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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

What love songs are not sexist?

97 replies

DeviTheGaelet · 09/12/2016 12:51

Discuss....

OP posts:
HardcoreLadyType · 10/12/2016 20:31

Every Breath You Take isn't a "slightly stalkerish" love song. It's a song about obsession. It's not even trying to be a love song.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 10/12/2016 20:25

Sorry Oleanna but those lyrics are crap ! I can't imagine them being sung by a woman to a man, or a man to a man or a woman to another woman.

In complete contrast to On top of the World - Love has No Pride

I recommend Bonnie Raitt's version but Billy Bragg, amongst others, turns it round.

OlennasWimple · 10/12/2016 19:06

^You're insecure,
Don't know what for,
You're turning heads when you walk through the door,
Don't need make-up, to cover up,
Being the way that you are is enough

Everyone else in the room can see it,
Everyone else but you

Baby you light up my world like nobody else,
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,
You don't know, oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful,
If only you saw what I can see,
You'll understand why I want you so desperately,
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,
You don't know, oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh,
That's what makes you beautiful

So come on, you got it wrong,
To prove I'm right, I put it in a song,
I don't know why, you're being shy,
And turn away when I look into your eye eye eyes

Everyone else in the room can see it,
Everyone else but you

Baby you light up my world like nobody else,
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,
You don't know, oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful,
If only you saw what I can see,
You'll understand why I want you so desperately,
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,
You don't know, oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh,
That's what makes you beautiful

Baby you light up my world like nobody else,
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,
You don't know, oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful^

Hmmm, could be sung by a woman to a man with very few changes. The only body parts mentioned are eyes (in passing) and hair (and then only in relation to being touched).

Works pretty well for me as a non-sexist song (note - am not trying to claim that it's a feminist anthem Smile )

Yy to the Carpenters' Top of the World

overthehillandroundthemountain · 10/12/2016 17:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

neonrainbow · 10/12/2016 17:26

Nothing else matters by metallica.

Lucille2 · 10/12/2016 17:25

I Got Love by The King Blues

A friend of mine had it as their wedding song and it was lovely. It even says in one of the verses "We are one people, we are equal."

BroomstickOfLove · 10/12/2016 16:47

The main message of That's What Makes You Beautiful is that low self-esteem is a highly attractive quality in a woman.

KanyesVest · 10/12/2016 16:39

Olenna, I disagree about thats what makes you beautiful. To me it seems like the girl's view of herself is irrelevant, she should be delighted that he's looking at her and deemed her worthy of his gaze. And to cap it off, no matter how she feels, his view (of her looks and hair flicking) trumps hers, "to prove I'm right I put it in a song".

BikeRunSki · 10/12/2016 06:31

Natalie Merchant is an amazing singer. I could listen to "Tiger Lily" for ever.

BikeRunSki · 10/12/2016 06:29

Prettiest Eyes- the Beautiful South
Fairytale of New York

Both songs about established relationships reflecting on the good and bad times, neither party idolises the other and they acknowledge the bad stuff too.

Beatmy808 · 10/12/2016 06:02

George Benson - In Your Eyes
Lene Marlin - Maybe I'll Go

SelfCleaningVagina · 10/12/2016 05:41

oops sorry that's already been said! She's one of my favourites.

SelfCleaningVagina · 10/12/2016 05:40

Devi that singer is Natalie Merchant and she's made lots of solo albums since then, She is magnificent. Have a listen.

OlennasWimple · 10/12/2016 00:39

Isn't she lovely - Stevie Wonder (written for his newborn daughter)

That's what makes you beautiful - One Direction

glenthebattleostrich · 10/12/2016 00:18

Nothing else matters by Metallica is just beautiful. It was out first dance song and remains one of my favorites of all time

PreemptiveSalvageEngineer · 10/12/2016 00:12

Ok, this is neither here nor there, but I've always wondered, and maybe you sarky bitches Xmas Grin wise people can help with this:

When a boy band is singing - indeed, taking it in turns to sing - all sorts of blether to (almost always, just a generic...) "girl", are all 3-5 members of the band singing to the same girl, or different ones? If the former, isn't that a little kinky? Or at very least a recipe for heartbreak and disaster?....

VestalVirgin · 09/12/2016 22:55

It is about a werewolf turning her beloved man into a werewolf too and them prowling the forests at night forever together ... but it works for both sexes, and can be sung by a man without it sounding strange.

KanyesVest · 09/12/2016 22:21

If I will survive is in there, can I include Firework by Katy Perry? Even though it makes me think of dd rather than a romantic love.

glitterandtinsel · 09/12/2016 22:07

Every breath you take is about sting being divorced from his wife. He is stalking her as she has dumped him. This song gives me the creeps as I was stalked by an ex.
It's so weird as when I read 'love song ' I immediately thought of Gloria Gaynor I will survive. Love for myself!!

sandylion · 09/12/2016 21:56

The reasons by the Weakerthans. Fucking love that song. Always makes me think of OH. "How you make me laugh so hard.l How the years refuse to stay, where we told them to, bad dog!" So true...

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 09/12/2016 21:47

Pity about the grammar.

weaselwords · 09/12/2016 20:25

Prince really got women. "If I was your girlfriend " is brilliant.

StorminaBcup · 09/12/2016 20:20

Every breath you take - The Police (albeit slightly stalker-ish)

Chasing cars - Snow Patrol

Fix you - Coldplay

I used to love 'One day like this' but then it got overplayed on a sporting event and now it makes me think of the BBC!

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 09/12/2016 20:14

Everything I Own was I believe written with reference to David Gates' father. The song applies to any relationship where one person does not realise how much another person meant until it's too late.

Elbow is a good call One Day Like This as well.

Which reminds me of Perfect Day too.

TheWeeBabySeamus1 · 09/12/2016 20:13

Stand inside your love - smashing pumpkins. Running through the lyrics in my head and I can't find anything sexist in there (feel free to correct me if there is Smile)