my favorite song with a feminist message

[arely staircase]

[DreamGypsy]

1. I don't like the signs that the sign makers make.

I didn't recall Sally Ann as I listened. The song was not familiar, but I pulled out the Natalie Merchant CDs and found it on The House Carpenter's Daughter. It's not her song - 'twas written by the Horseflies - Jeff Klaus lyrics, music by Jeff, Judy Hyman, and Dirk Powell. I struggled a bit with characterization as a song with a feminist message - the women are present, though distant - a woman of beauty, a woman of pain, of kindness, of chances, of color; but the direct subject is male - you go home with Sally Ann, you go home. Made me think about meanings ..

Well, the beauty of songs is that people hear different messages...

If I were to choose a Natalie Merchant feminist song, I'd pick Motherland. Yes, the scope is wider than just the woman's movement, but character references are to Women: the five&dime queen, the shotgun bride. So ....

Whew. That was intense.

Given the opportunity to chose a different artist for a song with a strong feminist message...well, I'd have to pick Dar Williams. First, there's the classic from my earlier days, As Cool As I Am -

Now, though, as my wife has just turned 70...years that is...another Dar Williams song rings more clearly in my heart. The recording here is (I think) from a Joan Baez album ... a Joan and Dar duet ... of Dar's song You're Aging Well.

Thanks for the post, Arely Staircase! I hope you appreciate my song choices as much as I appreciated yours!

[arely staircase]

2. thanks, i like those and had never heard them before

and yeah, I think all of house carpenter's daughter is a collection of covers. and you are absolutely right - "the you go home with" is a message to men.

edited to say I have heard motherland and love it - I m a huge nm fan, going back to 10,000 maniacs days.

thanks for turning me on to the others.

[Zax2me]

3. Always liked Carly Simon's You're So Vain

Simple, hits to the basic treating of women as objects that is the center of misogyny.

[arely staircase]

4. i read somewhere that song was specifically about Warren Beatty

after she broke up with him and a jab at his arrogance.

You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and...

You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't You?

Great song by a great songwriter, but the misogyny is still mocked whether it is general or specific to Beatty