The Killing Of Georgie (Part I And II)

Album

A Night on the Town

Label

Warner Bros records .

Genre

Singer-Songwriter

Media Type

45s

Duration

6:30

Composer(s)

Rod Stewart

Entered Chart

Jun 4, 1977

Peak Date

Jul 23, 1977

Released

13 August 1976

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Warner Bros. 8396

B-Side

Rosie

This song about the murder of a homosexual man by a New Jersey gang was one of the first songs to deal with the subject of homophobia. In the May 1995 issue of Mojo, Stewart explained: "That was a true story about a gay friend of The Faces. He was especially close to me and Mac. But he was shot or knifed, I can't remember which. That was a song I wrote totally on me own over the chord of open E." Asked about writing a song with a gay theme, Stewart said, "It's probably because I was surrounded by gay people at that stage. I had a gay PR man, a gay manager. Everyone around me was gay. I don't know whether that prompted me into it or not. I think it was a brave step, but it wasn't a risk. You can't write a song like that unless you've experienced it. But it was a subject that no one had approached before. And I think it still stands up today. I'm going to be doing that song when we play in Britain." The veteran English DJ David "Diddy" Hamilton recounted in the book Top Of The Pops: Mishaps, Miming and Music by Ian Gittins, the story of after lunching with a group of record pluggers, how he was struggling with presenting the long-standing BBC music show Top Of The Pops. He recalled that he'd managed to get to near the end of the show without any major gaffes, despite not feeling his normal self. However when he came to introduce this song he announced, "Now here's Rod Stewart with The Killing Of Georgie Fame." Hamilton was pulled to one side by a puzzled producer over his mistake, yet he continued to get it wrong. Eventually he managed to get the line right, but the DJ was never asked to present the show again. Two years later Hamilton's mistake was explained when he bumped into one of the record pluggers from that day. The DJ was asked if he remembered the fateful day when he kept going on about Georgie Fame? "We spiked your drink," explained the plugger, "we slipped you a Mickey Finn." The practical joker had laced his lunchtime drink with LSD. Surprisingly, the BBC had no problem with this song, and even played it in full form, which runs 6:31. The network did ban another Stewart single issued around the same time: "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" (the ban was later lifted). The events of this song took place in 1974, but Stewart placed it in 1975 because he couldn't get an appropriate rhyme for "1974." Some journalists likened this song to something Bob Dylan would write. Stewart, flattered by the comparison, told Sounds, "The verse reminds me a bit of 'Hurricane' only slower." In the early '80s, a movie was in the works called "The Killing of Georgie" which was based on this song. John Mellencamp (known as John Cougar at the time), was considered for a role, but the film was never made. According to Stewart, he had one of his most memorable stage mishaps while performing this song. He told the tale in his Anthology liner notes: "On live performances of this song in the late '70s with my good self on acoustic guitar, a New York street scene was erected on stage with a full-size lamppost lowered from above. On one particular night I stood by mistake underneath the descending lamppost, which struck me on the shoulder and caused me to stumble and fall in front of 18,000 people. Neither the song nor the lamppost has been heard since."

Oh yeah
In these days of changing ways
So called liberated days
A story comes to mind of a friend of mine

Georgie boy was gay I guess
Nothin' more or nothin' less
The kindest guy I ever knew

His mother's tears fell in vain
The afternoon George tried to explain
That he needed love like all the rest

Pa said there must be a mistake
How can my son not be straight
After all I've said and done for him

Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh

Leavin' home on a Greyhound bus
Cast out by the ones he loves
A victim of these gay days it seems

Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh

Georgie went to New York town
Where he quickly settled down
And soon became the toast of the great white way

Accepted by Manhattan's elite
In all the places that were chic
No party was complete without George

Along the boulevards he'd cruise
And all the old queens blew a fuse
Everybody loved Georgie boy

Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh

The last time I saw George alive
Was in the summer of seventy-five
He said he was in love I said I'm pleased

George attended the opening night
Of another Broadway hype
But split before the final curtain fell

Deciding to take a short cut home
Arm in arm they meant no wrong
A gentle breeze blew down fifth avenue

Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh

Out of a darkened side street came
A New Jersey gang with just one aim
To roll some innocent passer-by
There ensued a fearful fight
Screams rang out in the night
Georgie's head hit a sidewalk cornerstone

A leather kid, a switchblade knife
He did not intend to take his life
He just pushed his luck a little too far that night

The sight of blood dispersed the gang
A crowd gathered, the police came
An ambulance screamed to a halt on fifty-third and third

Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh

Georgie's life ended there
But I ask who really cares
George once said to me and I quote

He said "never wait or hesitate
Get in kid, before it's too late
You may never get another chance
'Cause youth a mask but it don't last
Live it long and live it fast"
Georgie was a friend of mine

Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh

Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh
Da da da da da da duh

Oh Georgie stay,
Don't go away
Georgie please stay
You take our breath away
Oh Georgie stay,
Don't go away
Georgie please stay
You take our breath away
Oh Georgie stay,
Don't go away
Georgie, Georgie stay (please stay)
You take our breath away