God-damn that is some good, fine rock and roll. From 1973, ladies and gentlemen, the greatest rock and roll band ever, the New York Dolls!
That’s me. I’m the New York Dolls. That’s me on the cover too. No wonder people used to think I was gay. I’m a straight androgyne. So sue me!
PS All the Dolls were straight, 100% completely straight, believe it or not. Nowadays they would have to all go bi or pan or trans or genderqueer or nonbinary or some bullshit, but back then, you can be a straight man and dress exactly like that. I think dressing up like chicks was just part of their gag, their shtick. But did they even dress up like chicks? Not really. No woman dresses like that! That get-up was just a huge transgressive fuck you to society, nothing more, nothing less.
Of course it helped that they were all ultra-masculine street tough gang types straight off the streets of New York. That combination of extreme masculinity and femininity is awesome! Reminds me of Jagger, Iggy Pop, the Stooges, Queen, Mott the Hoople, Lou Reed and some others. Glam rock FTW! Glam rock forever!
Here they are live in San Francisco! That’s even better. It’s like Rolling Stones transvestite punk rock. Love it!
Lyrics!
I can’t ever understand
Why my life’s been cursed, poisoned, condemned
When I been tryin’ every night
To hold ya near me
But I’m a-telling you
It ain’t easy
Ever since I been ridin’
Right on the subway train
You can hear the whistle blowin’
Ya might think I’m insane
And now your friends
They’re fillin’ up my car
But you’re so busy readin’ Suzy Says
Ya can’t look now
You didn’t see your lovers
They’re all dressed in rags
Ya know ya had us pushin’ up roses
Just tryin’ get your fare
‘Cause we was all ridin’
Right on the subway train
And you can hear the captain shoutin’
He thinks I’ve gone insane
‘Cause I keep on ridin’
Keep on ridin’
‘Cause I keep on
Ridin’, ridin’, ridin’
Keep on ridin’, yeah
You stop and you stare
As I’m leavin’ my favorite place
We have no regards
You can’t even find a trace
Ya gotta get on back to Daddy
That is all it’s gonna be
He got the poison black arts of the pimps
But don’t ya st- st-
I seen ’em travel
Right on the subway train
And you can hear the captain shou-ou-tin’
He thinks we’ve all gone insane
‘Cause we keep on ridin’, ridin’, ridin’
Keep on ridin’
‘Cause we keep on ridin’, ridin’, ridin’
Keep on ridin’
I see the train gettin’ on an open track
Well I’m a-hopin’ it’s gonna bring my baby back
‘Cause I guess I said
Dinah wontcha blow
Dinah wontcha blow your horn
Dinah wontcha blow
Dinah wontcha blow your horn
I said someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah
I know whoa, whoa, whoa
I said someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah
I just know
I keep on ridin’, ridin’, ridin’
