Author Topic: "Tell Me About the Game You Won"- Feminist Music  (Read 55621 times)

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: "One step forward, five steps back" - Feminist Music
« Reply #30 on: December 18, 2008, 12:51:52 am »
<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/6117764-fc4.jpg" border="0" />

So, here I'm posting 2 songs by Le Tigre.  This is the second major band formed by the phenomenal Kathleen Hanna.  Hanna is most revered as one of the foundational riot grrrl musicians and the driving force behind the earlier band, Bikini Kill.  Le Tigre is a very experimental band that blends a punk sensibility with retro dance music and electronica.  This description sounds very odd, I'm sure, but their music is both very interesting (and even catchy sometimes) and very smart.  Hanna has such an interesting singing voice too... when she sings her voice can be truly beautiful and lyrical, but then when she wants she can adapt her voice to sound, really, really punk.

As with any riot grrrl band, there's a huge focus on feminist issues and it can usually be assumed that they're addressing a feminist and gay-friendly audience.  Le Tigre routinely addresses both feminist issues and gay rights issues (and often other social issues too) in their lyrics.  Their lyrics often verge on protest music.

The first one here is one of their most polemical songs from the album Feminist Sweepstakes , 2001.  Really, almost any song from this album is relevant to this thread, and I'll probably post a few more as time goes on.

<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/5897825-1d7.jpg" border="0" />



“F.Y.R.”

Ten short years of progressive change.
Fifty f’in years of calling us names.
Can we trade title nine for an end to hate crime?
RU-486 if we suck your f’in dick?
One step forward, five steps back.
One cool record in the year of rock-rap.

Yeah we got all the power getting stabbed in the shower
And we got equal rights on ladies night.

Feminists we’re calling you.
Please report to the front desk.
Let’s name this phenomenon.
It’s too dumb to bring us down.
F.Y.R. Fifty years of ridicule.
F.Y.R. Take another picture.

Mrs. Doubtfire on Mother’s Day.
On-the job stalker for equal pay.
Toss us a few new AIDS drugs as national healthcare bites the dust.
While you were on vacation black people didn’t get reparations.
You know these days no one’s exploited.
Sorry dude can’t hear you with my head in the toilet.

Feminists we’re calling you.
Please report to the front desk.
Let’s name this phenomenon.
It’s too dumb to bring us down.
F.Y.R. Fifty years of ridicule.
F.Y.R. Take another picture.

You’ve really come a long way baby.
It’s you not the world that’s totally crazy.
‘Cause we really rocked the vote with election fraud in poor zip codes.
Celebrate gay marriage in Vermont by enforcing those old sodomy laws.

One step forward, five steps back.
We tell the truth, they turn up the laugh track.
Feminists we’re calling you.
Please report to the front desk.
Let’s name this phenomenon.
It’s too dumb to bring us down.

I wonder whether we could be happy...


<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/6117765-425.jpg" border="0" />


And, I love this song about the problem of social apathy or inertia.

“Much Finer”

My mind’s on rewind and quicksand. (what?)
I was up all night doing nothing. (last night again?)
Do you wanna stay in bed all day? (yeah!)
Do you remember feeling any other way? (no!)

I must have been sleeping when you called.
I’m not feeling well at all. (cough, cough.)
I got this thing that’s been going around called please pretend that I’m out of town. (okay?)

I’ll make some coffee, put on some eyeliner.
I think I’ll find that things are fine and they’re gonna get much finer!

Hey look, I’m really sorry I couldn’t make it to your party.
I know it looks like I’m gonna cry. 
Got a to-do list behind my eyes.

So, go tell your friends I’m still a feminist.
But, I won’t be coming to your benefit.
I give up.
I give up.
I’ll be at home today.




the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: "One step forward, five steps back" - Feminist Music
« Reply #31 on: December 18, 2008, 02:51:15 am »
Wow, those are powerful lyrics, A.  I've never heard of Le Tigre.  I'm glad to be hanging with you young whippersnappers who keep me au courant.

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: "One step forward, five steps back" - Feminist Music
« Reply #32 on: December 18, 2008, 11:28:40 am »
Wow, those are powerful lyrics, A.  I've never heard of Le Tigre.  I'm glad to be hanging with you young whippersnappers who keep me au courant.

