self-expression: a season of striking Halloween costumes and departure from societal norms.
4. “You're Dead” by Norma Tanega (1966)
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Tanega, known for nonconformity with whimsical songs like “Walkin' My Cat Named Dog,” sang “You're Dead” with eerie lyrics that make it stand out as a spooky season staple.
“You'll never get a second chance / Plan all your moves in advance / Stay dead, stay dead, stay dead / Stay dead and out of this world,” she sings.
Its place as a classic Halloween song was solidified when it was used as the theme in the vampire comedy movie and then-TV series “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Tanega kept her romantic life largely private but wrote songs about — and for — queer singer Dusty Springfield, who she dated in the '60s, according to Xtra Magazine.
5. “I Only Want to Be with You” by Dusty Springfield (1963)
Springfield had great success with songs like “Son of a Preacher Man,” which launched her to stardom in the '60s. She was ahead of her time and came out publicly as bisexual in 1970.
“I know I'm perfectly as capable of being swayed by a girl as by a boy,” Springfield said in an interview with the Evening Standard in 1970. “More and more people feel that way, and I don't see why I shouldn't.”
“I Only Want to Be With You,” fits the fall spirit because its cute and lively lyrics make it great for a fair date soundtrack. It stirs up images of cotton candy and holding hands on the Ferris wheel.
“It doesn't matter where you go or what you do / I want to spend each moment of the day with you,” Springfield sings.
***
While the songs these artists left contributed and created the queer genre we have today, their music was only part of their legacy.
All of these artists were passionate activists. Rainey and Holiday used their songs to amplify Black voices. Tanega advocated for immigrants. All five were feminists and LGBTQ+ advocates.
This autumn, I encourage you to appreciate these singers' music and their activism that helped things ‘fall’ into place for queer artists today.
@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com
