Some songs take decades to reveal what they’re really about.

Back in the 90s when 20-year-old Steven Page wrote “What a Good Boy,” he understood it as a plea to ease up on restrictive gender expectations that harmed boys and girls. But as he performed it over the years, he realized it was about much more than that.

The stirring anthem has become a greater exploration of gender identity and sexuality, a perennial wrestle against a binary world's hostility to people who don't fit the mold—trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, gay, or otherwise.

Page, a founding member of the smash-hit band Barenaked Ladies now enjoying his solo career, has spent much of his life writing songs to explore vulnerability, humor, grief, and joy, a signature blend of comedy and tragedy.

In this discussion, Page reflects on how "What A Good Boy" came to be, and what it's like to have his creation become part of someone else’s becoming.

Full transcript is available here at relationscapes.org. But you'll want to hear this one!

Show Notes

A.R. Moxon, The Reframe
Steven Page, "Where Do You Stand?"
Steven Page, "White Noise"
Barenaked Ladies, "What a Good Boy"
David Friend, "Steven Page project takes political turn with new album," Toronto Star (Sept. 21, 2018)

Fellow Traveler Episodes

Nonbinary Thinking (with Eris Young)
The Challenges of Parenting Trans Kids (with Abi Maxwell)
A Haunted Trans Story (with Kyle Lukoff)
What The News Isn't Telling You About Trans Teenagers (with Nico Lang)
Black and Beyond the Binary (with KB Brookins)
How to Support Trans Youth (with Ben V. Greene)
The Incredible Brain Science About Sex and Gender (with Daphna Joel)
Recovering Queer Black History for Everybody (with George M. Johnson)

About the Guest

Steven Page is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founding member of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Since going solo, Page has released five albums, he performs with groups like the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, and he publicly advocates on issues including mental and behavioral health. He has three sons and lives in New York with his partner, Christine Benedicto. I'm not sure if he has any dogs or cats, and I forgot to ask him. Join his Patreon at patreon.com/c/stevenpage.

MINI EPISODE: What a Good Boy, with Steven Page