Calum Scott
Boys in the street

It must be said. We've heard many songs with similar themes. Moreover, this one came out a few months ago and is, in addition, a cover. Yet, it must be talked about, about its words and the singer narrating them because similar songs are never too many.

Calum tells us a story that many of us share, our experiences, and what we have etched into our skin. He does it with a unique, spine-chilling voice, and with a depth that only someone who has lived through such moments can tell and understand.

The song begins with these words, translated to make them clear to anyone...

"when I was very young my father told me that I would never achieve anything special"

and it's clear that the lyrics lead to a relationship, one of the most important in human existence, that between father and son.

But why is the father convinced that the son will never achieve anything special, certainly NEVER?

And why does he double down immediately after by telling him "this is the last thing I want, the last thing I need?"

Here's the dilemma laid out, the premise to the reasons: what will I say to my friends when they tell me "my son is kissing boys in the street?"

Here's the sad revelation, the son deserves nothing more because what will he say to his friends when they mock him that HIS OWN SON kisses boys in the street..And note, he could have simply said my son is gay, my son is homosexual.

But the emphasis given, throughout the song in general, is precisely on this kissing boys in the street... and it's here that the song lays the foundation to tell us a story that in a few sentences addresses themes which, unfortunately, are still current, present, and existing.

Shame, the first sensation that, many first experienced. And then those surrounding them, a mother, a father, a brother, a cousin, a friend. And the kisses in the street, one of the scenes that distinguish heterosexuals from gays, those legitimate to do so from those who must not, and that unfortunately is the cause of continuous beatings, terrible words, discrimination, embarrassment, and modesty.

The song continues, and Calum tells us how this relationship continues…

"My father tried to change me, telling me I was embarrassing the whole country, asks how I could do this to the family, and if I want to grow up alone, he also tells me he worked for us, sacrificed to send me to school and much more and is this the way to repay us, do you think it's alternative and that it's cool and nice? My son STOP kissing boys in the street…"

And here's where the father's desire becomes insistent, he doesn't want, doesn't want, doesn't want. No homosexuality for the son and no kissing boys in the street. It's a prohibition. Not to an action, of course, but to the son's authenticity, to his being, to his living, to his loving.

The penultimate part of the song arrives where Calum tells us that "now he is older, no longer a kid and the father's heart is a bit sweeter and warmer but still doesn't care for him as much as the brother and doesn't give him kisses like the mom does, tells him he is part of the family but that the way he behaves isn't good for his health and once again asks the son STOP kissing boys in the street…"

The father shifts the problem to Calum, instills doubts within him that kissing boys in the street and similar behaviors (let's admit he means GAY) might harm his health. Here a world of ideas could open up in thinking about what the father is referring to but what I actually want to emphasize is how the desire to stop these kisses is so high as to play phobias, anxieties, and traumas on one's own child rather than making him free.

And we are at the end of this, I repeat, beautiful song.

"the father is dying and right in front of death realizes that the son wasn't lying", but about what was he supposed to lie? I deduce about being FAITHFULLY HIMSELF and that he wasn't doing everything for a trend, a whim or who knows what.

True!! It seems such an obvious thing and yet for the father perhaps what the son was doing was more an idea of rebellion and a temporary behavior.

Now, however, he realizes that the son doesn't lie and is like that and, the final part continues "... and finally he and the father sit in silence but smiling because for once, they are not fighting and the father admits that there was no way to know or understand anything else because all I was taught is that men love only women, but now I'm not sure anymore. The song ends with a request "Son, CONTINUE to kiss boys in the street, even when I will not be here anymore CONTINUE KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET."

It's true, it is almost always late when we understand, accept, comprehend, forgive, embrace people, ideas, emotions and it's sad and unhappy, because the truth is that moments fly away. We might exclaim that it's better late than NEVER. But why late? Why with such difficulty?

Let's stop, then I say, to me, to you, to parents, to anyone, let's stop being ashamed, let's stop making people feel ashamed, let's stop discriminating, let's stop hating, let's stop suffocating, let's stop not loving, let's stop not understanding, let's stop always doing something but live and let others live.

Because a child is always a child

A friend is always a friend

A father is always a father

And a human is always a HUMAN

whether he kisses men or women.