THANK YOU ROCK HUDSON

Thank you Rock Hudson for the pool parties you threw
Attended by every fag from Brentwood to Malibu
Thank you for mincing and prancing about and butching it up 
When you needed to 
Like in Showdown or Ice Station Zebra
Thank you Rock Hudson for the real and fake you

Thank you Rock Hudson for being such a hunk
For serving in the military and sleeping in a bunk bed 
Thank you for courting Phyllis in a pinch and slipping her
A big old diamond chunk
Like in Pillow Talk or Come September
Thank you Rock Hudson you big old lunk

Julie and Mia knew, Liz and Carol and Susan too
And of course Miss Doris Day knew
All of them knew you were born this way

Thank you Rock Hudson for getting so sick
And I know when I say this I sound like a heartless prick
But your death made America wake up and think 
And do the sad arithmetic 
Like The Normal Heart or Philadelphia but wait you weren’t in those movies Thank you Rock Hudson for that tragic trick

Thank you Rock Hudson, my hero true blue
I know about Tab Hunter and about the Marc Christian suit
But thank you for doing you know the best you could do, I try and do my best too
Like in those bio pics on TV they keep making of you
Thank you Rock Hudson for just being you

SPOILER—THIS SONG IS ABOUT: Being gay in America, from Rock’s and my perspectives; Phyllis Gates, Julie Andrews, Mia Farrow, Liz Taylor, Carol Burnett, Susan Sarandon …

(c) 2023 Impermanent Music || David: guitar, piano, vocals