Welcome to Points of Pride! Within this series we’ll cover all things LGBTQ+ Pride, from moments in history to information to film reviews. This week’s article is an analysis of Lucy Dacus’s song “Triple Dog Dare”, the final song on her new album Home Video. The album stories a personal reckoning between Dacus’s queer identity and the Christian culture she was raised in.
“And the kid at the counter is gawking at your grace
I can tell what he’s thinking by the look on his face
Its not his fault, I’m sure I look the same
It’s what you do, but it’s not you I blame”
Blame is a central theme in this song, and the last line in this verse lands its monosyllabic blows with purpose and puncture. In this moment, Dacus admits her crush on her friend, and such simple lyrics reveal how this crush is weighing on her conscious. The cashier is not at fault, and neither is her friend. Dacus blames herself alone.
“Your mama read my palms
She wouldn't tell me what it was she saw
But after that, you weren't allowed to spend the night”
Dacus’s trademark simplicity and subtly continues with these lyrics. The event confirms a fear present throughout the entire album: that there is something tangibly different about Dacus, and she will be outed because of it.
“I want to run away and live on your family’s boat
It’s a triple dog dare, you’re a chicken if you don’t”
As the song progresses, we see Dacus overcome the blame she had previously subjugated herself to. Her feelings for her friend move her to make this pitch for freedom and escape from the family that has been trying to keep them apart. It’s childish, it’s honest, and it’s powerful. She is triple dog daring for a chance at happiness. This grand risk is a representation of childhood simultaneously loved and lost, and Dacus sings her dare with pride.
For more by Lucy Dacus, check out my personal favorites: “Hot and Heavy” and “Dream State….”
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