Queer Music

What Made "Raw Deal" by Judas Priest Singer Rob Halford's Coming-Out Moment

Setting The Scene

For younger listeners who had no understanding of gay culture, it might have seemed like the character in the song walked into a bar with some macho types and was trying to sort out the vibe of the room. It could even have felt like a scene from a western due to the line I cased the joint / straining at the seams. But in reality, Halford's lyrics were about a man walking into a gay bar on New York's Fire Island, a popular LGBTQ haven off the south shore of Long Island, and checking out the action. "Straining at the seams" took on a different connotation especially when he seemingly hooked up with someone in the bar.