PRIDE MONTH SPECIAL! Mod Strings has Opinions: Santa Fe and Jackâs Sexuality
Newsies is a film, later adapted into a stage musical, about the newsboy strike of 1899. Although in both versions of the show, the main character, Jack Kelly, had a female love interest, almost all fans of the show agree that he isnât straight. The reason for this unanimous decision could be found in Jackâs solo songs about his real true love- the city of Santa Fe- which show through metaphor, word choice, and personification that he is attracted to men as well as women.
In the stage version, Newsiesâ opening song is called Santa Fe (Prologue). In this song, Jack sings to his best friend Crutchie about how wonderful it is in Santa Fe. During the song, he emphasizes one thing over and over- a feeling of community and acceptance. He says that in Santa Fe, âYour friends are more like family/ and theyâs begging you to stayââ. Sadly, LGBTQ people are often disowned or lose connection with their families, so itâs natural for them to want a new one. For people who lost contact with their relations, a strong friend group often becomes their new âfamilyâ. He also tells his friend that âno one cares about no bum leg in Santa Feâ. This imagined acceptance of disabled people could carry over to other minorities, such as LGBTQ people. Finally, both boys sing that they âwonât beg no one to treat (them) fair and squareâ- something that LGBTQ people still have to do to this day. Jackâs portrayal of Santa Fe as a place that accepts someone for who they are could contrast the way he is treated by straight society.
Just because Santa Fe is an accepting place doesnât mean that Jack will find a traditional family. In fact, he seems to want the opposite. The movie version of Santa Fe opens with the lines âSo thatâs what they call a family/ Mother, daughter, father, son/ Guess that everythinâ you heard about is true/ So you ainât got any family/ Well who said you needed one?/ Ainât you glad nobodyâs waiting up for you?â. A âMother, daughter, father, sonâ is considered the ânormalâ family in America. It is also a heterosexual family, with two straight parents who each spend more time with their child of the same gender. Jack sings âSo you ainât got any family/ Well who said you needed one?â, even though the rest of the musical makes it clear he wants a family. In reality, what he doesnât want is a traditional, straight life.
Santa Fe is associated with freedom, in contrast to Jackâs fugitive lifestyle in New York. In the movie version of the song Santa Fe, Jack sings âSanta Fe/ My old friend/ I canât spend my whole life hidinââ. In the musical version, he sings that when he goes to Santa Fe, there will be âNo more running, no more lyingâ. A closeted LGBT person might feel like theyâre hiding their true self, or be guilty about âlyingâ to family. Although literally Jack is talking about not having to worry about going to jail, that could also be related to his sexuality- as gay sex was a crime in the USA in 1899. Going to Santa Fe then becomes a metaphor for finally coming out - and being accepted.
The most concrete piece of evidence for Jack not being straight might be found in the personification of Santa Fe. In the movie, Jack asks âSanta Fe, my old friend/ Do you swear you wonât forget me?/ If I found you, would you let me come and stay?â. By calling Santa Fe âyouâ and âmy old friendâ the song creates an idealized person that Jack is talking to. The songs no longer are about the whole city, but one person who lives there. He also sings that âWhen the cityâs finally sleeping/ all my thoughts begin to stray/ and Iâm on a train thatâs bound/ for Santa Feâ. Someoneâs thoughts straying is often used to indicate that theyâre thinking of a crush or lover, and âwhen the cityâs finally sleepingâ implies that Jack has to keep this love secret- as he would if he was in love with a boy. The song Santa Fe may not be about the city, but about the male lover Jack wishes he had.
Although Santa Fe could be taken literally, there is an undeniable double meaning in the songs. Whether they intended it or not, the songwriters used metaphors, word choice, and personification to show that Jack Kelly is a member of the LGBTQ community.