I was Bryan Ferry’s percussionist but got fired after two weeks. He very nicely said: “You can’t play the Cuban congas as well as so-and-so who’s coming in to replace you.” I wore dresses then and was trying to be someone else, but after being fired I thought: “Screw it. I’m going to be myself.”
I went back to waitressing and coat-checking, but was still writing songs. One night, playing some chords, my hand slipped to the G. It sounded so melancholy and suited my mood. The lyrics started to come. The first line – “That old dog has chained you up all night” – was triggered by events in my childhood and the people I was hanging out with. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover really is my life story.
The third verse – “Free your mind and you won’t feel ashamed” – is probably why people have called it a lesbian or LGBTQ+ anthem. I’m glad, but it goes deeper than sexuality and gender. It’s about human issues and, 35 years later, the meaning is still changing as society evolves.
I made a demo cassette in my bedroom but the feedback from friends wasn’t good. I knew they were crazy – and that it was a ginormous song. Finally, after two years, by which time I had 40 songs on my cassette, I played it to Ralph Schuckett, a keyboard player who later did the beautiful string arrangements on my first album. He was more receptive.
Radio stations in the American south didn’t want the word ‘damn’ – but to Sony’s credit they went with it.
Read the full story on The Guardian
