Back to TracklistNext track

5. Freakish Man Blues

George Hannah

[Verse 1]Call me a freakish man, what more was there to doCall me a freakish man, what more was there to doJust because she said I was strange, that did not make it true
[Verse 2]I sent her to the mill, to have her coffee groundI sent her to the mill, to have her coffee groundBecause my wheel was broke, and my grinder could not be found
[Verse 3]You mix ink with water, bound to turn it blackYou mix ink with water, bound to turn it blackYou run around with funny people, you get a streak of it up your back [Verse 4]There was a time when I was alone, my freakish ways to seeThere was a time when I was alone, my freakish ways to seeBut they're so common now, you get one every day in the week [Verse 5] Had a strange feeling this morning, well I've had it all day

  • Verse 1

    George Hannah begins by addressing an accusation of being “freakish,” a term historically weaponized to vilify those who deviated from societal norms. In the context of queerness, “freakish” carries a particularly charged connotation, often wielded to demean and marginalize non-heteronormative identities. However, Hannah challenges the notion that being labeled “strange” automatically validates the accusation, thereby critiquing the societal tendency to rigidly categorize difference. This critique reframes queerness not as a deviation to be judged, but as an inherent and undeniable reality of existence. In doing so, Hannah subtly rejects societal judgment and takes an essential first step toward asserting queer autonomy.

  • Verse 2

    Part 1
    In this verse, George Hannah crafts a dense web of metaphors that intertwine themes of queerness, societal expectations, and personal identity. The whole verse operates as a euphemism for sex, with the “mill” representing the broader heteronormative system or other men who can fulfill "her" sexual needs. The act of "sending her" implies unfullfilled heterosexual obligations and an acknowledgment of his own disconnection from heterosexual norms.
    Hannah's inability to “grind her coffee” suggests his lack of sexual desire for her. The image of a "broken wheel" further deepens this metaphor, symbolizing a malfunction in the machinery of desire. Wheels, essential for motion and productivity, represent the driving force behind sexual attraction; a "broken" wheel, then, indicates that his sexual drive toward her is absent or inoperative. This is not a physical dysfunction but a divergence from societal expectations—a reality of his orientation that he cannot change or "fix."

  • Verse 2

    Part 2
    The line “my grinder could not be found” takes the metaphor to an even more charged level. Here, the “grinder” symbolizes his penis, and its absence reflects a societal perception of emasculation tied to queerness. During the early 20th century, queer men were often labeled as less than “real men,” a stigma that questioned their masculinity based on their sexual preferences. The metaphorical loss of his grinder aligns with this historical context, capturing the external judgment that equates queerness with a diminished or invalid masculinity.

  • Verse 3

    This verse critiques societal fears of queerness as a “contagion.” The metaphor of ink turning water black reflects the perception that queer identities were corruptive, staining anyone who associated with them. The phrase “funny people” was a veiled reference for queer individuals, and Hannah uses it here to highlight how queerness was othered and treated as a threat to traditional values.
    Rather than rejecting this association, Hannah reframes it as inevitable. The streak on one’s back becomes a symbol of belonging to a marginalized but resilient community. In a time when queerness was criminalized and stigmatized, this lyric serves as a quiet celebration of queer solidarity. It also critiques the hypocrisy of a society that demonizes queer people while remaining fascinated by their lives and culture. By embracing the “streak,” Hannah asserts that queerness is not something to be hidden but an indelible part of identity.

  • Verse 4 + 5

    Hannah reflects on the growing visibility of queer identities in his era, particularly in Black Harlem where the queer subculture began to flourish. The shift from solitude—“I was alone”—to ubiquity—“you get one every day in the week”—captures the dual nature of this visibility. While he suggests an increase in queer community and solidarity, he also highlights how queerness remained stigmatized, categorized under the derogatory term “freakish.” The closing verse distills the song’s exploration of queerness into a single, unresolved emotion. The “strange feeling” encapsulates the weight of existing as a queer man in a heteronormative world, where one’s identity is both undeniable and judged. The persistence of this feeling—“I’ve had it all day”—suggests the constant presence of queerness in Hannah’s life, not as a source of shame but as a complex reality that he lives with.