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?

Am I the only one who finds that Bruce Springsteen song really fucking sexy, rather than creepy?

@RickiTarr

Don’t leave them smeary just because you can?

See this is why I'll never have a creative job! I have literally been thinking of a good next line for years (restricted to when cleaning windows). I will use this, thank you.

I think that was the initial point of this thread, songs that "work" but don't bear analysis.

Never thought about the lyrics to Father figure but you're right, they're incredibly dodgy.

I’m reminded of this:

A lot of Stormzy - very catchy but awful towards women. 'Finish with a facial just to top it off' and I don't think he means a mumsnet spa day

A heard a song by a 90’s group called 702.
‘Where’s my Girls at’?
It’s about a young woman whose boyfriend has cheated on her with the OW. So she decides to confront OW.
I like the musical arrangement of the song , but I cannot stand its premise

@MoiraNotRuby

A lot of Stormzy - very catchy but awful towards women. 'Finish with a facial just to top it off' and I don't think he means a mumsnet spa day

Ha ha

You’re welcome

@PlumpAndDeliciousFatcat

I’m reminded of this:

:o I also sing it when putting germolene on my cracked hands

I really don't like Ariana Grande's song "Positions" where the chorus lyrics are:

"Switchin' the positions for you
Cookin' in the kitchen and I'm in the bedroom,
I'm in the Olympics, way I'm jumpin' through hoops...know my love infinite, nothing I wouldn't do..."

Now, maybe I'm misinterpreting the lyrics or I haven't understood the true "meaning" of the song, and I really hope that in 1951 2021 this is actually the case, but regardless of overall interpretation it remains the case that "kitchen" and "bedroom" and "nothing I wouldn't do" are the key lyrics that stand out to me (and probably to the listening public at large). Sexy voice, breathily singing about doing anything in the kitchen and the bedroom to please her man

Here's the new version from DP I mentioned earlier

Covid-19: Dolly Parton marks vaccination with Jolene rewrite www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56261397

Following by The Bangles is beautiful but lyrically this relationship is highly dysfunctional:

You think I'm crazy or something
Always following you around
You say I'm a hopeless case
Run an obsession into the ground
You call me a loser
You call me a shadowing fool
Look over your shoulder
And you say I'm haunting you

So, why do you call me?
Why do you look for me?
Why do your eyes follow me the way they do?

You hold me responsible
Yes, so I stand accused
Of causing all the trouble after highschool
Between him and you
Yeah, you call me a loser
You call me a shadowing fool
But I was a good girl
Yeah, till you taught me
What it means to be true

Phil Collins - Easy Lover

All that she wants - ace of base.

It's got to be 'you know you want it?' Surely?

Also Dreamgirls song ‘And I am telling You’

@sleveen

There's one that goes something like 'push it, push it baby some more'.

Now THAT I hate.

‘Push it’- By female rap group ‘Salt and Pepper’ I don’t actually think that this song is anti feminist. The words are a bit crude, I agree It’s meant to be about women not putting up with crap sex. I actually think that it could be deemed a pro feminist song. It’s about women confident in their sexuality.

One of the lines is
Can you see the music pumping hard like I wish you would?

If her daddys rich take her out for a meal
If her daddys poor then just do what you feel.

I have nothing to contribute because I listen to Metalcore and the Mysoginy is right there in your face O_o There was even a few years where every bands music videos was 'girl tied to chair looking scared'. The format is so bloody catchy though.

@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....

The male and female roles are reversed in the attached medieval reinterpretation of "Somebody I Used to Know", in which she's bitterly reminiscing at his unspeakable behaviour:

"Hadst thou need to stoop so low? To send a wagon for thy minstrel and refuse my letters,
I need no longer write them though, now thou art somebody whom I used to know..."

(Well, it's not as if she'd be able to play his records anyway: the power supply was probably a bit erratic in those days.)

Lady in Red

The Beatles have been mentioned on this thread, and yet nobody has cited their very worst anti-feminist song.

When I pointed it out to friends years ago I was told I was "reading too much into it" and committing blasphemy by dissing anything L&C wrote.

Brace yourselves for "YOU CAN'T DO THAT".

I got something to say that might 'cause you pain
If I catch you talking to that boy again
I'm gonna let you down
And leave you flat
Because I told you before
Oh, you can't do that
Well, it's the second time I've caught you talking to him
Do I have to tell you one more time, I think it's a sin
I think I'll let you down (let you down)
And leave you flat (gonna let you down and leave you flat)
Because I've told you before, oh
You can't do that
Everybody's green
'Cause I'm the one, who won your love
But if they'd seen
You're talking that way they'd laugh in my face
So please listen to me, if you wanna stay mine
I can't help my feelings, I'll go out of my mind
I'm gonna let you down (let you down)
And leave you flat (gonna let you down and leave you flat)
Because I've told you before
Oh, you can't do that
You can't do that
You can't do that
You can't do that
You can't do that
You can't do that
Everybody's green
'Cause I'm the one who won your love
But if they'd seen
You're talking that way they'd laugh in my face
So please listen to me, if you wanna stay mine
I can't help my feelings, I'll go out of my mind
I'm gonna let you down (let you down)
And leave you flat (gonna let you down and leave you flat)
Because I've told you before
Oh, you can't do that

Lots of people referencing ‘Sweat’; ‘cry out’ = orgasm, not cry out in pain, surely? At least that’s what I always assumed.

@Babdoc

EdgeOfACoin, I thought “I will survive” was Gloria Gaynor?

You are absolutely right of course, Babdoc.

10 hours of sleep and I'm still not awake this morning!

Anything by Lana del Rey. But she openly admits to not really caring about feminist culture, and true feminists are supposed to accept her work because she's a woman too etc etc. Wonder if that makes her lyrics ok?