Village People sailor changes tune on Trump’s use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’: ‘He’s having a lot of fun with it’

Numerous artists have complained about President-elect Donald Trump’s use of their songs at his rallies.

The sailor in the Village People is no longer among them.

“I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of ’Y.M.C.A.’ And I thank him for choosing to use my song,” wrote Victor Willis in a lengthy Facebook post.

Mr. Willis said he was touched by Mr. Trump’s use of “Y.M.C.A.” and his signature dance move, which has swept the nation and taken the song to the top of the charts.

“I said to my wife one day, hey, Trump seems to genuinely like Y.M.C.A. and he’s having a lot of fun with it,” he wrote.

“As such, I simply didn’t have the heart to prevent his continued use of my song in the face of so many artists withdrawing his use of their material” said Mr. Willis, who wrote the lyrics to the hit song.

Mr. Willis said that in response to “over a thousand complaints,” he had asked the Trump campaign not to use it any more, though he acknowledged that the Trump campaign had bought usage rights from Broadcast Music Inc. and thus was within its rights.

Now, the disco-era singer wrote Monday, he doesn’t want to withdraw any future licensing.

“I told my wife to inform BMI to not withdraw the Trump campaign political use license” and also call off the legal dogs in a French case “because it is a U.S. matter, and I will make the decision on his use,” he said.

There was some ulterior motive to Mr. Trump’s use of “Y.M.C.A.,” Mr. Willis acknowledged.

When it was a hit at the start of 1979, it spent three weeks at #2 on the Billboard charts, kept off the top spot by Chic’s “Le Freak” and Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.”

“However, the song finally made it to #1 on a Billboard chart after over 45 years (and held on to #1 for two weeks) due to the President Elect’s use … Y.M.C.A. is estimated to gross several million dollars since the President Elect’s continued use of the song,” Mr. Willis exulted.

Mr. Trump’s signature swivel dance to “Y.M.C.A.” has also spread beyond MAGA rallies, as numerous NFL players since Mr. Trump’s election victory have adopted it as a celebratory dance after touchdowns or other big plays.