Despite the end of Women’s History Month, it is important to remember the struggles women face in a patriarchal society year-round. Women have developed a rich collection of songs addressing their experiences, which are not only catchy, but inspiring and informative.
This week’s playlist starts with “King” by Florence + The Machine. Florence Welch sings, “I am no mother, I am no bride, I am king.” With these lyrics, Welch reminds listeners that women are much more than the roles a patriarchal society places upon them. She ends with “I was never as good as I always thought I was / But I knew how to dress it up,” expressing the pressure women feel to be perfect.
Multiple songs from SOFIA ISELLA can be found on the playlist. She recently released “Numbers 31:17-18,” which provides commentary on the bible verses it is named after. At the start of the song, ISELLA modernizes the language of the verses, muttering, “Now kill all the boys / And kill every woman who has had sex with a man / But save for yourselves the young girls who have not had sex with a man.”
ISELLA then critiques how Christianity treats women by singing, “The women are ghosts, they are sheets, they’re compliant / God made their voices and demanded their silence / Oh isn’t it strange, the morality of god / Caters to the ones in control, how strange, how odd.”
Rhiannon Giddens is an American musician who makes eclectic folk music and draws inspiration from work songs sung by enslaved people. She will be performing in Boone on April 18 in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.
Her song “At the Purchaser’s Option” emphasizes the exploitation of women’s bodies both during 19th-century American slavery and modernly. “I’ve got a body dark and strong / I was young but not for long / You took me to bed a little girl / Left me in a woman’s world,” Giddens sings.
Paris Paloma is another recurring artist on this week’s playlist. Though her song “labour” arguably put her on the map, her discography consists of numerous feminist anthems. “Good Boy” in particular is interesting as it speaks directly to men who are complicit in upholding the patriarchy. Throughout the song, Paloma compares these men to obedient dogs.
The song begins with an introduction spoken by British actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson: “I knew one day I’d have to watch powerful men burn the world down / I just didn’t expect them to be such losers,” Thompson says.
In Paloma’s lyrics, she speaks to men, explaining they will never truly be rewarded by the patriarchy: “Good boy, you’re working exactly as intended / Has the penny dropped? You’re never gonna get it / Unrewarded for all of your defending / From your loneliness epidemic,” she sings.
This playlist uses feminist anthems to uplift not only women but everyone. Feminism is not misandry — the hatred of men. Instead, it is about equality.
