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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Songs about feminism

33 replies

DuelingFanjo · 04/12/2014 15:41

Hi there, 'Scuse me for posting such a trivial thing but someone has asked me for 'songs about feminism' and wikipedia is suggesting things like

'bag it up' Geri Halliwell and 'express yourself' by Madonna.

Are there any songs about feminism that are really about feminism?

I am thinking about artists like Michelle shocked and Alanis Morrisette but there must be more? PJ Harvey 'Shelia Na Gig' perhaps?

OP posts:

Report

DuelingFanjo · 04/12/2014 15:46

or songs with a feminist theme.

OP posts:

stubbornstains · 04/12/2014 15:50

I don't know about songs about feminism, but I do have my mental Best Feminist Songs Ever playlist:

"Carey"- Joni Mitchell

"Germ Free Adolescent"- X Ray Spex

"Oh Bondage Up Yours"- again, X Ray Spex- these songs are 40 years old, and have yet to be supplanted by better feminist anthems, IMHO.

"All I wanna do is have some fun"- Sheryl Crowe

And, yes, "Sheela na Gig", definitely!

stubbornstains · 04/12/2014 15:53

I should add, not all of the above are overtly waving the feminist flag;- half of them are my feminist anthems because they are simply about women doing Whatever the Fuck They Want, as opposed to worrying about behaving the way they're expected to.

FollowTheStarship · 04/12/2014 15:56

The Peggy Seeger song "I'm Gonna be an engineer" is quite clear on the matter...

lyrics

I remember singing this as a teenager in right-on lefty land in the 80s!

FollowTheStarship · 04/12/2014 16:00

I also love "Isobel" by bjork and think of it as a feminist anthem (and in fact a lot of her songs are about independence, anger, women's view of sex etc.)

And Lucinda Williams "Side of the Road" is a great song about the need to be alone and true to yourself when you're in a relationship. I love that song.

FollowTheStarship · 04/12/2014 16:05

Also of course eurhythmics Sisters are doing it for themselves, though it's a bit cheesy. It was with Aretha Franklin and "Respect" is a classic feminist song.

SunnyBaudelaire · 04/12/2014 16:07

Jessie J Price Tag

KnittingChristmasJumpers · 04/12/2014 16:30

Dixie Chicks - Not Ready to Make Nice.

Not exactly feminist as it's about them not shutting up about the Iraq war, but it is about them refusing to be ornamental and not saying their views.

Fiftyplusmum · 04/12/2014 16:32

Greenham Common song book
image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2007/05/21/YourGreenham_song_book.pdf

Well, women against nuclear war...
Although, are feminists necessarily anti-war?

BertieBotts · 04/12/2014 16:33

I know it's not supposed to be about feminism but I think "Read all about it" by Emile Sande describes feminism pretty well.

BertieBotts · 04/12/2014 16:34

"If I were a boy" by Beyonce describes how she would behave non-abusively if she was a man, although it does end with "But I'm just a girl, and you're just a boy" so pretty defeatest.

SconeRhymesWithGone · 04/12/2014 16:43

The March of the Women, the anthem of the Women's Suffrage Movement is very stirring:

DuelingFanjo · 04/12/2014 16:52

Ah wow - thank you so much :)

It's for a regional radio programme - it's only half an hour and supposed to be a 'look at feminism through the ages' so not sure really how they plan on covering it all but these should help.

OP posts:

ArsenicSoup · 04/12/2014 16:55

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Woman

SconeRhymesWithGone · 04/12/2014 17:00

I almost cross-posted with Arsenic. I Am Woman is the anthem of the second wave.

SconeRhymesWithGone · 04/12/2014 17:14

This is interesting.

Feminist Guide to Country Music

stubbornstains · 04/12/2014 19:23

Ooh, you must let us know when it's on!

cherubimandseraphim · 04/12/2014 19:26

I'm not necessarily a fan of it, but I suppose Lily Allen, Hard Out Here

WrigleysBum · 04/12/2014 19:32

Pretend that we're dead by L7
Apparently it's not about feminism but it should be!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAdlZ2F-fs8

mrscumberbatch · 04/12/2014 19:35

Noisettes (lead singer Shingai Shoniwa) always have good strong female perspective.

There is still songs about vulnerable relationships but its very balanced on the whole.

She has worked with Annie Lennox of recent.

DuelingFanjo · 05/12/2014 00:07

It'll be in Welsh.

They are seeking Welsh feminist songs too, not sure if I can help them out with that!

OP posts:

TsukuruTazaki · 05/12/2014 00:14

You need to listen to Ani di Franco!

Absolute legend. Plenty of feminist songs.

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kickassangel · 05/12/2014 00:19

Sarah Bareilles, God if Everything

YonicScrewdriver · 05/12/2014 07:47

I'm the Girl, Heather Nova.

YonicScrewdriver · 05/12/2014 07:55

This may help - and if you can track down the original IWD thread it would be even better!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/1416183-Womens-Music-CHAT-THREAD

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