Andrea has headlined everywhere from the Nuyorican Poet's Café, to Pride Fests and Lady Fests, to high schools and universities throughout the country. They have been showcased on Free Speech TV, Dyke TV, the documentary Slam Planet, and Independent Radio Stations nationwide. They are featured on New York City's 2004 Best of Urbana CD, and are currently a member of the prestigious Bullhorn Collective "comprised of 30 of the highest ranking slam poets and most accomplished performance poets in the world." They have shared the stage with such names as Leslie Feinberg, Amy Goodman, Dennis Kucinich and KRS1.
Andrea's poetry deconstructs the foundations of the current political machine, highlighting issues such as patriarchy, gender norms, white-supremacy, and capitalist culture. Their words are honest, humble and "oh my god, I can't believe you said that in public!" (ex-girlfriend #4).
Andrea is an independent artist who has self-released four CDs, Bullets and Windchimes (2003), Swarm (2004), When The Bough Breaks (2006), and Yellowbird (2009).
They have also self published three books, Trees That Grow in Cemeteries, Yellow Bird, and What the Yarn Knows of Sweaters.
Write Bloody Publishing published their nationally distributed collection of poems in 2008, Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns.
Andrea uses they/them pronouns.
from: http://www.andreagibson.org/
Andrew
Andrea Gibson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would tug at the crotch of my pants only the way pubescent boys do
Ran around pounding on my bare chest like Tarzan
It′s not that I thought I'd grow up to be a man,
I just never thought that I′d go grow up to be a woman either
From what I could tell neither of those categories fit me
But believe me, I knew from a very young age never to say, "Hey Dad,
This Adam or Eve thing isn't really workin' for me,
In the third grade
Lynette Lions asked me where all my Barbies were
I lied and told her I got in trouble so my mom took them away
I didn′t dare say, "Barbies sucks Lynette"
And for that matter Tommy, so does G.I. Joe
I wanna grow into somethin′ none of us seen before
And gender is just one of the ways we are boxed in and labeled
Before we are ever able to speak who dream we are
Who believe who we become like
Drum beats forever changing the rhythm
I am living today as someone I have not yet become
Yesterday and tonight I will borrow only
Pieces of who I was today to carry with me
To tomorrow
No, I'm not gay, no I′m not straight,
And I'm sure hell not bisexual damnit
I am whatever I am whenever I am it
Lovin′ whoever you are when the stars
Shinin' whoever you be when the sun rises
Yes I like girls, yes I like boys, yes I like boys who like boys,
I like girls who wear toys and girls who don′t,
Girls who don't who don't call themselves girls
Crewcuts or curls or that really bad hair phase in between
I like steam, rising from the body of a one night stand
I like holding hands for three months before kissing
I like wishing your body was Saturn,
My body a thousand rings wrapped around you
You wanted to be a Buddhist nun once
Last night you held my cervix between your fingers
I thank Gods I don′t believe in for your changing
Tell me we will be named our children beautiful and nothing else
Tell Barbie she can go now
Tell G.I. Joe to put his gun down and find a
Boyfriend or a girlfriend or a girl-boyfriend
Fuck it y′all
G.I. Joe just needs a friend
I mean he's plastic and not even the kind of plastic that bends
I wanna bend in a thousand directions like the sun does
Like love does,
Like time stopped so the hands of the clock that could hold each other
And we held each other like I held these
Words for too many years on the tip of my tongue
I am my mother′s daughter
I am midnight sun
You can find me on the moon waxing and
Weighing my heart full of petals every single one
Begging love me, love me, love me whoever I am
Whoever I become
Love me, love me, love me
The lyrics of Andrea Gibson's "Andrew" explore themes of gender and identity, particularly the ways in which societal norms and expectations can limit individual expression. Through an intimate reflection on childhood experiences, the singer reveals their discomfort with traditional gender categories and their desire to transcend those boundaries in order to find their true self. The lyrics suggest that the singer did not feel like they fit neatly into either the male or female box, and that this identity struggle has persisted throughout their life.
