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?

@piperatthegates

I know him so well from Chess

Wasn't he good oh so good, wasn't he fine oh so fine,
Isn't it madness he won't be mine
But in the end he needs a little bit more than me (more security)
He needs his fantasy and freedom
I know him so well.
It took time to understand him
I know him so well
Wife and ow in competition

Yep agree

“He needs his fantasy and freedom” does he, aye?

@OppsUpsSide My fave version It helps that she's so pretty. Unfeminist I know.

@SukiPutTheEarlGreyOn

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.

Bette Middler covered it in 1982.

Pretty Woman

Re Your My Favourite Waste of Time the original was by Marshall Crenshaw in 1982, then covered that year by Bette Midler. Owen Paul's version was 1986.

I've always thought of it as a Bette Midler song.

@SoulofanAggron ahh her version is much less annoying. And yes she is lovely!
Brings a different connotation to magic wand!

Those who have mentioned Blurred Lines which is a catchy song with horrible lyrics and video, have you not seen this rather clever parody from a few years ago?

I think my favourite bit is:

"I apologise, if you think my lines are crass, tell me how it feels to get verbally harassed?"

So many already mentioned the late 80's and 90's it was cheese then it got murky.

I don't think Jolene needs to be a feminist song. It is a story to me, like a lot of country songs. It's about the pain of fearing that you will lose someone you love. That's a normal human emotion, not something you should be ashamed of. People matter to each other, relationships count. It's doesn't always need to be 'Go me! Who says I needed that man!'

Completely agree your take on it @StrawberrySquash

Interesting watching the Joan jett biog. I've seen the Runaways stuff a lot and it really pisses me off how 70s icons like Bowie etc get away with it.

Anyway. The video for 'I love rock and roll' is Interesting in the way jett seems so strong and a bit scary.

[quote mswales]@SusannaMorvern well if we're talking about Bruce what about Fire??!!
I LOVE this song and always feel a bit guilty singing it!

I'm driving in my car
I turn on the radio
I'm pulling you close
You just say no
You say you don't like it
But girl I know you're a liar
'Cause when we kiss
Ooooh, Fire

Late at night
I'm takin' you home
I say I wanna stay
You say you wanna be alone
You say you don't love me
Girl you can't hide your desire
'Cause when we kiss
Oh, Fire
Fire[/quote]
I love Bruce too. He wrote the Gary U.S. Bonds song, This Little Girl is Mine.

Here she comes, walking down the street
You know she's walking just like she's walking to come and see me
Oh she's so young
And she's so fine
I know what's on your mind, know what you want to do
But if you mess with her, I'm gonna mess with you
You better watch your step, you better stay in line

A-this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl, this little girl, this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl, this little girl, this little girl is mine

Well if the world were mine to do with what I want to do, sir
Well I'd wrap it up in a bow and give it all to her
Yeah, and all my love, all of the time
You know I'd hold her tight, I'd never let her go
And late at night you know I'd love her so
Yeah I'd treat her right, so she'd never mind
That

This little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl, this little girl, this little girl is mine, mine, mine, mine

Hey!
You better watch out
I'm telling you the score
Or you're gonna be sweeping your broken heart up off the floor
Oh, and that ain't all
I'm telling you my friend

I know what's on your mind, know what you want to do
But if you mess with her, I'm gonna mess with you
You like the way she moves, you like to watch her walk
You better listen up, 'cause man, this ain't just talk
You better watch your step, you better stay in line

Now baby, I said
This little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl is mine
This little girl, this little girl, this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl, this little girl, this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl, this little girl, this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl is mine
Oh oh this little girl, this little girl, this little girl is mine
etc.

I don’t see the problem with either “What’s Love got to do with it” or “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”. Please feel free to enlighten me.

Isn't love me tomorrow about the fear of having sex and then being rejected the day after because,presumably, she's ruined herself by having sex.

spidder or even that he doesn't love her at all, he's just saying that to get her into bed and she has realised that?

Boys round here Blake Shelton. I do like a bit of country music but we’ve got the lyrics
“Yea, the girls 'round here, they all deserve a whistle”
His ex wife Miranda Lambert did a fab divorce song though “got my name changed back”

Black Heart by Stooshe is one of the worst:
'Daddy I've fallen for a monster
Somehow he's scaring me to death
He's big and bad
I love him like mad
Momma, he's the best I ever had
Daddy I've fallen for a monster
He got a black heart'

Also Rude by Magic.

Like this poor woman has no say in whether she marries this man or not. Its all between the dad and the singer. Fucks me right off

@StrawberrySquash

I don't think Jolene needs to be a feminist song. It is a story to me, like a lot of country songs. It's about the pain of fearing that you will lose someone you love. That's a normal human emotion, not something you should be ashamed of. People matter to each other, relationships count. It's doesn't always need to be 'Go me! Who says I needed that man!'

Agreed. I think the OP's objection to some of the lyrics is unreasonable for the reasons you give.

I wondered about adding Love Has No Pride given the lines

If I could buy your love, I'd truly try, my friend
And if I could pray, my prayer would never end
But if you want me to beg, I'll fall down on my knees
Asking for you to come back
I'd be pleading for you to come back
Begging for you to come back to me

and given the definitive version is Bonnie Raitt's closely followed by Linda Ronstadt's but it's not antifeminist or anti- woman- it's just a reaction to an awful situation. People do get their hearts broken.

I looked up covers of it and was surprised how many are by men, including Billy Bragg, Hank Wangford, Paul Young and Rod Stewart.

Well they lyrics to Don't Stand So Close to Me must be the worst for me, though I remember the song in my teens and still love the music...

The Specials - Too Much Too Young, used to irritate me.
"Ain't he cute? No he ain't. He's just another burden on the welfare state....Now you're chained to the cooker making current buns for tea!"

Then there's all the pimp songs. For example, the charmingly titled, NWA- One Less Bitch.

A pimp song that is ok though is ...Skull Snaps - I'm Your Pimp... because the audience is left in no doubt that the singer is playing a role and that pimps are not nice people. Shame so many hip hop songs later changed that sentiment from the 1970s, without making it clear that being a pimp is so wrong. Not progress

Bathwater No Doubt:

But I still love to wash in your old bathwater
Love to think that you couldn't love another
I can't help it, you're my kind of man

Maybe it’s ironic 🤷‍♀️. I love it though.

Yay to Beyonce and JayZ 'Drunk in Love'. The music is so catchy and her voice is amazing, but the JayZ bits are just gross.
I'd be really embarrassed if I was either of them, knowing my parents and one day my kids would be listening to that.

And also the line ‘share a toothbrush’

Yay = YY . Bloody autocorrect!