"Respect" -Aretha Franklin
"A Natural Woman" -Aretha Franklin
"Ain't She Sweet" -Frank Sinatra
"Girl" -The Beatles
"Wild World" -Cat Stevens
"I Am Woman" -Helen Reddy
"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" -Aretha Franklin
"Foxey Lady" -Jimi Hendrix
"Little Sister" -Elvis Presley
"I Got Stung" -Elvis Presley
"You Really Got Me" -The Kinks
"These Boots are Made for Walking" -Nancy Sinatra
"Young Girl" -Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
"I Heard it Through the Grapevine" -Marvin Gaye
"Baby Love" -The Supremes
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Title: Respect
Album: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Year Released: 1967
Recording Label: Atlantic
Catalog #: 7567814392
This song is a perfect example of the developing role of women in the 1960s. Because the Civil Rights Movement was going on during this time period, songs like Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” are products of the time period. The song argues that women deserve and should demand respect. Aretha Franklin even goes so far as to note that it is within a woman’s power to leave her husband when she does not get the respect that she deserves. In addition to the lyrics, the booming, powerful nature of Aretha Franklin’s voice echo her message, women are strong.
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Title: A Natural Woman
Album: Queen of Soul
Year Released: 1968
Recording Label: Falcone Music
Catalog #: 3373
In this song, Aretha Franklin argues the importance of finding a partner who loves you. She describes a woman who finds fulfillment through her relationship, saying that it makes her feel like “a natural woman”. It is interesting to note that the woman described in this song seems to derive most of her fulfillment in life through this relationship. Although the Civil Rights Movement was going on the in 1960s and more and more women were starting to enter the workplace, this song is a reminder that women could be equally satisfied simply through finding a husband who appreciates them.
Title: Ain’t She Sweet
Album: Sinatra and the Swingin’ Brass
Year Released: 1962
Record Label: Warner Bros.
Catalog #: 46971
In this song, Frank Sinatra emphasizes women as beautiful objects to look at. The song does not focus on anything other than appearance, and simply discusses the idealized beauty of a woman. Love and personality do not ever enter the equation. The lyrics say, “Ain’t she nice, look her over once or twice”. By placing such heavy emphasis on appearance, songs such as this create the idea that all women must look a certain way and that the only way to be noticed is through looks.
Artist: The Beatles
Title: Girl
Album: Rubber Soul
Year Released: 1965
Record Label: Capitol Records
Catalog #: C2-46440
In this song, women are portrayed as manipulative and condescending. In contrast to many songs of it’s time, “Girl” shows women as having a power over men, putting them under their spell so that even after being lied to and treated unfairly, the men find themselves unable to leave. The lyrics describe, “When I think of all the times I’ve tried to leave her, She will turn to me and start to cry; and she promises the earth to me, And I believe her. After all this time I don’t know why. Ah, girl! Girl!” The music in this song is soft and has an almost whiny quality to it, as the men lament their frustrations and difficulties with women.
Artist: Cat Stevens
Title: Wild World
Album: Tea for the Tillerman
Year Released: 1970
Record Label: A&M
Catalog #: 546884
In “Wild World” by Cat Stevens, two conflicting messages can be discerned. On the one hand, women have the freedom to leave a relationship where they are unhappy in order to search for something better, but on the other hand, the song is sung from a paternalistic perspective. Although women are given this freedom, they are viewed as children who might get hurt out in the “wild world”. The lyrics state, “Oh baby baby it’s a wild world, I’ll always remember you like a child, girl”. There is an underlying tone suggesting that women are incapable of fending for themselves in the wild world. The music itself echoes this concern as it builds in tempo from the verses to the chorus, with a strong series of chords played during the chorus to emphasize the wild outside world.
Artist: Helen Reddy
Title: I Am Woman
Album: I Don’t Know How to Love Him
Year Released: 1971
Record Label: Capitol Records
Catalog #: 762
In Helen Reddy’s song “I Am Woman”, women are portrayed as strong, capable, and powerful. It describes the many obstacles that women have had to face over the years to arrive at where they were in 1971 and emphasizes their ability to fight back and persevere to get what they deserve (“I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman”). The music fits the tone of the lyrics perfectly as it combines a softer feminine graceful melody with a firm voice as lyrics are sung. Helen Reddy illustrates the ability of a woman to be powerful while still holding onto her feminine charm.
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Title: Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
Album: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Year Released: 1967
Record Label: Rhino
Catalog #: 71934
In this song, Aretha Franklin demands that women be appreciated and treated right. She demands that they not be taken for granted and be treated equally and respectfully (“A woman’s only human you should understand. She’s not just a plaything, she’s flesh and blood just like her man”). She notes that every woman deserves to be loved properly. The music of this particular piece is striking in particular because of the female back-up singers that accompany Aretha Franklin during the chorus of the song. The combination of Aretha’s strong voice and the backup singers gives the feeling of unity as women band together to fight for what they deserve.
Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Title: Foxey Lady
Album: Are You Experienced
Year Released: 1967
Record Label: Experience Hendrix
Catalog #: 11602
This song is very interesting to compare to many songs from my audiotopic playlist because it too deals with the theme of women as sex objects. The song discusses the same emphasis on physical desire, sexual attraction and an overall lack of respect. However, it is very interesting to compare the language used in this song to the language used in a song like “Sexy Chick”. Both songs deal with the same basic themes but their meanings are expressed using very different language. While “Sexy Chick” relies on harsh language, “Foxey Lady” relies much more on delivery. The music of “Foxey Lady” is from the beginnings of the rock and roll period, and the tone of Jimi Hendrix’s voice when he is addressing women is condescending and rude.
Artist: Elvis Presley
Title: Little Sister
Album: Something for Everybody
Year Released: 1961
Record Label: RCA
Catalog #: 67738
In this song by Elvis Presley, women are portrayed as unfaithful and fickle. He tells the story of a man who has been hurt by an older sister and he now cannot trust women at all. The song is directed at the younger sister, begging her to not follow in her older sister’s footsteps (“Little sister don’t you kiss me once or twice then say its very nice and then you run, little sister don’t you do what your big sister done”). The song also depicts the transition from girl to woman and the singer worries that the younger sister will change overnight and grow up to become someone he does not recognize.
Artist: Elvis Presley
Title: I Got Stung
Album: King Creole (Delta)
Year Released: 1958
Record Label: Delta Distribution
Catalog #: 26611
This song also describes the empowerment of women from a man’s perspective. It talks about the physical and sexual power that women have over men, causing the men to get addicted. It describes men’s inability to control themselves once the women’s seductive charm has been turned on. The lyrics state, “I got stung by a sweet honey bee, Oh, what a feeling come over me. It started in my eyes, crept up to my head, flew to my heart till I was stung dead. I’m done, uh-uh, I got stung”. The power of the women is so completely absolute that it even has the power to kill. Additionally, the music of this particular piece adds to the metaphor of women as honeybees as a result of the background singers singing “babababa” in the background, which is reminiscent of the buzzing of a bee.
Artist: The Kinks
Title: You Really Got Me
Album: Kinks (Castle)
Year Released: 1965
Record Label: CMC Records
Catalog #: 0003034
Similar to “I Got Stung” by Elvis Presley, the song “You Really Got Me” also describes women as having an irresistible charm over men. It talks about interfering with sleep and thinking that women act as a drug of sorts to the men who are addicted to them (girl, you really got me goin’, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’. Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night”). Additionally, the music of this song builds in intensity to the chorus after each verse, mirroring the building intensity of the addiction each man faces as a result of being in love with a woman.
Artist: Nancy Sinatra
Title: These Boots are Made for Walking
Album: Boots
Year Released: 1966
Record Label: Sundazed
Catalog #: 6052
Similar to “Wild World”, the song “These Boots are Made for Walking” depicts women having the power to leave a relationship. It is a song of female empowerment sung by a strong woman who knows what she wants and refuses to accept anything less than what she deserves. The lyrics state, “You keep lyin’ when you oughta be truthin’, and you keep losing when you oughta not bet, you keep samin’ when you oughta be a’changin’ now what’s right is right but you ain’t been right yet. These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you”. The tone of the music itself echoes the message conveyed in the song as a feminine but firm voice underscores the message of a woman in control of her life. Additionally, the staccato singing of the words “one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you” is suggesting of the clip clop of boots as someone walks out of a room.
Artist: Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
Title: Young Girl
Album: Greatest Hits
Year Released: 1970
Record Label: Columbia
Catalog #: 01042
This song is particularly interesting in that it combines many of the themes present in most of the songs that I have found. The song discusses the coming of age of women and describes how many look older than they are (“Beneath your perfume and make-up, you’re just a baby in disguise”). The song discusses girls who have the power to attract men before they are old enough using their bodies. The song is almost accusatory at times, blaming the girls for looking the way they do (“With all the charms of a woman, you’ve kept the secret of your youth, you led me to believe you’re old enough to give me love, and now it hurts to know the truth”). The song also emphasizes again the power of a woman to cast a spell over men so that they are unable to control themselves, even though in this situation the men are much older than the girls involved (“Better run girl, you’re much too young girl”).
Artist: Marvin Gaye
Title: I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Album: I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Year Released: 1968
Recording Label: Spectrum Music
Catalog #: 5307932
This song also discusses women leaving men for other men. It talks about the power of a woman to break the heart of a man. Again, this song provides an interesting comparison to songs that view women as sex objects, because in this case it is the woman who is not honest with her partners and who lies and hurts them. The lyrics state, “I know a man ain’t supposed to cry, but these tears I can’t hold inside, losin’ you would end my life you see, ‘cause you mean that much to me. You could have told me yourself that you loved someone else, instead I heard it through the grapevine”. In listening to the song the anguish experienced by the narrator is clearly audible in Gaye’s voice. Additionally, Marvin Gaye’s use of falsetto emphasizes his feminine side, the fact that a man too can be hurt in a relationship.
Artist: The Supremes
Title: Baby Love
Album: West Side Story/Decades Collection 1960s
Year Released: 1961
Recording Label: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Catalog #: 83050
This song also talks about women with the capability to break the hearts of men. Again it describes the role reversal from what is normally expected, where the men are begging the women to come back, lonely and unhappy. The Supremes additionally have a sweet, feminine style to their voices, which indicates the growing power of women in society, as even sweet feminine women can act like “the man” in the relationship.
