The performance of “Sweet Transvestite” begins with Brad and Janet entering a space where they are clearly the outsiders. All of the characters in the space are dressed in similar tuxedo-style costumes and seem more avant-garde while Brad and Janet are walking in dressed in preppy-style pink and khaki clothing. Brad and Janet are clearly uncomfortable with their surroundings and attempt to leave the space. A drum beat starts as Brad and Janet begin arguing, with Janet becoming increasingly anxious about the circumstance they are in and Brad trying to calm here down. As Brad and Janet are leaving the room, we see someone coming down an elevator but all you can see is their foot tapping to the beat, signaling that the drum beat that is playing is their song and not Brad and Janet’s. The elevator comes to a stop and Dr. Frank-N-Furter turns around, causing Janet to rather dramatically scream and faint as a guitar riff comes in, emphasizing the chaos of the moment and announcing the beginning of the song. The mere sight of seeing a man in makeup made Janet faint, underscoring the idea that the visual appearance of someone like Dr. Frank-N-Furter was not accepted by society and was met with fear, perhaps due to a lack of understanding. Tim Curry sings “Sweet Transvestite” directly to Brad and Janet, establishing the connection that the message of the song is meant for them and what they represent.
In terms of instrumentation, the song includes electric and bass guitars, piano, drums, and saxophone. When Dr. Frank-N-Furter begins the song by melodically talking to Brad and Janet, a cowbell-like instrument is used to keep a steady beat while a saxophone comes in on the downbeat after each set of lyrics, emphasizing what Dr. Frank-N-Furter is saying. A guitar and drum come in to accompany the cowbell-like beat as Dr. Frank-N-Furter walks toward the stage, building up the energy of the song. The build-up eventually culminates in Dr. Frank-N-Furter ripping off his cape to start the chorus and revealing his suggestive outfit at the same time as a piano run. The piano takes over as the main instrument, keeping the beat while a saxophone is used to highlight the smooth, sexual movements that Dr. Frank-N-Furter is performing on stage.
The combination of the saxophone, piano, and drums gives the song a 1950s rock and roll sound. This era of rock and roll did not have the rebellious undertone that rock and roll in the 1970s did and was still a rather conservative, mainstream form of music. As we have described Brad and Janet as being a conservative representation of societal norms, this rock sound would resonate more with them than it would with someone like Dr. Frank-N-Furter. 1950s rock is used in this song in order to make the suggestive and surprising lyrics of “Sweet Transvestite” more palatable for Brad and Janet who are obviously out of their element and experiencing something totally new. Dr. Frank-N-Furter is taking back an old form of rock and almost using it against those who it was meant for by disguising “Sweet Transvestite” as a 1950s rock song.
As Brad talks to Dr. Frank-N-Furter during the second verse, the music dissipates, further emphasizing that Brad and Janet are not necessarily an incorporated part of the song and that they are the audience of the song. The second chorus is even more energetic than the first and includes the other characters singing backup to Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The end of the performance takes on a call and response style between Dr. Frank-N-Furter and the instruments in the song. As he invites Brad and Janet to stay, each time he concludes speaking there is a quick beat of notes from the piano, drums, and guitar met with a camera shot of Brad and Janet’s reaction to the lyrics. Dr. Frank-N-Furter is then dramatically whisked away on the elevator, leaving Brad and Janet in a much less anxious state than they were at the beginning of the song as they are now familiar with Dr. Frank-N-Furter and are able to see him as more than just his appearance.
The visual aspect of the performance of “Sweet Transvestite” that immediately draws the viewer’s attention is the costumes. There is a stark visual contrast between Brad and Janet and Dr. Frank-N-Furter, establishing that the characters do not come from the same place and do not represent the same values. While Janet and Brad are clad in typical, everyday clothing that would not make anybody look twice, other characters in the performance, namely Dr. Frank-N-Furter, are dressed in ways that cement the piece’s place in glam rock lore. Wearing heavy white face makeup, lipstick, eye shadow, and black lingerie, Dr. Frank-N-Furter is the very embodiment of gender fluidity and camp in this scene and throughout the film. Appearing in lingerie is a rather extreme way to express femininity and adds to the rebellious nature of the gesture because it is provocative on multiple levels. Not only is a man wearing women’s clothing but he is wearing lingerie, the most sexual form of women’s clothing. Dr. Frank-N-Furter is also, rather ironically, donning a large pearl necklace which is usually a quintessential accessory of a white, conservative woman. This accessory highlights his femininity and is perhaps signifying that Dr. Frank-N-Furter actually has more in common with Brad and Janet than one might think and that people with different opinions and beliefs can co-exist and find mutual respect.
Lines such as, “Don’t get strung out by the way I look/Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” further support that point, along with further strengthening the message of accepting alternative modes of expression (YouTube, Sweet Transvestite). This, coinciding with the proud exclamations, “I’m just a sweet transvestite/Sweet Transvestite!/From Transexual, Transylvania” (YouTube, Sweet Transvestite) throughout the chorus highlight the importance of his outward expression of sexuality and gender to the rest of the film. Dr. Frank-N-Furter recognizes that he looks different and that people may not understand why he looks like that, but he emphasizes that his words are actually what matter about him and not his appearance. Janet was frightened by his appearance as it was something that she was unfamiliar with, but by the end of the scene Janet was rather intrigued by Dr. Frank-N-Furter and the message he was sharing. His appearance is a way for him to express how he feels but it is not what defines his character. In a display of choreography and song that is both playful, passionate, and all around sexually tense, Dr. Frank-N-Furter describes who he is and what he is doing in the house. Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s performance is overtly sexual in nature and clashes with society’s heteronormative sexual standards, especially when accompanied by the lyrics, “I’ll show you my favorite obsession/ I’ve been making a man/ With blonde hair and a tan/ And he’s good for relieving my t-t-tension” (YouTube, Sweet Transvestite).