Thanks Elle! :)

And, I agree that I've already learned so much from this thread about different music.  And, I love hearing about people's different musical tastes and personal experiences and reactions to music.

the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline michaelflanagansf

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Re: "Can we be like drops of water" - Feminist Music
« Reply #33 on: December 24, 2008, 08:48:49 pm »
"The Rock Will Wear Away"  Lyrics by Holly Near, Music by Meg Christian

Hi all - Merry Xmas to you.

Currently I'm reading 'The Mayor of Castro Street' by Randy Shilts, Paul.  I don't know if you know this, but on the night that Harvey Milk was murdered this was the song that Cleve Jones recited at the beginning of the memorial march.

After a year of being told that we are as dangerous as global warming it is worth remembering these lyrics.  Thank you for posting this.

Online southendmd

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Re: "Can we be like drops of water" - Feminist Music
« Reply #34 on: December 24, 2008, 11:21:44 pm »
Hi all - Merry Xmas to you.

Currently I'm reading 'The Mayor of Castro Street' by Randy Shilts, Paul.  I don't know if you know this, but on the night that Harvey Milk was murdered this was the song that Cleve Jones recited at the beginning of the memorial march.

After a year of being told that we are as dangerous as global warming it is worth remembering these lyrics.  Thank you for posting this.

Thanks for that, Michael.  No, I didn't know that.  Good for Cleve. 

I've always thought that gay men and women have a lot to learn from one another. 

Merry Christmas to you, Michael.

Offline michaelflanagansf

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Re: "Can we be like drops of water" - Feminist Music
« Reply #35 on: December 28, 2008, 12:43:25 am »
Thanks for that, Michael.  No, I didn't know that.  Good for Cleve. 

I've always thought that gay men and women have a lot to learn from one another. 

Merry Christmas to you, Michael.

As have I, Paul.  I got a minor in Women's Studies when I got my B.A.

I'm a bit late to wish you a Merry Christmas - although I hope you had one - but Happy New Year!

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: "One step forward, five steps back" - Feminist Music
« Reply #36 on: December 28, 2008, 03:22:08 am »
Hi all - Merry Xmas to you.

Currently I'm reading 'The Mayor of Castro Street' by Randy Shilts, Paul.  I don't know if you know this, but on the night that Harvey Milk was murdered this was the song that Cleve Jones recited at the beginning of the memorial march.

After a year of being told that we are as dangerous as global warming it is worth remembering these lyrics.  Thank you for posting this.


Wow, Michael.  I hope Holly Near and Meg Christian know that.  They probably do.   Thanks for posting it, and nice to see you here!

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: "All my life is right before me" - Feminist Music
« Reply #37 on: April 03, 2009, 11:30:35 pm »

<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/midsize/5882813-b2d.jpg" border="0" />

A little while ago Sleater-Kinney came up in some discussions over at Facebook... so they've been on my mind a lot.  One cool thing about that exchange at Facebook is I discovered that one of my co-workers and I have so, so much in common in terms of taste in music.  Now that I know about her interest in Sleater-Kinney... it seems almost completely obvious that she'd be a fan of riot grrrl music like this... as if I should have somehow known or sensed it before the Facebook exchange.

Earlier in this thread I posted a song from what is probably they're best-known album called All Hands on the Bad One (2000).  And, for this post I thought I'd post a handful of songs from another one of their albums called Call the Doctor (1995), which I just love.  I listen to this album over and over.

S-K lyrics are hard to read this way, in linear fashion.  Many of their songs are sung "in the round"... or with two or more voices/ elements of these lyrics intertwining.

<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/midsize/5882798-11f.jpg" border="0" />

"Anonymous"

she's worried she's worried she's worried she said too much
and talking i'm talking she's talking like books i read
it's easy it's easy it's easy to shut yourself off
never on the record it'll never show up

she wants to be to be anonymous
i sign i sign i sign anonymous

feel safe, inside, inside those well drawn lines
boyfriend, a car, a job, my white girl life
she swallowed the spider to catch, to catch that fly
but i don't know why, why she swallowed that lie

she wants to be to be anonymous
i sign i sign i sign anonymous
she wants to be to be like everybody else
i sign i sign i sign anonymous

not enough for you to know
not enough for you to own
not enough for you to know
not enough for you to own

she wants to be to be anonymous
i sign i sign i sign anonymous

these words are all i have
these words are who i am


<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/midsize/5882809-08b.jpg" border="0" />

