Popular song,a hitherto neglected field of cultural history,is a rich source for the study of social attitudes toward homosexuality. The 1920s-30s was an especially productive period in this respect. Songs about male homosexuals constitute by far the majority. The tone of the lyrics oscillates between mockery and ambiguity. The performers used frequently the degree of freedom and creativity offered them by the places where they performed:music halls and especially cabarets.Certain artists even used coded language to reach one segment of their public without shocking the rest. The songs generally employed derision when dealing with male homosexuals and ambiguity for lesbians. This article thus brings to light an important aspect of the homosexual subculture of the interwar period swept aside by the virile climate of the 1950s-60s and almost forgotten by the gay militancy of the 1970s.