Songs in the Key of MY Life: Billy Bragg - Sexuality

Sometimes, it isn't a whole album that reaffirms your faith in music or an artist. Sometimes, it's just a song that comes along and grabs you by the unmentionables.

This is the first in the series of songs that have grabbed me and have stayed with me since I first heard them. Often, these can be attached to a particular person, a particular event or just a time somewhere in your life. Or, it can be just a great song.



The 90s were not kind to me musically. It has been the most fallow decade in my 50+ years on the planet as far as music is concerned. But there was one brilliant song that reignited my love of music at the start of the 90s. This song was released in September 1991. It brought together 3 great musical talents to create a single of such joy and optimism.

So we have the songwriting ability and delivery of one Billy Bragg, together with the guitar genius that is Johnny Marr and the backing vocals of Kirtsy MacColl.

It is a song with a message - sex is a beautiful and wonderful thing and that homophobia is not a road to travel. The video is also a thing of beauty. And it made me laugh out loud when I first saw it. I was lucky enough to see Billy perform it live with Kirsty on backing vocals at the Tower Colliery Benefit Concert in Neath in 1993,  before Kirsty was tragically killed in 2000. I give you Sexuality by Billy Bragg and defy you not to smile :)