Our LGBT Histories: Music – Day 3
To mark LGBT History Month, 2013, Polari asked its contributors to recall a song that had an impact on their own stories.
‘Kevin Carter’ – Manic Street Preachers
by Little Bastard
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My first major crush on a boy was on a guy in my school called Kevin Lewis. Other people came and went, but my crush on Kevin was constant from the time I was in year 9 until I was at college. When I was 15 the Manic Street Preachers released their breakthrough hit album (or sellout, whichever side of the coin you are on) Everything Must Go, and I had it, thinking it would make me look cool (which I’m sure it didn’t! It did do more for me than my collection of Madonna albums, however). Contained within this album was the song ‘Kevin Carter’. I’m sure you can see where this is going, and I know it’s a bit of a tenuous link, but I was 15 so bear with me. I would listen to Everything Must Go on my blue Walkman, and everytime the opening riff of ‘Kevin Carter’ started, there was only one Kevin I was thinking about. Now, I’m fully aware that the words relate to the late photojournalist but, what can I tell you … the teenage me had NO idea who Kevin Carter was! I used to dream about playing the track to him, and it being our joke, our secret song, a secret part of our friendship like a hidden language, so the other boys, who mostly used to bully me, wouldn’t know we were friends.
Obviously this never happened, but every time I hear ‘Kevin Carter’ I’m reminded of what a girl I was when I was 15 … and how I haven’t changed! And, of course, I’m reminded of my first proper crush – and how lucky I feel to still get the odd crush now and again.
