“Same Love” – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

The song I have chosen to analyze this week is Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love” which was the third single released from their 2012 album The Heist. The song was made during a campaign in Washington in favor of Washington Referendum 74 which legalized same-sex marriage in the state. The cover of the single is a picture of Macklemore’s uncle John Haggerty who he mentions briefly in the song.

Macklemore begins by talking about the stereotypes of the LGBTQA+ community that existed and talks about how at a young age he questioned his sexuality because society deemed certain things “gay.” His opening lines are “When I was in the third grade, I thought that I was gay//’Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight.” Children are in a fragile place during the early years of their lives and are still learning about themselves. When I was a child in Philly if you did anything that was not seen as something “a man” would do then you were called gay as an insult. Macklemore uses this example of his childhood to show that has created these negative feelings towards the LGBTQA+ community through little comments of sharing false stereotypes.

Macklemore then goes on to talk about how some right-wing conservatives believe that being homosexual is a decision that can be changed by things like “conversion therapy” and religion when it has been proven to be a scientific disposition. Macklemore then goes to say that the phrase “God loves all his children” is commonly referenced but many Christians use their religion as an excuse for their homophobia.

Mary Lambert then goes on to sing the hook which is states “And I can’t change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to.” This is how many members of the LGBTQA+ community feel and it really sucks that not everyone understands that. Macklemore then goes on to talk about how hip-hop is not very inclusive and even though hip-hop was founded from the same oppression. His words sum it perfectly when he says:

“Its the same hate that’s caused wars from religion

gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment

the same fight that led people to walk-outs and sit-ins

It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference.”

This part I feel is essence of the song overall. When people talked about LGBTQA+ issues they fail to realize that the issues are a matter of human rights. In communities of color homophobia is common even though POC should understand the most what it is like to be marginalized. Macklemore stresses that regardless of sexual orientation you can still be an advocate for change.

The song ends with the famous Bible quote “Love is patient, love is kind.” Though I did not go into depth with the lyrics, I think the song is pretty straight forward and it is the overall message that is important. Though the song directly calls for the legalization of same-sex marriage, which has now been legalized in the entire country, I believe the bigger message is about sticking up for the LGBTQA+ community and helping them to be seen as people just like the rest of us.

 

One thought on ““Same Love” – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

  1. I really enjoyed your analysis and commentary on the song “Same Love” by Macklemore. I have loved this song and the positive message it spreads since it was first released back in 2012. Because of how long ago it was and how so much has changed since then, I think people often forget the impact this track had during a time where it was still extremely controversial to be gay or even support same-sex marriage. So for you to be discussing it all these years later is really important. In my opinion, one of the lyrics that really spoke volumes was the lyric “Not crying on Sundays/ I’m not crying on Sundays”. Many people within the LGBTQ+ community did not feel welcomed or accepted by the Church because of the backlash they received from these religious organizations and for Macklemore to incorporate it into his song I thought was very powerful. I agree with your stance on how “Same Love” can still be used today as an advocate for all LGBTQ+ rights even though it was intended for the legalization of same-sex marriage. Overall, very good post!

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