"Stay Where You Are"

i can't find you
stay where you are
i'm in the dark
stay where you are

(i'm alright
i feel fine
you're my life
i'm alright)

she's dead if you want and that's me if you want
stuffed in the corner, "little girl lost"
and i claw and i scratch and i beg and i scream
i just need you to save me one last time
it's me if you want but it's not what i want
i want to burn up the place
set it on fire
she's bad because she wants to not be contained
i can't tell the truth, i can't speak this way

you can't find me
you're in the dark
i'm right here
stay where you are

(i'm alright
i feel fine
you're my life
i'm alright)

she's dead if you want and that's me if you want
stuffed in the corner, "little girl lost"
and i claw and i scratch and i beg and i scream
i just need you to save me one last time
it's me if you want but it's not what i want
i want to burn up the place
set it on fire
she's bad because she wants to set things on fire
i can't tell the truth, i can't speak this way

stay where, where, where you are
i'm where, where, where you are

(i'm alright
i feel fine
you're my life
i'm alright)

she's dead if you want and that's me if you want
stuffed in the corner, "little girl lost"
i claw and i scratch and i beg and i scream
i just need you to save me this time
it's me if you want but it's not what i want
i want to burn it up
set it on fire
she's bad because she wants to not be contained
i can't tell the truth, i won't speak your way


<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/midsize/5882811-47f.jpg" border="0" />

"Taking Me Home"

you come here to my work
you come here every day
to make sure i'm still here
you look at me that way

rings on my fingers and
bows in my hair
you think i'm your present
you'll unwrap me here

is this a bad dream
is this really my life
well you wanna know
you'll show me tonight

NOT FOR SALE
NOT YOUR GIRL
NOT YOUR THING

i'm here on the counter
with no money down
for nine ninety nine
you're taking me home

a dozen red roses
a cheap little house
a cheap little ring
the deal is cut, now

something is messed up here
something isn't right
we're supposed to be free
i'm supposed to be mine

this part of my body
that you're pricing now
i'm cutting it off
i'm throwing it out

NOT FOR SALE
NOT YOUR GIRL
NOT YOUR THING

i got me mixed up with somebody else
i got me mixed up with somebody else



<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/midsize/5882810-02b.jpg" border="0" />

"Call the Doctor"

they want to socialize you
they want to purify you
they want to dignify, analyze and terrorize you

this is love and you can't make it
(look out they want what you know)
in a formula or shake me
(steal a kid break a heart steal the show)
i'm your monster i'm not like you
(peel back the skin see what's there)
all your life is written for you
(i'll never show you what's in here)

your life is good for one thing
you're messing with what's sacred
they want to simplify your needs and likes
to sterilize you

this is love and you can't make it
(don't need you to explain the pain)
in a formula or break me
(i can prove to you it's all fake)
i'm your monster i'm just like you
(she's dead but she can stand she can walk)
all my life is right before you
(call the doctor miracle she can talk)

call the doctor
(you)
call the doctor
(are)
call the doctor
(not)
call the doctor
(me)
call the doctor
(YOU)
call the doctor
(ARE)
call the doctor
(NOT)
call the doctor
(ME)

this is love and you can't break it
(this is not really me at all)
in a formula or make me
(stunt girl daring twirls watch me fall)
i'm no monster i'm just like you
(carbon copy same body different hearts)
all my life is right before me
(can't tell anymore the real parts)


<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/midsize/5882795-c10.jpg" border="0" />

the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Online southendmd

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"Mothers, Daughters, Wives" by Judy Small
« Reply #38 on: November 11, 2009, 10:42:40 pm »
In honor of Veteran's Day.  Judy Small is an Australian singer-songwriter.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find her version on youtube.  I heard Judy sing this at Harvard 25 years ago.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8AIU4q42mk[/youtube]

Online southendmd

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"The Rock Will Wear Away" - Feminist Music
« Reply #39 on: November 11, 2009, 11:05:52 pm »

:-* again, Paul.  I love that song, and have sung it many, many, many times, though not much in the last decade+.  I tried to find it on YouTube too, but couldnah.


Good things come to those who wait!  I found it!

"The Rock Will Wear Away"  sung by Meg Christian:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNCQZoaI2Uo[/youtube]