LISTEN: Rod Stewart’s ode to his gay friend was an unlikely hit in 1976
A Night On The Town. The full-length is still remembered as not only one of his best, but one of his most controversial—and one of his biggest hits from the record is partially to blame for that reputation.The track tells the story of a man named Georgie.
Very quickly into the tune, it becomes clear that Stewart (who acts as a narrator of sorts) loves this man, though not romantically.
He refers to him as “The kindest guy I ever knew,” which is noteworthy, as just lines before, the singer calls him “gay, I guess.”Stewart shows how he feels about this—and same-sex relationships in general—with the lyrics, “The afternoon George tried to explain / That he needed love like all the rest.” To Stewart, being gay wasn’t an abomination or something to be ashamed of.
It was just love, though he was keenly aware that not everyone saw things the way he did. Anyway, Georgie comes out to his parents, who are distraught, and they kick him out of their home.The newly-out man moves to New York City where he finds a home and a community.
