The production company claimed that Belolo had written French lyrics that were then adapted by Willis, but this claim was rejected by the court which ruled that Belolo's name as co-writer should be removed. The words were crafted by me to be taken any number of ways but not specific to gays. "[26] In a 2008 retrospective article for Spin, Randy Jones has opined that the dance may have originated as a misunderstanding: the group's original choreographed dance had the group clapping above their heads during the chorus and he believes that the audience, believing them to be making the letter "Y", began following suit. RELATED | Village People Will Not Block Trump From Using Their Music, I will sue the next media organization, or anyone else, was a term about me and my friends playing basketball at The Y, I’m not going to have my lawyers sue the president, Village People Will Not Block Trump From Using Their Music, Dan Levy Is Working On an 'Expansive Slate' of Original Shows, ‘Slave Play’s James Cusati-Moyer Joins Netflix's New Scammer Series, Support for Same-Sex Marriage Reaches All Time High, Local Texas Tavern in Controversy After Stopping Gay Hires, Australian Politician Wins Major Victory, Kisses Husband in Viral Clip, Watch Netflix's 'The Prom's Addictive First Trailer from Ryan Murphy, Niecy Nash May Host Talk Show, Isn't Worried About Homophobia. I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town There's no need to be unhappy. He has been repeatedly criticized by pro-LGBTQ goups, including the Human Rights Campaign and The Trevor Project.

If you don't believe me, then take a look at all of the people who've won presidential elections in the past 30 years or so — each and every single one of them won because they were more entertaining than their competition. Victor Willis of the Village People says Trump is welcome to continue using “YMCA” at his re-election rallies — he just wants to see the commander in chief do the iconic dance. Yes.

Willis posted he “wrote 100% of the lyrics to Y.M.C.A.” and declared “I ought to know what my song is about.” In 2017 the singer and songwriter told News.com the song was actually about his youth and the time spent hanging with friends in his urban neighborhood. Young man, there's a place you can go. “I will sue the next media organization, or anyone else, that falsely suggests Y.M.C.A. David Hodo, in a Spin article, however, says that the "gay subtext" of "YMCA" was very much a real thing. It's hard to say. It was just a filler song, based on the ex-producer seeing the YMCA sign during lunch and asking us what it meant.

[16], Conversely, Willis had said that he wrote the song in Vancouver, British Columbia[17] and, through his publicist, that he did not write "Y.M.C.A."

[21] While the song gives the impression that YMCA SROs in the 1970s had a party atmosphere, Paul Groth states that YMCA SRO units actually had "more supervision of your social life — a kind of management as to how you behaved...[than] in a commercial rooming house, which mostly wanted to make sure the rooms were rented", without monitoring who you brought to your room.[21]. The Village People are still in disagreement.

[10] By 1950, 670 of the 1,688 YMCAs in the US provided SRO spaces, which made 66,959 beds available.

Willis' version of the song is used in the Village People film Can't Stop the Music, though by that time Ray Simpson had replaced him as the policeman. is #7 on VH1's list of "The 100 Greatest Dance Songs of the 20th Century. It was released in 1978 as the only single from their third studio album, Cruisin' (1978). “The lyrics were written by me as an expression of urban youths having fun at the YMCA. They saw the YMCA building and decided to write a catchy hook around it and like most things in life, those accidental one-off things that you just throw away end up becoming phenomenon that inadvertently define you.

Young man, Young man, there's no need to feel down Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Sadly for Village People fans everywhere, the president apparently heard Willis’s request. Young man there's no need to feel down I said young man pick yourself off the ground I said young man …

So is gay acceptance the real meaning behind the “YMCA” song? However, Willis has often acknowledged his fondness for double entendre.

", "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Village People; 'Y.M.C.A. is a song by the American disco group Village People. President Trump jamming out to YMCA knowing we are going to FILL THAT SEAT is a huuuuge mood pic.twitter.com/yJMG7uBCYM. in Canadian Top 15 12inch Chart (with Macho man)", Offiziellecharts.de – Village People – Y.M.C.A. Part of its appeal is the unforgettable, easy-to-replicate dance number associated with the song. at #7 on their list of "100 Greatest Dance Songs" in 2000,[29] while Paste Magazine ranked the song #1 on their list of "The 60 Best Dancefloor Classics" in February 2017. SNL's Obama Explains Sequester Using 'Village People, "P.K. Young man, Young man, pick yourself off the ground [9], Victor Willis, lead singer and lyricist, recalls that while in the studio, producer Jacques Morali asked him, "What exactly is the YMCA?" ')", "Dutch single certifications – Village People – Y.M.C.A. Plus, with Jacques being gay, I had a lot of friends I worked out with who were in the adult-film industry, and he was impressed by meeting people he had seen in the videos and magazines.

[82], One of A-side label variants of U.S. 7-inch vinyl single, Victor Willis Interview, SiriusXM Radio, Studio 54 Channel, Marc and Myra Show, September 24, 2013, Neumann, Caryn E. glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture, "Village People cop wins 50% of 'YMCA' rights", "Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart", "Dancing Without the Stars: "YMCA" and Other Record-Breaking Dance Events – Yahoo TV", "National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist", "The Village People's YMCA is preserved for posterity", "How Did the Real YMCA React to the Disco Song About It?". "Y.M.C.A." ", Norwegiancharts.com – Village People – Y.M.C.A. The track was supposedly just album filler and they needed to churn something out in order to put more music on their album.

I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town There's no need to be unhappy. The song remains popular and is played at many sporting events in the US and Europe, with crowds joining in on the dance in which arm movements are used to spell out the four letters of the song's title. [31] [13], Taken at face value, the song's lyrics extol the virtues of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). "[7], In the US, the YMCA began building single room occupancy (SRO) facilities in the 1880s to house people from rural areas who moved into cities to look for work. Many different instruments are used throughout for an overall orchestral feel, another disco convention, but it is brass that stands out. You can do whatever you feel. was filmed in New York City in July 1978. So what was the thought process behind Donald Trump's team's decision to play the song?

Was he advocating for gay rights? He was fascinated by a place where a person could work out with weights, play basketball, swim, take classes, and get a room. Some people found the choice particularly odd given that it’s often considered a gay anthem.