With Patrick Haggerty
Text by Danny Calvi
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| Lavender Country's original cover design by Michael Carr and Richard Overfield |
Regarded as the first openly gay country singer-songwriter, Patrick Haggerty, now 70-years-old and alive and kicking in his home state of Washington, is seeing the re-release of ‘Lavender Country’, the LP by his former band Lavender Country. Even back then, the idea of gay country music was an absurd proposition, and seeing it find a new generation of listeners is, according to Patrick, ‘a Rip Van Winkle dream come true’.
The self-produced record had an initial pressing of only 1000 copies and sold for just four dollars. The band raised the money to make it with help from the non-profit Gay Community Social Services of Seattle, and ran ads in the mimeographed gay rags to help spread the word.
In the early seventies, Patrick was a rabid gay liberationist, and his household was a hub of LGBT, black and feminist political activism. One of those characters, a Jewish drag queen who went by the name of Faygele, funded part of the production by cashing unemployment checks.
When I spoke to him this week, Patrick said he had many ‘trick’ encounters back then that would qualify for the subject of this particular song. But he distinctly remembers the night he wrote it: ‘I spent four hours in a bar cruising and came home trickless’.
He’s still playing and singing, mostly ‘memory lane songs’ for his fans in retirement homes, Alzheimer’s units, rehab and senior centers in his local area.
I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You
Lyrics by Patrick Haggerty
Music by Patrick Haggerty and Robert Hammerstrom
Arrangement by Lavender Country
I see you stepping high with your tight blue jeans on
Strutting like a button down paragon
I reckon you’re looking for some necking, yes I do
Climb right on up into my manger
But let me warn you ’bout one small danger, babe
I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You
I see you prancing and preening as smooth as you can
You’re hotter than the popcorn dancing in the pan
Out to capture a chunk of rapture with someone new
Well, I can hit the sack like an aristocrat
If you’re looking for a trick in a box of crackerjacks
But I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You
You’re a romping bronco, I must admit
Stomping while your lips are chomping at the bit
I’ll kiss you, but who’s gonna miss you
When you’re chasing midnight’s through
Be glad to be your one shot pleasure
Even leave you grieving at your leisure, babe
But I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You
All your favorite fantasies have come to an end
And you’ll be waking up tomorrow needin’ a friend
‘Cause I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You
North Carolina label Paradise of Bachelors has lovingly re-released ‘Lavender Country’ on vinyl, CD and mp3. The deluxe reissue includes includes a thirty-two page chapbook with an oral history by Patrick Haggerty with unpublished color photos and full lyrics.
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