Pop Singer Surprises Street Performer Singing His Song

Today in things that happen about as often as a James Cameron film, a street performer video that’s actually interesting.

At first, the video looks like just another average guitarist on the street, shot by another pedestrian who doesn’t know how to hold his or her phone horizontally. But 30 seconds into Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy,” the epic pop-synth ’80s hit/LGBT anthem, original singer Jimmy Somerville comes and surprises the guitar player.

Why people were recording him in the first place is kind of confusing, but the video is pretty awesome. Somerville rocks, and his dog is adorable. More importantly, the performer is appropriately surprised, humbled and upstaged.

Of course, no post about “Smalltown Boy” would be complete without noting that the song was spectacularly used in season three of Skins, when Emily is in tears at a bus stop. It’s then that she tells Thomas she’s a lesbian and Thomas lends her his shoes anyway in sublime dramatic form.