Son of a Preacher Man

emMusic, Music & Dance 10 Comments

Singer Tom Goss gives Dusty Springfield’s classic tune “Son of a Preacher Man” a surprising queer twist in this music video. The video tells the story of the sweet-talkin’ teenage son of an anti-gay preacher who falls in love with another teenager in his dad’s congregation…

Comments 10

  1. Awww.. so sweet. Kind of went through the same thing when I was 13, but I didn’t walk off with him like that.

  2. Growing up queer in the last half of the 20th century was a seriously risky business and that meant you learned discretion. When boys got together to enjoy each other, secrecy was everything; we weren’t just jacking buddies, we became the Ninja. Always quiet, we were attuned to the slightest sound outside our love nests. Nothing that went bump in the night escaped our emergency reaction. And so, we never got caught. Lots and lots of close calls, and had we been any less aware of every habit and routine of everyone in the households we played in, we would have been busted for sure. No doubt about it, the danger was part of the thrill, keeping our little secret and hiding our private truth in plain sight just made the whole thing even more delicious.

    That said, I have to give this generation a helluva lotta credit. Yeah, the colleges are full of snowflakes and cupcakes – pathetic losers all – but among this generation of gay youth are boys born with brass balls. These are some of the bravest young’uns that ever lived. They’re coming out, come what may, something I could never, and would never, ever do, except in an anonymous forum like this. Sure, the culture is much more with them today, homosexuality isn’t a felony any more – gay rights and gay marriage have taken law enforcement out of the picture, but the level of courage it takes to be an openly gay teenager is still awesome. Keep on carrying on.

    1. I never thought I would say this, but I agree with you Horsy. I too grew up in that era and I know just what you are saying. I did all that. And I would do it all again. It was so worth the risk. And I too admire the kids today and where they are in their coming out process. We are moving forward despite some of the setbacks from time to time. Someday, not in my life time, none of this will seem important and people will look back at history and say “what was all the fuss about”. So I say onward, and never look back.

    2. @horsey, Erik:

      I second the agreement — pretty much all of it. Only the “getting caught” part I can’t … I was “caught” in the private religious boarding school I went to for high school. And I was punished for just touching another boy’s penis when I was around 15 (he was around 14) because someone [I know who] “ratted” on me just so he could be in “good graces” and get more privileges.

      The punisher told me that it wasn’t “to be” for a boy to touch another boy. To which I promptly asked, “Why? We both wanted to and enjoyed it.” Then HE replied, “This isn’t the way in the bible.” To which I promptly retorted, “That’s not going to stop us.”

      Then I was told one of the most common phrase in that school: “Assume the position.” And then I was belted 15 times in just my brief underwear for being caught touching another boy in an all-boys’ school.

      To better understand: Each dorm had 6 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms in between them and each room housed 6 boys (bunkbeds).

  3. This song has always been “my” song because my cousin was my first gay sex partner and he was, as the song says, a son of a preacher man. Even though we stopped after our teen years we are still good friends. I even played this song for him once (the Dusty version) and told him whenever I heard it, I thought of him.

    Also, in the video, the boy in the white pants. He’s got on loose briefs and his stuff is just bouncing around for all to notice. Awesome, reminds me of myself as a teen.

  4. I didn’t wait for Tom Goss to “subvert” the song to a gay meaning, and I am sure many gays did too, especially since Dusty Springfield looks like a drag queen on the cover of the single: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/Dusty_springfield-son-of-a_preacher_man_s_2.jpg ;)

    Great video, the last scene at the church reminded me a bit of The Graduate, when Dustin Hoffman enters the church, steals the bride and they run away together. No wonder, the movie was only 2 years before this song.

    1. That movie was, Ode To Billy Joe with the gorgeous and super sexy, Robbie Benson [jewish father, Mexican mother]. Based on a late 60s hit, Ode To Billy Joe.

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