The refrain of the song - "No, I'm not gay, no I'm not straight, and I'm sure as hell not bisexual damnit" - reinforces the idea that sexuality and gender are complex and multifaceted, and cannot always be easily defined or limited by binary categories. The final lines of the song - "Love me, love me, love me whoever I am, whoever I become" - express a yearning for acceptance and love, regardless of societal expectations or labels.
Overall, "Andrew" is a powerful and poignant exploration of identity, gender, and love, and speaks to the experiences of many individuals who do not fit neatly into traditional boxes of gender or sexuality.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a kid I would sometimes secretly call myself Andrew
As a child, I struggled with my gender identity and would use a different name to explore myself
Would tug at the crotch of my pants only the way pubescent boys do
I would try to conform to typical male behaviors to try to fit in and understand myself better
Ran around pounding on my bare chest like Tarzan
I would mimic male characters, but it doesn't mean I wanted to become a man necessarily.
It's not that I thought I'd grow up to be a man, I just never thought that I'd go grow up to be a woman either
I never truly fit into either gender category and was perplexed with which one I should align myself
From what I could tell neither of those categories fit me
I did not want to be boxed-in by societal conventions for gender
But believe me, I knew from a very young age never to say, Hey Dad,This Adam or Eve thing isn't really workin' for me,I mean what about all the other kinds of people in between?
I knew early on that it would not be easy to express my true feelings to my father about gender roles and that there were other people like me
In the third grade Lynette Lions asked me where all my Barbies were, I lied and told her I got in trouble so my mom took them away
I felt ashamed then and didn't want to admit that I did not identify with Barbie dolls or girls' toys
I didn't dare say, Barbies sucks Lynette And for that matter Tommy, so does G.I. Joe
I was afraid to express my dislike in gender-typical toys or behaviour openly, out of fear of being ostracized.
I wanna grow into somethin' none of us seen before And gender is just one of the ways we are boxed in and labeled
I aspire to break free from the stereotypical gender roles or conventions and to grow into something that is unique.
Before we are ever able to speak who dream we are Who believe who we become like Drum beats forever changing the rhythm I am living today as someone I have not yet become
Our identity is deeply affected by what we are told who we are, who we should be and what is considered normal. However, I am still figuring out who I want to become.
Yesterday and tonight I will borrow only Pieces of who I was today to carry with me To tomorrow
I am still figuring out who I really am and am only taking parts of myself that I am comfortable with to the next phase in my life
No, I'm not gay, no I'm not straight, And I'm sure hell not bisexual damnit I am whatever I am whenever I am it
I don't want to label myself based on any gender-defined sexual preferences because my identity is constantly changing and evolving.
Lovin' whoever you are when the stars Shinin' whoever you be when the sun rises Yes I like girls, yes I like boys, yes I like boys who like boys, I like girls who wear toys and girls who don't, Girls who don't who don't call themselves girls Crewcuts or curls or that really bad hair phase in between I like steam, rising from the body of a one night stand
I am open to love whoever I like, regardless of their gender, appearance or preferences. I am a complex person and I like to explore new things
I like holding hands for three months before kissing
I am an individual in my own right and I would like to know a person intimately by getting to know them first
I wanna bend in a thousand directions like the sun does Like love does, Like time stopped so the hands of the clock that could hold each other And we held each other like I held these Words for too many years on the tip of my tongue
I want to be free and explore all the limitless possibilities in life without being constrained by societal conventions relating to gender and sexuality.
I am my mother's daughter I am midnight sun You can find me on the moon waxing and Weighing my heart full of petals every single one Begging love me, love me, love me whoever I am Whoever I become Love me, love me, love me
I am a person with depth and complexity, and I long for acceptance from others, whoever I may become
Contributed by Audrey K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.