Flying Colors

Earlier this year, France - finally - permitted same-sex couples to get married and adopt foster children. And, let's say, it wasn't painless. Thousands of people demonstrated against this law, and other thousands demonstrated for. A great soil for resentment, homophoby, and political opportunism. Swampy France.

A few times, in the streets, I've been given tracts. Un papa, une maman, y a rien de mieux pour un enfant. ("A dad, a mum, that's the best for kids") I grew up with my father far away. Am I incomplete, mutilated? Who are you to assume that about me?

Other times, I saw gay people getting assaulted, insulted... no need to tell about that.
A wordplay about the colors of the rainbow flag and an expression gave me the start I needed to write a song on that theme. I imagined what I could tell a gay friend, male or female, to comfort them after he was insulted by people like that.

Please, everyone, meet Flying Colors. 

The first arrangement I've done was for a choir, and since I never released it, it was never recorded. So I only have synthetic sounds reproducing - weakly - the 4 voices. I'm working now on another arrangement with a guitar to make a real recording.

You may notice the structure is quite uncommon. The bridge, symbol of the insult, of the perturbation, appears very early in the song, before going back to a chorus/verse/chorus scheme. I also believed interesting to shorten the chorus every time, because the person should feel better along the song.

Lyrics

(Colors flying, colors flying)
Colors flying over the town
You 're in the crowd walking the streets
Colors flying for your right to marry
Your partner and start a family

But there's this group over here
They've come to say “no no no (no, no)
They can't have children it breaks every single natural law”
I hope you didn't hear, no, no !
Now you're on the verge of tears
Oh, can't they just let it go? (go, go)
There is no one on this Earth who less than you deserved this blow

[Indistinct whispers] It's the law, This is just so, how children grow
[Shout]Oh hell, what do they know?

They don't even know you, how are they qualified
What authority says you shouldn't have a child?
But don't we know better (yes, we know better)
You're loving and caring
And that's all what matters!
You will be wonderful, darling,
When the time comes, I'm positive
You'll pass with flying colors !
They say common sense should prevail
Well, isn't it a bit twisted
To think that if you don't plug male and female
You're unfit to raise a kid?
They should take time to consider
Acting with more humility
And remember there is more
(there is so much more) in man and Earth
Than is dreamt of in their philosophy

But don't we know better (yes, we know better)
You're loving and caring
And that's all what matters!
You will be wonderful, darling,
When the time comes, I'm positive
You'll pass with flying colors !

Haven't you turned out just fine
Growing up without a father
Say, (say,) where were they, back in these times,
To protect you from this danger?

As though their family design
Had never led to a failure
Truth is simpler for humankind
Parenting is beyond nature

Colors flying over the town
You 're in the crowd walking the streets
Colors flying for your right to marry
Your partner and start a family

You will be wonderful, darling,
When the time comes, I'm positive
You'll pass with flying colors, oh yeah,
You'll pass with flying colors!