TOP 10: Divine Songs
Harris Glenn Milsted, better known to the world as Divine, was a pioneer, a rulebreaker, and a firebrand. First coming to prominence as a main collaborator of filmmaker John Waters in his early films from the 1960s through the 1980s, Divine would also leave behind a legacy all her own. As a drag performer, she was a pop-culture fixation decades before RuPaul or any of her Drag Race queens entered the scene. While drag had certainly been showcased in the mainstream prior to Divine — thinkin Milton Berle, Flip Wilson, etc. — it was rare to see a proud, openly queer person getting international recognition for the artform.
We lost Divine far too early, in 1988, at age 42. But Divine’s impact lives on, not only through those iconic roles in some of Waters’ greatest films, but also in documentaries about her, merchandise featuring her likeness, and even as a partial inspiration for the design of Ursula the sea witch in Disney’s The Little Mermaid animated film (true? yes).
Divine also lives on through her music. In the 1980s Divine release two albums of dance music — 1982’s Jungle Jezebel (also known as My First Album) and 1984’s T Shirts and Tight Blue Jeans. Both were heavily influenced by disco and New Wave sounds, but also undeniably Divine. You can practically hear the sweat and smell the menthol as Divine yells her way through track after track. While Divine’s musical output wasn’t exactly the stuff Grammys are made of, it was fun, it was bold, and it was successful — several of her songs saw international success, and two made the U.S. Dance Chart Top 40. Read on for 10 of our favorite Divine tracks.
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10. “T-Shirts and Thight Blue Jeans”
The misspelling in the title is actually accurate to the song. Listen, there are some uncomfortable racial comments included in the lyrics. But once you get past that first verse, it turns into a bonkers r&b-inspired song that also has hints of The Village People in the chorus. The whole thing is basically a prolonged come on, a perfect soundtrack to a cruising adventure or a vintage gay porno.
9. “Walk Like a Man”
A cover of a Four Seasons song, with a backing track that sounds exactly like Giorgio Moroder’s Donna Summer heyday (“I Feel Love” specifically), with sound-effect vamps that feel both out of place yet totally consistent with the 80s. It’s completely overproduced, but it still works as a campy delight.
8. “Alphabet Rap”
Only Divine could take the actual alphabet and turn it into a campy and playfully suggestive rap track, complete with a minimalist 80s keyboard backing track. Someone was really making the most of the sound effects on their Casio!
7. “Born to Be Cheap”
Divine’s first single, and a kind of manifesto for the artist. The wailing guitars and female back-up singers evoke Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell album, and the lyrics are among some of Divine’s best. It’s a fun song that captures the spirit of Divine.
6. “Love Reaction”
With a sound that immediately evokes New Order’s “Blue Monday” — call it “Blue Tuesday” — “Love Reaction” features one of Divine’s most shouty and least-creative choruses (“love reaction, it’s a satisfaction” over and over again). But hey, it was a Top 25 single with the Dutch!
5. “Shoot Your Shot”
Clocking in at more than 8 minutes, “Shoot Your Shot”’s instrumental line will remind you of multiple other early 80s dance tracks — and that’s OK. Because none of the other songs to which it, shall we say, paid homage had Divine eventually coming in with one of her best vocal deliveries…
4. “Shake It Up”
…except “Shake It Up,” which sounds incredibly similar to “Shoot Your Shot,” but is better in pretty much every way. The background singers actually, you know, singing offer a great counterpart to the signature Divine shout delivery.
3. “Native Love (Step by Step)”
This song is legit fierce, with Divine giving us a solid rap line that was almost certainly inspired by Blondie’s “Rapture,” folded into a genuinely good chorus, with an groovy percussion line. This was her first hit, peaking at No. 21 on the U.S. Dance Chart.
2. “I’m So Beautiful”
A soaring, ethereal synth line leads into Divine barking her way through the verses about a woman who is feeling herself fully. The chorus is incredibly catchy. Put this on the next time you’re getting ready for a night on the town, and feel that puss deep down in your soul.
“You Think You’re a Man”
A legitimately great 80s dance-pop song with a great percussive instrumental backing track. Divine’s limited vocal range is put to great effect here, and it has become a gay anthem, including being featured on the soundtrack for the U.S. version of Queer as Folk.
What are some of your favorite Divine songs? Drop them in the comments.
