“we fell in love in october” by girl in red, Friday, October 25, 2024
Each generation has an “Are you a friend of Dorothy?” question. Throughout the 20th century, queer people, particularly gay men, asked the question to discretely inquire if another person was also queer. The Dorothy in question was the character Dorothy in L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz series, particularly because of the star of the first book’s film adaptation, Judy Garlin. The actress and singer was well-known for her LGBTQ+ advocacy at a time when speaking about same-sex relationships was considered taboo and homosexual practices were illegal in many parts of the world. Garlin played Dorothy Gale in The Wizzard of Oz and then became a beloved icon in the gay community for her vulnerability, resilience, and status as a misunderstood, tragic figure. Garland’s personal struggles, combined with her connection to Dorothy’s character, cemented her as a gay icon.
SMOKING CIGARETTES ON THE ROOF. Today, gay men don’t commonly ask each other “Are you a friend of Dorothy” because of greater acceptance and other covert ways of finding each other. An interesting similar trend emerged on TikTok in the ‘20s in which users would ask each other “Do you listen to girl in red?” The question had a double meaning. Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ulven Ringheim goes by the name girl in red. The question was also referring to Ulven’s sexual orientation and the singer’s followers. Marie talked about the trend on the Zach Sang Show, saying that the trend originated online but she incorporated it as a marketing technique to promote her music. She said that particularly in countries with restrictive LGBTQ+ policies, such as Poland and Brazil, her marketing team used the question for fans to discreetly meet each other. Marie built her career in her bedroom, mostly teaching herself piano, guitar, and music production starting at 14. Posting recordings on SoundCloud proved successful for girl in red whose streaming numbers reached impressive numbers with the singles “girls” and “summer depression.”
YOU WILL BE MY WORLD. Themes in girl in red’s lyrics include discussions of mental health, heartbreak, and love. Marie Ulven writes love songs using third-person “she/her” pronouns as well as mentioning girls by name--pseudonyms according to her Zach Sang interview. One of girl in red’s most popular songs is “we fell in love in october.” The 2018 single details Marie’s first love. The cozy instrumentation of the mellow rock song illustrates the coldness of the month and the warmth of a new interesting lover. The simple lyrics solidify the autumn mood of the song. With “we fell in love in october,” girl in red released a sequel to the original song’s narrative, “October passed me by.” The sequel is more mature and deals with the aftermath of when the infatuation passes. Both songs talk about watching the stars on a clear October night and the latter regrets when Marie “made me my whole world,” but resolves of her first love: “In the back of my mind, you will always be my girl.” All successful singer-songwriters express themselves authentically and girl in red’s authenticity certainly has widened her fanbase beyond the LGBTQ+ community. While not everyone can understand the experience of same-sex attraction, honest songwriting, and catchy music are relatable to everyone. So you can listen to girl in red without listening to girl in red.
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