The Beatles
-Get Back
Verse two opens with 'Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman, but she was another man'. It has been suggested that this refers to a woman working her way up the corporate ladder and thus playing a 'mans' game. This was the 60's remember when such things were unusual. But... given the lyrics to 'Ob-la-di Ob-la-da', another Beatles penned song, an interesting theme begins to emerge!
The Kinks
-Lola
The intriguing tale of a poor virgin lad who stumbles into a Soho bar and falls under the spell of a sultry tranny siren. 'Girls will be boys and boys will be girls. Its a mixed up muddled up shook up world except for Lola'. A tranny anthem if ever there was one.
Lou Reed
-Walk on the Wild Side
Surely one of the most well-known tranny-related tunes of all time. Any self-respecting cross-dresser (and, in fact, pretty much anyone of a certain age) knows that Lou's song starts by describing Holly who 'shaved her legs and then he was a she'. Take a walk on the obvious side?
The Marmalade
-Ob-la-di Ob-la-da
Written by none other than Lennon and McCartney, and originally recorded by The Beatles but only as an album track initially, the song begins... 'Desmond has a barrow in the market-place' and 'Molly is the singer in a band' and ends... 'Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face and in the evening he's the singer in the band'... What, you mean you never noticed the swap?
Dana International
-Diva
Winner of the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest, this Israeli transexual artist did a lot to change the image of transgender folk from wacky weirdos to gorgeous godesses. The song may not be all that, but you can't argue with the Eurovision judges that she's a winner.
Madonna
-What it Feels Like for a Girl
Listed here mainly for the sultrily spoken opening prose (and because we occasionally give it a spin at TX), 'Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short, wear shirts and boots, 'cos it's OK to be a boy. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, because you think that being a girl is degrading. But secretly you'd love to know what it's like, wouldn't you? What it feels like for a girl.'
Blur
-Boys and Girls
Who knows what's really going on here, but all that 'Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they're girls who do girls like they're boys...' must surely have some kind of tranny sub-text somewhere!
RuPaul
-Supermodel (You Better Work)
Actually, RuPaul had other hits too, but this was his/her biggest (drag queens usually refer to each other in the male gender, in case you weren't aware). RuPaul showed that gender bending shouldn't just stop with make-up like Boy George, Marilyn and their ilk, but that a sparkly dress and high-heels give a girl a much more glamorous gait and that attitude doesn't have to be negative.
Kim Wilde
-You Came
Probably never intended as a tranny song by the erstwhile Ms. Wilde, but we like the first verse where 'someone I know is staring at me, and when I look into her eyes, I see a girl that I used to be, I hardly recognise'. Bit tenuous maybe? Then again, maybe not. Oh, and re-released in 2006 in a guitary-twangy version for good measure!
Violent Delight
-I Wish I Was a Girl
and the follow up 'TransMission'
Both of these songs have an overtly tranny theme, the latter bemoaning the fact that the 'lady of the night' that the lead singer has supposedly just paid for the services of isn't quite the girl he thought she was - not that he's actually complaining! We've often wondered where they got the title for their single (and, infact their album) 'TransMission' from...
Aerosmith
-Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
A song which bears an uncanny similarity to many others on the same theme, kind of Lola meets Lou Reed meets TransMission. After meeting a lady, they go backstage and 'Then she whipped out her gun and tried to blow me away!' I don't necessarily think that Steven Tyler (whose lips alone place him firmly on 'is he, isn't he' trans-hit-list) is talking about a Smith & Wesson here.
The Killers
-Somebody Told Me
Who could forget the melodic chorus of 'Somebody told me that you had a boyfriend who looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year'? It's not confidential! At least that's what the Killers tell us and then add, 'Never thought I'd let a rumour ruin my moonlight'. Whether the boyfriend was his aforementioned girlfriend or not is for you to decide.
James
-Laid
Probably more famous for their fireman-inspired song, 'Hose It Down', UK indie rockers James score a hit in our tranny song directory with their 1993 song 'Laid' whose lyrics include, 'Dressed me up in womens clothes and messed around with gender roles'. The cover of the single is consistent with this too! Thanks to KatieKay for bringing this one to our attention!
Feeder
-Seven Days In The Sun
British rock band Feeder's song is mostly concerned with the lead singer's loss of his girlfriend Laura whilst on holiday in Mallorca, but includes the line 'She's got this friend, his name is Paula. He likes to cross-dress every Friday night in clothes from Prada'. It's unclear whether perhaps Paula has run off with Laura, anyway Paula sounds a bit too posh for a Trans-MISSION regular: Prada I ask you!
Garbage
-Cherry Lips
A high heel on the cover is always a good start, but listen and you discover that, 'You're such a delicate boy. With your cherry lips and golden curls. You could make grown men gasp when you'd go walking past them, in your hot pants and high heels, because you look just like a girl'. In that get up who wouldn't? Another Garbage single 'Androgyny' talks about similar issues. We wonder which band member came up with the ideas...?
Cyndi Lauper
-Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Not a reference to a tranny or cross-dresser anywhere in this song, but it's always very popular at Trans-MISSION and, so rumour has it, there are several of our transgendered sisters in the video. Either way, Cyndi's unique fashion sense appears to have inspired many a t*girl's outfit. Or maybe they enjoy looking like they covered themselves in velcro and rolled around in their wardrobe to see what stuck?
Queen
-I Want to Break Free
This one's here not so much for the song, but for the video where the Freddie and the band put on some frilly skirts and blouses to do the housework. Not sure if they really count as trannies, what with their moustaches and everything intact. Mind you, they're as convincing as one or two of the girls who we've met that frequent certain other cross-dressing venues around the UK we could mention...
O.T. Quartet
-Hold That Sucker Down
Again, one that's not here for the song, but for the video which looks like a rather hyperactive night on the stage at the WayOut Club! There are at least 5 trannies in the video (all of whom look rather gorgeous) and even a peek behind the scenes into a typical tranny changing room. Go and watch the video to see for yourself what we mean. By the way, the girl in the snapshot we have taken from the video is called 'Darcy'.
Manic Street Preachers
-Born A Girl
With a chorus that sings, '...I wish I had been born a girl, instead of what I am. Yes I wish I had been born a girl, and not this mess of a man' this falls into the rare category of possible transsexual songs as the lyrics tell more of being born the wrong gender rather than just wanting to put on a dress at the weekends for the fun of it. Thanks to CupcakeGirl for bringing this one to our attention!
Genesis
-Invisible Touch
Why is this song on the list of top tranny tunes? Well (and it's not just us that think this) it sounds an awful lot like Phil Collins is singing, 'She seems to have an Invisible Todger' in the chorus. Run a Google search for 'invisible todger' and you'll see what we mean. If you don't know what a todger is, google this too! So what kind of woman would have an invisible todger? A transvestite of course, with their todger all neatly tucked away! A bit like the girl on the left here, though her todger is not truly invisible...
Stuntmasterz
-The Ladyboy Is Mine
Not strictly a transvestite song as far as it goes, this 'mash-up' by the Stuntmasterz combines the tracks 'Lady' by Modjo and 'The Boy Is Mine' by Brandy & Monica. The song itself has no tranny content but the title clearly does! This might be one of the very few examples of a song has led to a truly tranny word ending up on the chart countdown.
Shania Twain
-Man, I Feel Like A Woman
Sorry. We refuse to discuss this song any further, other than to shout 'That Don't Impress Us Much' very loudly and vow never to mention it again - if you want to be taken seriously as a tranny, we suggest you do the same!
