Parts of Chappell Roan’s new country song, “The Giver,” are pretty unfamiliar to a country audience.
Most obviously, the pop superstar’s avant-garde makeup and fashion choices set her apart from country’s jeans-and-cowboy-hat wearing crowd.
Artists like Jelly Roll have been pushing the boundaries of what a “typical” country star looks like, but especially when it comes to female country artists, we still see a lot of long blonde hair and Western-chic fashion styles in the genre’s mainstream.
But even more uncommon is a gay artist singing a song that’s explicitly about a same-sex relationship. That’s what’s going on in “The Giver,” where Roan refers to her love interest as “girl” on multiple occasions, and her lyrics even get a little (ahem, a lot) sexually suggestive when she’s describing the things she can do that country boys can’t.
That’s not to suggest that gay and lesbian songs don’t exist in country music — they most certainly do. The Highwomen‘s “If She Ever Leaves Me” is a relatively well-known recent one, but “gay country songs” have long been a feature of the format, albeit one you probably won’t find unless you do a little digging.
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But it’s not one of those “gay country songs” that come to mind first when you listen to “The Giver.” For us, the first comparison that comes to mind is actually a No. 1 country hit from 1982, which was recorded by an artist who’s widely known for his duet work with Loretta Lynn.
That’s right: Conway Twitty‘s sultry “Slow Hand” — which is actually a Pointer Sisters cover, and Twitty’s version has some overlap with R&B — is every bit as titillating and groovy as “The Giver.”
Just like in Roan’s new song, Twitty spends some time in the lyrics promising his lady that he can take care of her like most other lovers can’t.
“You want somebody who will spend some time / Not come and go in a heated rush,” Twitty croons in “Slow Hand.”
Or, as Roan says it in “The Giver,” “Ain’t no need to hurry / ‘Cause baby, I deliver.“
Does that mean there’s a spot for Roan on country radio with “The Giver”? Well, probably not. But it’s nice to know there’s another addition to this fun niche of country songs about the men (and women) who can outperform your average country boy in the bedroom.
Chappell Roan, “The Giver” Lyrics:
Ain’t got antlers on my walls / But I sure know mating calls / From the stalls in the bars on a Friday night / And other boys may need a map / But I can close my eyes and have / You wrapped around my fingers like that
So baby, when you need the job done / You can call me, baby…
Chorus:
Cause you ain’t gotta tell me, it’s just in my nature / So take it like a taker / ‘Cause baby, I’m a giver / Ain’t no need to hurry / ‘Cause baby, I deliver / Ain’t no country boy quitter / I get the job done / I get the job done
Girl, I don’t need no lifted truck / Revvin’ loud to pick you up / ‘Cause how I look is how I touch / And in this strip mall town of dreams / Good luck finding a man who has the means / To Rhinestone Cowgirl all night long
So baby, if you never had one / You can call me, baby…
Repeat Chorus
Na na na na na, na na na na na na na…
She gets the job done…
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak