As I already said under gay love songs, I'm not quite sure where to
draw the line between love songs and gay love songs. However, I was writing
love songs long before I ever dreamed of writing a gay love song. I look
back on these lyrics now and see that the most interesting thing about
them is the way they demonstrate the extent that a confused and closeted
gay man will go (or would go in my time) to please the heterosexual expectations
that
surrounded
him.
By the time we get past 1975, however, things are better, and You
and I and Darlin', Darlin', Darlin' seem to
stand on their own.
Surrender, darling is truly sentimental schlock
set to a great melody. I was 19 at the time. This was my very first
song! Not bad for a first try.
More lonely sentimentalist daydreaming in I was sad and lonely,
my second try at songwriting. I should have waited a while.
I actually was engaged to Luellen, may she rest
in peace. I cut it off. Despite my lonliness, I couldn't actually see
myself functioning as a married man in 1962.
Snowflakes was actually written about Luellen while
sitting at a third story window when it was snowing .
I sit here, you sit there just came from creative
imagination out of nowhere, as did I hate you. I did
have songwriting aspirations at the time. I did a lot of guitar playing
and singing in my third floor apartment at OSU.
Sally Pitts, did you know that Beyond my reach was
about you and me?
In retrospect She's the girl who created my honor is
more a statement about my own conflicted and adolescent feelings about
writing love songs that it is a love song. Still, some great imagery.
1971 was a truly confusing time for me. I was coming out of the closet,
but I was very close friends with Rosanda, who inspired You
turn me on.
It's foggy in my mind, but she may have inspired Without you,
I'm nothing, too. I'm
still close friends with Rosanda 30 years and counting.
I wrote the music to The story of love, and Lisa
Hofmann wrote the lyrics. She was a teenager at the time, the daughter
of a friend and colleague of mine.
When first we met was written as part of a wedding
present for my brother, Tom Andris, and his wife, Diana Dunn Andris.
I was in training to be a transactional analyst for two years. Both
these songs came from insights gained in Jim McKenna's group therapy
training sessions: The time may come and The
time to part.
John M. gets credit for inspiring the songs The truth of
the matter is and You and I. They could
also be listed under gay love songs.
I think its time for you to stay was written as
a gift to the budding romance between Rosanda Richards and John Ellsworth,
may he rest in peace.
I wanted to create a bubble gum feeling for Darlin', Darlin',
Darlin'. Inspired by Stephen Nichols, my current partner,
he did make me "feel lighter than a feather."