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Original poster

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:
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.

SunnyBaudelaire · 04/12/2014 16:07

Jessie J Price Tag

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.

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 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!

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.

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!

Original poster
DuelingFanjo · 04/12/2014 15:46

or songs with a feminist theme.

OP posts: