Okay, so this is just a little something fun to show you guys! The other night, I was hanging out with a friend (an avid fan of The Beatles) in his dorm, when suddenly a certain song by John Lennon came on. "Woman is the Nigger of the World." Yes you read that right. At first, I'll admit, I was pretty offended. Sometimes the guys who live upstairs like to push my buttons by intentionally saying insensitive, misogynist things around me. My friend automatically jumped to his defense: "It's a REAL SONG I SWEAR!" And it turns out that he was right, it was! Actually, when you look at the lyrics, they're really powerful:
Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is...think about itWoman is the nigger of the worldThink about it...do something about it
We make her paint her face and danceIf she won't be a slave, we say that she don't love usIf she's real, we say she's trying to be a manWhile putting her down, we pretend that she's above us
Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she isIf you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're withWoman is the slave of the slavesAh, yeah...better scream about it
We make her bear and raise our childrenAnd then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother henWe tell her home is the only place she should beThen we complain that she's too unworldly to be our friend
Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she isIf you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're withWoman is the slave to the slavesYeah...alright...hit it!
We insult her every day on TVAnd wonder why she has no guts or confidenceWhen she's young we kill her will to be freeWhile telling her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb
Woman is the nigger of the worldYes she is...if you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're withWoman is the slave to the slavesYes she is...if you believe me, you better scream about it
We make her paint her face and danceWe make her paint her face and danceWe make her paint her face and danceWe make her paint her face and danceWe make her paint her face and danceWe make her paint her face and dance
So basically, John Lennon knew what the hell he was talking about. I love how he talks about how man separates women from society. Men force her to stay home, but then say she's too unworldly to be their equal. Men call women dumb and insult their appearance, and by doing so, enslave them. Women are the "niggers" of the world. A crude way of comparing similar oppressions, but effective. Check it out, it's actually a good song!
I've heard this! I think it's a really insightful way to look at oppression.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I don't think I'm down with John Lennon using that slur, even if he is trying to call attention to the injustices women face. I understand that (I think) he's trying to achieve social justice, but the various systems of oppression often work to hold each other up, so I think this could get a murky reception from people who aren't necessarily aware of his true intended message.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me a bit of the Lily Allen video we watched in class the other day. A lot of people are offended by Lennon's use of the word nigger and say that even if with good intention it is still racially offensive. (which it is) But I think that in using the word the way he did, and grabbing our attention, he brought to light to many how women are treated in society. Frankly I like the song, I love the Beatles.
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