Sounds of Pride: Kim English and “Unspeakable Joy”
“When I wake up in the morning, gets me outta bed;
Keeps me runnin’, skippin’, jumpin’, like a little kid.
You know sometimes I can hardly keep it inside,
It overtakes me, overwhelms me, and I’m more alive!
Joy!
Unspeakable joy!
‘Cause they did not hear, that they cannot take it away!
If you were anywhere near a dance floor worth rolling on in 1999, you know exactly the first time you heard “Unspeakable Joy.” Kim English’s mega-dance floor hit became an instant gay anthem with its message of strength overcoming adversity; love in the face of hate; and electrified the joy of Community!
“When I’m facing opposition of those attitudes,
We come see notions, dispositions are completely rude.
When darkness thinks that it’s outdone me,
I must remember the greater love’s inside me.
‘Cause they did not hear, and they cannot take it away!
Joy!
Unspeakable joy!”
At a time in America when darkness, division, and hate are the stock and trade of its politicians, our Community has the opportunity to lead by example. Let’s take the advice from this sign from a window in Ptown,
and “dance in the rain” because we have the unspeakable joy and they cannot take it away!
Previous posts from theOUTfront series “Sounds of Pride –The Music of Community, Love, and Equality”
Celebrating 25 years of RuPaul’s “Supermodel”
Frankie Says, “RELAX” (Banned Video)
When “It’s Raining Men,” It Pours!
Across the Footlights of Broadway
Whitney Houston’s “My Love is Your Love,” Jonathan Peters REMIX
#proudOUTloud
