Not Natural

Album: Bold (1997)
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Songfacts®:

  • Running to 3 minutes 34 seconds and credited to producers Cedric and Victor Caldwell with Cedric's wife Angie Winans and sister Debra, this down-tempo gospel number ruffled a few feathers. What's not natural? Homosexuality, according to the song. The song was inspired by an episode of the American TV series Ellen. According to Debbie Winans in the November 24, 1997 issue of Jet: "It was written that day after [Ellen Degeneres] came out... The Lord inspired the song."

    Predictably, the LGBT community kicked up a storm; the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation branded it a song of "deep hate" and lobbied the Winans' record company, to no avail.

    Although it takes a swipe at homosexuality, "Not Natural" is similar in content to Joni Mitchell's "Sex Kills," and is broadly an attack on sex outside marriage, the commercialization of sex, etc., just the sort of thing one would expect from the sisters given their background with the church. Said Debbie: "We want to point people back to Jesus and his way of doing things." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

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