The song by Porter is about someone he loves. In the song, he asks them if they love him as he does. He says, ‘do you love me as I love you?’ he continues to ask the person if he means anything to him and if they would help him see his dreams come true. As he sings the song, he is watching the moon at night through his bedroom window and his mind is all to his beloved. However, he is filled with thoughts of whether he is loved with the same intensity as he loves him. Given the history of porter, there is a big possibility that the song is for a male lover than a female one. Porter is indeed in love but he is in a state of confusion whether the reality of his love will be realized. Despite his thoughts being to his lover, porter is not sure whether this lover feels the same for him. He is not sure if he will be helped to achieve his dream of realizing his love, ‘or will this dream of mine fade out of sight’. He wonders. This is due to, “social opprobrium, outright discrimination, fear of being found out by one’s co-workers and family, and even threats of violence” (Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, 1993).
The song is a love song which is addressed to a male partner. Porter who sang the piece in the 1940s was expressing love for his partner. The mood of the song is both romantic and sad. To start with, the mood is romantic because of the setting (Eaklor, 2008). Porter is at his window watching the beautiful moon, which is a symbol of romance. In the night when everybody else is asleep, he thinks of his lover and writes him a song. In no other way would he represent such a romantic scene as this where he is staring at the sky, the moon and stars and thinking of his lover. On the other hand, the mood is sad. This is because he is not sure whether his lover loves him as he does. This creates doubt in the realization of his dreams and wonders if the failure of love reciprocation would affect the achievement of his dreams.
Despite him being in a romantic mood, this lack of assurance makes him sad and worried. This is indicated in the song where he says that as the moon grows dim, similarly, he sees his dreams grow dim if he misses on the love he so much wishes. The message of the song is about love. The singer is drawn in a world where he only thinks of his lover in the middle of the night when the entire world is asleep. Additionally, “Artistic quality had grown and it is clear the level of singing had dramatically improved as gay and lesbian chorus grow in size and professionalism”(Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, 1993). However, the message of love is one sided because as he confesses his love, he is not sure of the other party’s stand. Porter in this song shows how one can be in a relationship with a partner yet he is not sure of their true feelings. Nevertheless, the piece expresses love from its romantic setting, which is described to be in the quietness of the night, watching at the moon through his window, and the sweet words of love he sings.
The song, day and night, has a lot of information about gay relationships. First, in his performances, Porter uses a male actor. Secondly, in an interview with Lee, Porter responds to a question about the relationship of his talent and behavior by saying that he cannot separate the two. He says that it is impossible to separate his behavior, talent, and eating, drinking and sleeping habit. This shows that whatever he wrote, performed or sang reflected his personal life in a way. Through his music, therefore, we see aspects of homosexuality in this piece and his other music works such as De-lovely and Night and Day (Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, 1993).
In the article Sparks, gay and Lesbian choruses, Kenneth T. Cole says that, “Singing in a gay choir is essentially a political act” (Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, 1993). The performance of the song night and day which includes such a performance can, therefore, be nothing but a political campaign about gay in the society. In the modern society where many states are accepting gay and lesbianism, the song has a political appeal in calling for the acceptance of the same.
Music is meant to socialize and therefore, such a song when portrayed in such a homosexual way is more appealing and advocating for the same (Angelan, 2011) The political aspect of the son g is in it advertising on the gay and lesbianism through its performance where male actors and the words said by the song writer to the performers suggest the same. Moreover, the song can be used as an anthem in the gay community where the actors use its lyrics to advocate and demand for their rights. As Moro says, the audience can be engaged in the music performance by flirting with the actors or the singer. In such incidences, the words of Porter can be used by the audience to propagate for the same.
In the songs by Porter, therefore, the actors shows points of homosexuality when he sings the piece according to Porters instructions when performing. He thinks of him and at the end he is able to deliver the quality and pass the message intended for the same. Despite the song addressing a woman, the actor’s performance is enhanced by his thinking of Porter. This is an element of homosexuality. This has also a political agenda in the fight against the gay rights.
References
Angelan (2011). A Journal of Entertainment Media. From Night and Day to De-Lovely: Cinematic Representations of Cole Porter – Penny Spirou | Refractory. Retrieved from http://refractory.unimelb.edu.au/2011/05/06/from-night-and-day-to-de-lovely-cinematic-representations-of-cole-porter-%E2%80%93-penny-spirou/
Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, D. C. (1993). Songs from the first ten years of the Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.: Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, D.C.
Eaklor, V. L. (2008). Queer America: A GLBT history of the 20th century. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press
