My conviction
Hair Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know kids, I wish every mom
and dad would make a speech to their
teenagers and say kids, be free,
be whatever you are, do whatever you
want to do, just so long as you don't hurt anybody.
And remember kids,
I am your friend.
I would just like to say that it is my conviction
That longer hair and other flamboyant affectations
Of appearance are nothing more
Than the male's emergence from his drab camoflage
Into the gaudy plumage
Which is the birthright of his sex

There is a peculiar notion that elegant plumage
And fine feathers are not proper for the male
When ac---tually




That is the way things are
In most species

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Hair's song My Conviction are a powerful call for authenticity and self-expression. The opening lines express the desire for parents to encourage their teenagers to be true to themselves, free to pursue their passions and individuality. The singer emphasizes the importance of not hurting anyone in the process, indicating a sense of responsibility and respect towards others.


The second part of the song addresses the societal norms that constrain male expression. The singer argues that flamboyant appearance, such as longer hair, is a natural expression of male sexuality that has been subdued by centuries of cultural norms. There is a suggestion that these norms are arbitrary, and that men should be allowed to embrace their true colors, just like other species do in nature.


Overall, the song is a powerful hymn to individualism and authenticity, encouraging people to be true to themselves and not to conform to the expectations of society. It speaks to the need to break free from shackles and to embrace one's true identity.


Line by Line Meaning

You know kids, I wish every mom and dad would make a speech to their teenagers and say kids, be free, be whatever you are, do whatever you want to do, just so long as you don't hurt anybody. And remember kids, I am your friend.
I wish parents would encourage their kids to be themselves and do what they want, as long as they don't harm others. I want them to remember I am their friend.


I would just like to say that it is my conviction That longer hair and other flamboyant affectations Of appearance are nothing more Than the male's emergence from his drab camoflage Into the gaudy plumage Which is the birthright of his sex
I believe that men's flamboyant appearances, like long hair, are just their way of standing out and showing off, like how animals use their plumage to attract mates.


There is a peculiar notion that elegant plumage And fine feathers are not proper for the male When ac---tually That is the way things are In most species
It's strange that people think men shouldn't have elegant appearances, when in fact, in most species, males use their flamboyant looks to attract mates.




Contributed by Wyatt S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@guilherme_b

You know kids, I wish every mom and dad would make a speech to their
teenagers and say kids, be free, be whatever you are, do whatever you
want to do, just so long as you don't hurt anybody. And remember kids,
I am your friend.
I would just like to say that it is my conviction
That longer hair and other flamboyant affectations
Of appearance are nothing more
Than the male's emergence from his drab camoflage
Into the gaudy plumage
Which is the birthright of his sex
There is a peculiar notion that elegant plumage
And fine feathers are not proper for the male
When ac------tually
That is the way things are
In most species



All comments from YouTube:

@davewade2041

Really love this tune. Since I was 12 in 1976.

@jimbloomfield6001

It is the original for sure, just as I remember it as a ten-year-old, singing along to my college age sister's album

@tdoran

Same here. I listened to my parent's album countless times, wore out two tapes and am on my second CD set. It's the original cast album.

@bunnyhop3211

Ha, me too. I still remember the words.

@dancesincombatboots3076

I seem to be in good company! I've been singing this since I was 12, and still sing it at age 55! I memorized the entire soundtrack by age 13, and at 30 I sang "Frank Mills" a cappella at a karaoke contest and got a standing ovation! Ahh good times.

@kenmartin6776

Me too!! Along with so much other great music. Brothers in my case. Fifth grade singing these songs, Doors etc.

@Blackout5871

My dad had four cassettes in his truck when I was growing up: Queens Greatest Hits volume 1, Kansas' Carry On Wayward Son, This soundtrack and the OST for Buckaroo Bonzai.

4 More Replies...

@jasminejacobs6862

His singing is the best, out of all versions in my opinion... 😊

@coolchef64

I started to sing this to my daughter when she was 5. She loved it though I have no voice.
She loves musicals now

@guilherme_b

You know kids, I wish every mom and dad would make a speech to their
teenagers and say kids, be free, be whatever you are, do whatever you
want to do, just so long as you don't hurt anybody. And remember kids,
I am your friend.
I would just like to say that it is my conviction
That longer hair and other flamboyant affectations
Of appearance are nothing more
Than the male's emergence from his drab camoflage
Into the gaudy plumage
Which is the birthright of his sex
There is a peculiar notion that elegant plumage
And fine feathers are not proper for the male
When ac------tually
That is the way things are
In most species

More Comments

More Versions