LISTEN: This hit love song from the ‘50s is chock-full of very gay subtext

The straight-laced 1950s weren’t known for their flourishing gay culture. The Lavender Scare was forcing queer people out of their jobs in droves, homosexuality was still considered a mental illness, and the Stonewall Riots were still a decade away. But one song with queer undertones still managed to be a breakthrough hit, even with lyrics that could easily be a rallying cry for gay rights when viewed through a modern lens.

“Secretly” is a pop song by Jimmie Rodgers, released in 1958. It tells a story of forbidden love: “Why must I meet you in a secret rendezvous? / Why must we steal away to steal a kiss or two? / Why must we wait to do the things we want to do?” he laments.

Through the first half of the chorus, the song might be taken as your classic Romeo and Juliet situation: two lovers, forced apart by unknown circumstances. “Wish we didn’t have to meet secretly / Wish we didn’t have to kiss secretly / Wish we didn’t have to be afraid /To show the world that we’re in love.”

Then, though, the song takes on a political slant: “Till we have the right to meet openly / Till we have the right to kiss openly / We’ll just have to be content to be in love secretly.” 

Hmmmm. We don’t know about you, but asking for “the right to kiss openly”? Sounds pretty gay to us!

Also, the song uses no gendered pronouns or other gendered identifiers for Rodgers’ love interest, which was unusual for love songs of the era. Regardless of Rodgers’ specific intention for the song, it certainly speaks to the idea of fighting the status quo, a contrast to the conservatism of the ‘50s. Nonetheless, the song was a hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Some folks have interpreted the song as being about an interracial relationship, given that interracial marriage wasn’t legal in all U.S. states until 1967. That’s the beauty of “Secretly”: it speaks to all the hidden relationships of the ‘50s that deserved to see the light of day. Whatever interpretation speaks to you is fair game.

For queer listeners, of course, a gay interpretation comes naturally. In 2012, YouTube channel GAYTWOGETHER compiled a montage of vintage photos of men together set to “Secretly.” Though not all the pictures are explicitly romantic, just like the song, they paint a clear picture of gay love for anyone reading between the lines.

“Although the years have gone by, whether it was secretly or out in the open, we loved then and we still love today,” reads the video’s caption.

Rodgers himself was never confirmed to be queer. In fact, he had three wives throughout his life, with whom he had five children in total. He died from kidney disease in 2021 at age 87, so his own interpretation of “Secretly” is anyone’s guess — but we’re sure he wouldn’t mind if we claimed this one for the gays!