Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire

Xena: Warrior Princess episode
“Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire”
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 10 (Xena 103; XWP #100)
Guest star(s)	Ted Raimi (Joxer/Jace); Jay Laga'aia (Draco); Darien Takle (Cyrene); Gillian Iliana Waters (Amoria); Tony Bishop (Alabardus); Paul Norell (Falafel); Grant Bridger (Farmer Paxon); Jim Ngaata (Maximinimus)
Writer(s)	Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster
Director	Mark Beesley
Production no.	#V0911
Original airdate	1999 Jan. 17
Episode chronology
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"Seeds of Faith"	"Punch Lines"
List of Xena episodes

Xena interrupts a conflict between the Amazons and Draco over Terpsichore's golden lyre; she organizes a battle of the bands in nearby Melodia (the music capitol of Greece) to determine who gets possession of the lyre.

Joxer is embarrassed over his gay brother Jace. Gabrielle has to find off the amorous Draco (last seen in A Comedy of Eros). Xena has to fend off her mother Cyrene's efforts to find her a new husband. Joxer flirts with Amoria, the leader of the Amazons.

A Xena musical episode. This time, unlike The Bitter Suite, the music isn't original; the songs are covers, with lyrics adapted as necessary.

Funny Woodstock parody: Gabrielle warns the audience that there's some bad souvlaki going around, so stay away fromo the souvlaki.

With all the queer stuff done through innuendo and subtext, it's rare to see out-and-out homophobia. Joxer's discomfort with his brother's lifestyle is subtextual homophobia, but Draco's homophobia is overt:

Draco (to Jace): "You fall off the circus wagon, boy? We don't like your kind around here, freak."

Xena: "Draco!"

Gabrielle: "Let's take him."

Draco: "But, Gabrielle-- I am just trying to keep you from being infected by-- by this lily-livered panty-twist!"

Songs from the episode:

• "War" (Edwin Starr) - Sung by Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer; with backup by the Amazons and Draco
• "Gettin' Ready / The Telephone Hour" from "Bye Bye Birdie" - Sung by all the Villagers as they plan to audition
• "Dancing in the Moonlight" (King Harvest) - Sung by Jace's hammy and faggy brother Jace, along with a band of barechested muscular backups in shiny gold shorts and not much else.
• "Always Something There To Remind Me" (Naked Eyes) - punk version sung by Draco and his men
• "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" (Aretha Franklin/Eurythmics) (Xena sings it to her mother, with Amazonian backup (Amoria takes some of the lines too); to say get off her case about finding a man to be a father)
• Kick Out the Jams (MC5) - Draco
• Xena & Draco rap competition
• "People Got To Be Free" (Rascals) - Xena and whole cast

Soundtrack issued with original music and other snips from the episode, along with other music, including:

• "We Can Work It Out" (Beatles) - Gabrielle & Xena duet; not in the show but on the soundtrack