Transgender Dysphoria Blues Lyrics
Your tells are so obvious
Shoulders too broad for a girl
Keeps you reminded
Helps you to remember where you come from
[Pre-Chorus]
You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you
Like they see every other girl
They just see a faggot
They hold their breath not to catch the sick
[Chorus]
Rough surf on the coast
I wish I could have spent the whole day alone
Rough surf on the coast
I wish I could have spent the whole day alone
Rough surf on the coast
I wish I could have spent the whole day alone with you
With you
With you
[Verse 2]
You've got no cunt in your strut
You've got no hips to shake
And you know it's obvious
But we can't choose how we're made
You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you
Like they see every other girl
They just see a faggot
They hold their breath not to catch the sick
[Chorus]
Rough surf on the coast
I wish I could have spent the whole day alone
Rough surf on the coast
I wish I could have spent the whole day alone
Rough surf on the coast
I wish I could have spent the whole day alone with you
With you
With you
[Pre-Chorus]
You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you
Like they see every other girl
They just see a faggot
They hold their breath not to catch the sick
About
The title track of 2014’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues is, as Parker Molloy wrote in Death and Taxes,
Unlike past releases that merely hinted at gender-based themes, [Transgender Dysphoria Blues] is direct, blatant, even… An anthem to the “this really fucking sucks” feeling that many trans people can directly relate to. An ode to being pissed off at your body’s self-betrayal."
The song’s “dysphoria” describes the dissonance between self-identifying as a woman, but being perceived as a man by society, and an effeminate one at that. Society doesn’t always smile upon those who buck traditional gender roles.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In 2018, NPR ranked this as the #31 greatest song involving a female or nonbinary artist in the 21st century, saying:
Although she publicly came out as trans in 2012, 2014 was the year we truly met Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace for the first time. ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues,’ the title track off the Florida band’s sixth album, was an unapologetically raw depiction of her struggles with gender dysphoria that sent shockwaves through the scene. The punk ballad’s triumphant, militant swing juxtaposes the delicate (the image of a pretty summer dress) with the confrontational (‘You’ve got no cunt in your strut’) to capture a beautiful, revolutionary portrait of love and rage in motion.
- 1.Transgender Dysphoria Blues
- 7.Dead Friend
- 8.Two Coffins
- 10.Black Me Out