👠 About the Song
“Sweet Transvestite” is where Rocky Horror truly drops its cape.
The lab doors open, smoke clears, and in struts Tim Curry — part Liberace, part Bowie, part chaos incarnate — declaring his alien fabulousness with absolute authority.
It’s glam rock theatre, burlesque camp, and blues swagger all stitched together with fishnets.
Musically, it’s not complicated — it’s just confident.
And on ukulele, it becomes even more outrageous: a cabaret confession turned pocket-sized strut.
The uke can’t do the brass stabs, but it can swagger.
And if you play it with the right amount of wink and hip — it’s pure gold.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll keep it in A major, which works well for the original melody and uke shapes.
You’ll need A, D, E7, and F#m.
Verse groove: [A] – [F#m] – [D] – [E7]
Chorus: [D] – [A] – [E7] – [A]
Tempo: around 110 bpm, with a sly swing — think strut, not march.
Strumming pattern: down–down–up–up–down–up with a snap on beats 2 and 4.
For extra drama, pause the strum at key lyrics (“How do you do…”) — timing is everything.
If you want more showbiz punch, use a little syncopation: short percussive strums alternating with open, ringing chords.
Singing tip:
Don’t sing this song — perform it.
Channel your inner Frank-N-Furter: dramatic vibrato, playful phrasing, flirtatious glances at imaginary audience members.
It’s camp with conviction.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- Tim Curry originated the role on stage in 1973 and defined it forever in the 1975 film.
- The song’s chord progression is pure 1950s blues — subversively familiar beneath all the glitter.
- Richard O’Brien and Richard Hartley intentionally kept the arrangement simple so the attitude did the heavy lifting.
- “Sweet Transvestite” was shot in one take — Curry nailed it cold.
- The lyric “I’ve been making a man with blond hair and a tan” was originally ad-libbed during rehearsal.
🌈 Final Word
“Sweet Transvestite” is self-acceptance turned performance art.
On ukulele, it’s not parody — it’s power.
It’s small instrument, big attitude.
Play it bold, lean into every pause, and remember: confidence is the new distortion pedal.
