Jolene, and other anti-feminist anthems

[StealthPolarBear]

Just to say this is a light-hearted chat thread.
I love jolene, sing it with a minor adaptation every time I'm cleaning the windows. I have no idea about the background, but it must come near the top of the least feminist songs ever!
Another which I've just heard is sheryl crow, strong enough. "lie to me, I promise I'll believe, lie to me, but please don't leave"
Brilliant song, awful lyrics :)
Any others?

I'd rather go blind

"Whoo, I would rather, I would rather go blind, boy
Then to see you walk away from me, child, no
Whoo, so you see, I love you so much
That I don't wanna watch you leave me, baby
Most of all, I just don't, I just don't wanna be free, no"

Oh for heaven's sake woman, get a grip!

(Though Etta didn't write it - men did. Which just shows you the extremes of sacrifice they think they deserve)

@SoulofanAggron

I was a massive Prodigy fan as a young teen - Smack My Bitch Up has nothing to do with violence at all, it's about heroin and getting injected

I think maybe it's a play on the ambiguity of the phrase, as apparently there are some implications of violence in the video?

It was well known that Every Breath You Take was written about a stalker - why you'd want to write a song about that is a bit

And 'Don't stand so close to me' is about a teacher who fancies a pupil. I wonder if stuff will come out about Sting- but a lot of music is deliberately controversial I guess.

Ohhh I just remembered the least feminist song ever (maybe?) 'He Hit Me and it Felt Like a Kiss.'

I don't think it's about being deliberately controversial. They are story telling songs. Stories where everything is hunky-dory tend to be lame.

Owen Paul’s 80’s song ‘Your my favourite waste of time’. I’d like to think that any woman this was dedicated to at the time would have used their ample shoulder pads to make a swift exit without a backwards glance.

Better than Revenge by Taylor swift is another one. I love her, and she has so many pro-women/feminist songs in her repertoire, but this definitely leaves a bad taste.

It's about the girl (Camilla Belle) that Joe Jonas broke up with her for.

"She's not a saint and she's not what you think
She's an actress, whoa
She's better known for the things that she does
On the mattress, whoa
Soon she's gonna find
Stealing other people's toys on the playground
Won't make you many friends
She should keep in mind,
She should keep in mind
There is nothing I do better than revenge"

In her defence, she was only 18 or so when she wrote the song and has since said she regrets it. It'll be interesting to see if she includes it on the re-recording of Speak Now.

Like I said above though, she has some really powerful songs that address misogyny, abuse, sexism, double standards, toxic relationships, generally shitty behaviour etc. Dear John, Blank Space, White Horse, Clean, The Man, Mad Woman, Shake it off, Tolerate it. There's loads!

A bit OT, but I was greatly cheered the other day by news about Dolly Parton having got her jab. She was encouraging others to do likewise, happily singing 'vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaci-i-ine' . Putting her mouth where her money was, I guess.

"I don't need clever conversation
I love you just the way you are"

The CHEEK! Imagine someone saying they've written a song about you and saying that. You're stupid... but I love you!

Like Disco 2000 (another of my favourites), in Billy Bragg's The Saturday Boy our hero finds himself friendzoned by the young girl he's been, er, pretending to be friends with.

He is a Nice Guy, very earnest and entitled:

In the end, it took me a dictionary
To find out the meaning of unrequited
While she was giving herself for free
At a party to which I was never invited
I never understood my failings then
And I hide my humble hopes now
Thinking back she made us want her
A girl not old enough to shave her legs.

Cheerleader by Omi, irritates the hell out of me. What the hell does she get out of that relationship hey?!

@ALittleBitofVitriol

My nails on chalkboard song is the gotye one. Great tune and video, but it makes me snarl at how whiny and possesive he is.

He wasn't really into her, 'lonely in her company' and was relieved when she dumps his ass - Kimbra's verse explains more of his gaslighting jerkiness - but he'll whine about her moving on. Ugh. Reminds me of an ex boyfriend lol, maybe that's why it grates so much....

I LOVE that song. He's supposed to sound like a right asshole though, is he not? The whole premise of the song is "I never really liked you anyway but how dare you act like there's something wrong with me?!".

Has anyone mentioned 'All I want to do is make love to you'.... woman picks up a man to serve as a sperm donor.

@MimiDaisy11

Where Have All The Cowboys gone? / Paula Cole

With such lines as:
"I'll wash the dishes while you go have a beer" amongst others.

They were playing that in Tesco the other day and I noticed that line. Awful.

@RockCrushesLizard Lauper might've recorded it first, but apparently the writers wrote it with Orbison in mind. You're right, it doesn't sound predatory if a woman sings it.

I put a spell on you- I think my fave is the Creedance Clearwater Revival version.

@prawntoastie

absolutely love midnight train to Georgia, beautiful song but "il rather live in his world then without him in mine" is kind of low self esteem

I think that song was written by Aretha Franklin when she and her husband were in LA and he was homesick for Georgia. She made the decision to go back there with him, as she felt she'd be happier with him than remaining alone. Surely that's just the kind of decisions couples make together all the time?

24K Magic - Bruno Mars.

That really is sexist mysoginistic shite. As is a lot of his stuff. Shame really as the songs are great if you dont listen to the lyrics too hard.

Tank fly boss jam nitty gritty or whatever it is

24 hours from Tulsa

I drove all night “woke you from your sleep to make love to you - is that alright” no it fucking is not you rapey creep!

A few people have mentioned Roxanne but missed out the lovely line later in the song, "I've told you once I won't tell you again it's a bad thing".

Garbage have a lot of anti feminist songs. I think You Look So Fine is the worst because the chorus is literally ‘I’m not like all of the other girls’. Vom.

Stupid Girls by Pink is horrible. It was sold as a big empowerment anthem but even when it was released I hated how it was so judgemental of women’s sexual choices and mocked eating disorders. Pink writhes around in the video, thinking she looks so hilarious and she just comes across as being a shitty person.

Some of my most hated ones have already been mentioned like Girlfriend and Don’t Marry Her. I always thought the guys from those songs had a lucky escape and were probably leading a nice existence quietly watching TV in bed while their ex rages.

Cheerleader by Omi, irritates the hell out of me. What the hell does she get out of that relationship hey?!

@OppsUpsSide Oh but he's the Wizard of Love and he's got the magic wand.

Also Daniel Beddingfield ‘if you’re not the one’
Dear God what a fucking stalker!

Depeche Mode's It's No Good. It's a great track but as a stalker's anthem it's up there with The Police's Every Breath You Take.

I'm going to take my time
I have all the time in the world
To make you mine
It is written in the stars above
The gods decree
You'll be right here by my side
Right next to me
You can run but you cannot hide

Don't say you want me
Don't say you need me
Don't say you love me
It's understood
Don't say you're happy
Out there without me
I know you can't be
'Cause it's no good

I'll be fine
I'll be waiting patiently
'Til you see the signs
And come running to my open arms
When will you realize
Do we have to wait 'til our worlds collide
Open up your eyes
You can't turn back the tide

Don't say you want me
Don't say you need me
Don't say you love me
It's understood
Don't say you're happy
Out there without me
I know you can't be
'Cause it's no good

Oh Christ how could I forget blurred lines. Bloody awful

@SoulofanAggron I can just imagine her face when he pulls out that line

Wiggle wiggle by outhere brothers. Grim.

@ErrolTheDragon

Has anyone mentioned 'All I want to do is make love to you'.... woman picks up a man to serve as a sperm donor.

Oh I remember that. By Heart. Grim.

Substitute.

And in a similar vein though maybe a bit less grim, Take a Chance on Me.