“Yeah, I came out and I felt fucking free.” That’s what a liberated Tim Nelson, the frontman of Australian collective Cub Sport asserts on “Come Out,” one of many songs addressing sexuality on the band’s self-titled album, released in 2019. He follows up “Come Out” with another record encompassing the difficulties of coming to terms with sexuality, “Party Pill.” Here, Nelson take us through the process of acceptance, atoning for the unnecessary shame felt about being gay.
“Party Pill” masterfully paints a truly sweet romance between two people that love one another. For Nelson, this love begins at the age of 17, and also marks the beginning of his journey to embrace who he is sexually. He sings at the end of the first verse, “Said he thinks he likes me, and my world stood still / And my eyes grew wider than a party pill.” On the second verse, Nelson references how his ‘lover’ disregards his flaws (“Thought I was pretty, couldn’t see my acne”). Perhaps the most thought-provoking, key lyrics appears on the third verse, where ‘shame’ wrongfully affects what should be picture-perfect:
“That was love, I was too young to see
My [shame] took it all away from me
I said I thought that we should just be friends
And so, we tried but it was all pretend.”
Clearly, friendship didn’t accurately characterize the relationship between two men who loved one another. “Party Pill,” does a fantastic job of characterizing love without barriers. Overcoming the needless shame, the chorus definitely embraces love: “Boy, I can’t go a minute without you on my mind… Can I build my life around you?” Perhaps the biggest takeaway, applicable to everyone, regardless of sexual preference or otherwise is don’t be afraid to be yourself. Embrace and live your truth, and don’t let society tell you otherwise.
You can learn more about Cub Sport here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.
