Gore also worked as an actress and composed songs with her brother Michael Gore for the 1980 film Fame, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. She was active until 2014, and hosted an LGBT-oriented public television show, In the Life, on American TV in the 2000s.
Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey to Jewish parents, Gore was discovered as a teenager. Her first single in 1963 at age 16 was the #1 hit It's My Party still perhaps her best known recording, which also made #9 in Britain. It was followed by others, including Judy's Turn to Cry (the sequel to "It's My Party"), She's a Fool, the proto-feminist You Don't Own Me, and Maybe I Know. Her record producer was Quincy Jones, who would later become one of the most famous producers in American music.
Instead of accepting the television and movie contracts that came her way, Gore chose to attend Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. This limited her public career to weekends and summer vacations and undoubtedly hurt her career. Nevertheless, throughout the mid-1960's, Gore continued to be the one of the most popular female singers in the United States and Canada.
By the late 1960s, though, her fame lessened as popular tastes evolved towards a harder-edged, psychedelic sound. Her last major hit was "California Nights," (1967) which she performed on an episode of the Batman TV series in which she guest-starred as one of Catwoman's minions. Afterwards, she continued to stay busy in the music industry, performed at concerts and in cabarets and achieved noted success as a professional songwriter, including composing songs for the soundtrack of the 1980 film, Fame. She received an Academy Award nomination for "Out Here on My Own," written with her brother Michael.
Gore continued to be busy, playing concerts, appearing on television, and recently (2005) recording a self-produced and critically-acclaimed CD, "Ever Since." She is also known for tackling a variety of musical genres, including a credible take on AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap."
Although Gore did not officially come out until 2005, her lesbianism was not exactly a secret. The 1996 film Grace of My Heart featured a character (played by Bridget Fonda) whose industry struggles over her sexual orientation were similar to Gore's. Beginning in 2004 Gore could be seen hosting the PBS series In the Life, which focused on LGBT issues.
On February 16, 2015, Gore died of lung cancer at the age of 68.
My Town My Guy And Me
Lesley Gore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not interested in all that small talk, go go
I'm one satisfied being here by my baby's side
Just give me my town, my guy and me
My town, my guy and me
My town's got all the other towns' beat
My town's got everything that I need
Don't tell me about all the good times I'm missin'
Nothin's good as the time when we're lovin' and kissin'
I'm happy right here, where every night he holds me near
Just give me my town, my guy and me
My town, my guy and me
My town's got what no other town's got
A guy that loves me and needs me a lot
So give me my town, my guy and me
My town, my guy and me
Oh I'm happy right here, where every night he holds me near
Just give me my town, my guy and me
My town, my guy and me
Just give me my town, my guy and me
My town, my guy and me
So give me my town, my guy and me
Lesley Gore's "My Town, My Guy and Me" is an ode to small town living and the comfort of being in a loving relationship. Gore begins by dismissing the allure of big cities like New York and San Francisco, declaring that she's not interested in their small talk and go-go mentality. Instead, her happiness lies in being by her baby's side in her own town. She revels in the simple pleasures of her quiet life, insisting that her hometown outshines every other place she's been to.
She then goes on to assert that she doesn't want to hear about all the good times she's missing out on, because nothing compares to the happiness she experiences when she's with her beloved. She finds happiness in being held at night, and is content with her life just the way it is. Throughout the song, Gore emphasizes the importance of having her guy by her side and living in the town that she loves.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't tell me about towns like New York, Frisco
I'm not interested in hearing about big cities like New York or San Francisco
I'm one satisfied being here by my baby's side
I am content being where I am as long as I am with my partner
Just give me my town, my guy and me
All I need is to be with my partner in our small town
My town's got all the other towns' beat
My town is better than any other town out there
My town's got everything that I need
My town has everything necessary to make me happy
Don't tell me about all the good times I'm missin'
I am not missing out on anything good by staying in my small town
Nothin's good as the time when we're lovin' and kissin'
The best times are when my partner and I are together, showing affection
I'm happy right here, where every night he holds me near
I feel joy being here, holding my partner close every night
My town's got what no other town's got
There is something special about my town that no other place has
A guy that loves me and needs me a lot
I have a partner who loves and depends on me greatly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB ELGIN, LESLEY GORE, PAUL KAUFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Wonder Boy
Yet another great Leslie Gore song.
Philip Kassabian
on Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows
Fantastic song by Leslie Gore.
Philip Kassabian
on It's My Party
A great Leslie Gore song.