“Y.M.C.A.” Lyrics & Meaning (Village People)

Y.M.C.A. by the Village People is the most famous song from the disco era.

More than that, it is one of the most famous and beloved songs of all time.

Don’t believe me?

Play the song at your next party or event. I guarantee at least some in the audience will mouth the words and form the letters with their arms.

Then more join in and soon the whole room is spelling out the letters YMCA.

It happens every time.

But what is the Y.M.C.A. lyrics meaning? Is it simply about the Y.M.C.A., or is it a gay anthem, as many believe?

Keep reading to learn exactly what this song is about We’ll cover its original intended meaning and the additional meanings it has taken on over the years.

 

Y.M.C.A. Lyrics And Meaning

The song YMCA was written by Jacques Morali and Victor Willis. The Village People released YMCA as the only single on their third album, Cruisin, in 1978.

In 1979, YMCA reached the number 2 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 List. The song has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.

Aside from its initial popularity, YMCA is a song that has been ingrained in American culture. There are few sports events, weddings, and group events that don’t play this song.

As soon as the song comes on, every person mouths the words and spells out the name with their arms. It is this overwhelming liking of the song that motivated the Library of Congress to deem YMCA a culturally significant song. 

The Village People were a disco music group and their song YMCA was one of the first to connect with the gay community. While the song was not initially written for the LGBTQ+ audience, members of the Village People have gone on record saying they are happy and proud that it has become a gay anthem of sorts.

Let’s take a look at the lyrics in their entirety, before looking at the meaning of the song as a whole, and key portions of the lyrics.

 

Y.M.C.A. Lyrics

Verse 1

Young man, there’s no need to feel down, I said
Young man, pick yourself off the ground, I said
Young man, ’cause you’re in a new town
There’s no need to be unhappy
Young man, there’s a place you can go, I said
Young man, when you’re short on your dough you can
Stay there and I’m sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time

Chorus

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do whatever you feel

Verse 2

Young man, are you listening to me? I said
Young man, what do you want to be? I said
Young man, you can make real your dreams
But you’ve got to know this one thing
No man does it all by himself, I said
Young man, put your pride on the shelf
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.
I’m sure they can help you today

Chorus

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do whatever you feel

Verse 3

Young man, I was once in your shoes, I said
I was down and out with the blues, I felt
No man cared if I were alive
I felt the whole world was so jive
That’s when someone came up to me and said
“Young man, take a walk up the street
It’s a place there called the Y.M.C.A.
They can start you back on your way”

Chorus

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys

Outro

Y.M.C.A., it’s fun to stay at the
Y.M.C.A.
Young man, young man, there’s no need to feel down
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground
Y.M.C.A., it’s fun to stay at the
Y.M.C.A.
Young man, young man, are you listening to me?
Young man, young man, what do you wanna be?
Y.M.C.A., you’ll find it at the
Y.M.C.A.
No man, no man does it all by himself
Young man, young man, put your pride on the shelf
Y.M.C.A. and just go to the
Y.M.C.A.
Young man, young man, I was once in your shoes
Young man, young man, I was down with the blues
Y.M.C.A., it’s fun to stay at the

 

Y.M.C.A. Meaning

Victor Willis has stated that he wrote the lyrics to this song solely based on his experience with the YMCA as a place to hang out when he was growing up. He claimed that he did not intend for the lyrics to have a gay double meaning.

But his general fondness of double entendre means that few believe him. Let’s take a look at some key lines from the song and the two meaning they can have.

They have everything for you men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys

This lyric references the band members’ childhood. They would go out into the neighborhood to play and there were always lots of boys to hang around with.

This line was meant to be fairly innocent. It is a welcoming line that says the community is fun and inclusive. Don’t be shy, come and have fun with everyone.

Some fans have questioned whether or not this line has a dual meaning. Based on the popularity of the song with the gay community, many listeners questioned whether or not this line was written to mean it is okay to like and be attracted to men and that gay men are welcome in the community.

While the band has stated this was not the meaning of the song, they are glad that gay men interpreted it as such and felt a sense of inclusion from the song.

I said, young man, what do you want to be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams

This line is inspirational and speaks to a young person who is confused about what he/she wants to do with their life. It encourages the listener that anything is possible and that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve your dreams.

Now, the line is commonly associated with the acceptance of all sexual preferences.

No man does it all by himself
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf

This line truly connects the song back to being one of neighborly kindness and community. It says that it is okay to ask for help. Everyone struggles at times and it is impossible to be successful all on your own.

You need friends and people that care about you to pick you up when you are down. The song is saying that no matter who you are, no matter what your circumstances are, you are accepted, loved, and will be helped.

And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.
I’m sure they can help you today

This line ties back to wanting to help people. That no matter where you are from, you will be welcomed. It also implies that you shouldn’t wait or procrastinate.

The sooner you ask for help, the sooner your life will get better. The entire song is incredibly upbeat which adds to the positivity of the message.

 

YMCA Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Y.M.C.A. has become a huge gay anthem. It also gets played at virtually any major event or sporting match. Even Donald Trump used the song at his rallies.

The fact that this song can appeal to people with diametrically opposed viewpoints is perhaps its most impressive feat. Just about everyone loves Y.M.C.A. by the Village People. And perhaps the very fact that people with opposing viewpoints love this song is one of the reasons there are multiple interpretations of the YMCA lyrics and their meaning.

We did a similar breakdown of another huge gay hit from Lady Gaga. Read about the Poker Face lyrics meaning.

Bunny Wailer also wrote a song that will forever be linked to an accompanying dance (though the dance is linked to Marica Griffiths more famous version of the song). See our breakdown of the Electric Boogie lyrics meaning for more.