13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2

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13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of Beyoncé, Eminem, Foster The People, Jason Aldean, and Serge Gainsbourg.

“But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to, if you seek Amy.” Did you catch that last part, on 🎵 “If U Seek Amy”? 🎙 Britney Spears is suggesting that all the boys and girls want to “fuck me” – well, they want to fuck her 🤯 😈. Years before that controversy, 🎙 Chris Barnes of 🎙 Cannibal Corpse totally disgusts us all by “Fucking the rotting / My semen is bleeding / Smell of decay / Seeps from her genital cavity” on 🎵 “I Cum Blood” 😬 😬 😬. 🎙 Adam Levine and 🎙 Maroon 5 also stoked controversy with their problematic single, 🎵 “Animals”: “Baby, I’m preying on you tonight / Hunt you down, eat you alive / Just like animals…” Boy, oh boy! All three songs appeared on the initial controversial songs musical compendium, 🎧 13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes (2021). Nearly two years later (better late than ever), the sequel arrives with 🎧 13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2. Some of the controversies on volume two are much more troubling than the initial compilation. All posts appeared in the column, Controversial Tunes 😈🎶. 🎧 13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of 🎙 Beyoncé, 🎙 Eminem, 🎙 Foster The People, 🎙 Jason Aldean, and 🎙 Serge Gainsbourg among others. So, without further ado, lean into the controversy amassed on 🎧 13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2!!!

1. Jason Aldean, “Try That In A Small Town”

🎵 “Try That in A Small Town” • 🏷 Macon Music, LLC • 🗓 2023

Conservative country musician 🎙 Jason Aldean ignited a firestorm with the biggest hit of his career, the unlikely Billboard Hot 100 no. 1, 🎵 “Try That in A Small Town”. The song is NOT explicitly controversial, at least without dissection. The intent seems to be about the beauty of the small town – morals, togetherness, and a lack of controversy. Aldean sings well, furthermore, the sound of the record is idiomatic of country music. Without the music video, a huge source of the controversy, or digging deeper to decode lyrically, “Try That in A Small Town” isn’t so bad, right?

“Try That In A Small Town” does raise eyebrows sans the video. It begins with “Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk,” which, morally, most would agree this is wrong. However, that lyric, referencing the knockout game, unveils an urban myth statistically –fear-mongering with a “racially motivated history” per Insider. Later, Aldean sings, “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough.” He speaks about the importance of respecting the men in blue and honoring the flag. Those lyrics don’t sound malicious but, it should be noted, coupled with the video, the lyrics write-off protest, which for many Americans, is an important means to enact change. The music video highlights protest footage, painting it in a negative light, hence, discounting what cause people are fighting for. There are more examples of problematic elements within the song, including internal justice and exclusivity as opposed to inclusivity (closedminded-ness). “Try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road,” he threatens, adding, “‘Round here, we take care of our own / You cross the line, it won’t take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don’t.”

The biggest issues with “Try That In A Small Town” is the video. The worst part is the dark history that Aldean conjures up with the video: Black Lives Matters protests projected on a Tennessee courthouse where a black teen was lynched in 1927. Not cool. To be fair, Aldean was likely unaware of this. However, showing Black Lives Matter scenes in a negative light makes some question if he is racist. Notably, given the lack of clearance for the footage, the Black Lives Matter scenes were edited out. A host of folks have cancelled Aldean given the protest/police brutality footage, and CMT removed the video. Even so, Aldean’s song has been a huge success, a prime example of doubling down and the fact that controversy sells. 🎵 “Try That in A Small Town” has earned its place in controversial tune history. The music video carries the brunt, however, Aldean is not absolved – he’s had his share of controversy.

Appears in 🔻:

Jason Aldean, Try That in A Small Town: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 19 (2023)

2. Beyoncé, “Church Girl”  

**💿 RENAISSANCE • 🏷 Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia • 📅 2022**  

“Nobody can judge me, but me / I was born free.” True, 🎙 Beyoncé received ample controversy with her phenomenal album, 💿 RENAISSANCE.  🎵 “Church Girl” rubbed some Christians the wrong way. Why? Bey and her production team construct a soulful, gospel-tinged backdrop, which delivers churchy vibes.  Furthermore, one of the four samples used arrives courtesy of renowned gospel collective, 🎙 The Clark Sisters (🎵 “Center of Thy Will”). The problem is that many disapprove of the likes of “She gon’ shake that ass and them pretty tig ol’ bitties’,” as well as THOT-driven lyrics like “I’ll drop it like a thottie, drop it like a thottie,” which do not align with such values. Regardless, songwriter (and Clark sister) 🎙 Twinkie Clark thanked Beyoncé for sampling it! Others have defended it too. “Church girls actin’ loose, bad girls actin’ snotty!” Woo!  

Appears in 🔻:   

3. Rammstein, “Bück dich”

💿 Sehnsucht • 🏷 Vertigo / Capitol • 🗓 1997

“Bück dich!, Befehl ich dir / Wende dein’ Antlitz ab von mir / Dein Gesicht ist mir egal / Bück dich!” Um, what the actual hell? Translated roughly from German to English, 🎙 Till Lindemann of veteran German collective 🎙 Rammstein asserts, “I command you to bend over / Turn your face away from me / I don’t care about your face / Bend over!” Oh shite! Yes, Lindemann is referencing sodomy in 🎵 “Bück dich” (“Bend Over”), likely forced (aka the four-letter ‘R’ word). Sodomy and controversy are synonymous, and Rammstein only elevates the controversy.

I’m not sure why Rammstein thought a record referencing sodomy was good idea but, it appears as the sixth track on their 1997 album, 💿 Sehnsucht. I mean, “we don’t talk about sodomy,” right? “A biped on all fours / I take him on a stroll… / Now he approaches me backwards.” Backwards, huh? The song is highly energetic, and you can see why fans would enjoy it. Still, Lindemann and keyboardist 🎙 Christian Lorenz spent a night in jail in Massachusetts for simulating sodomy while performing “Bück dich” in 1998. Yikes! Revolver provides more details regarding the incident, including keywords like leash, BDSM, prosthetic phallus, and ejaculating. Again, I say, Oh shite! “Bück dich! / Bück dich! / Bück dich! / Bück dich!” 🎙 Rammstein brings both heat and controversy on 🎵 “Bück dich”, PERIOD!!!

Appears in 🔻:

Rammstein, Bück dich: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 14 (2022)

4. The Crystals, “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)”

💿 Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best of The Crystals • 🏷 Phil Spector • 🗓 2011

🎵 “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” is a problematic song title – PERIOD!!! Perhaps had 🎙 The Crystals’ 1962 classic ended up being metaphorical lyrically (say, the kiss had gargantuan impact like a knockout punch 🥊), we’d let the song title slide. The problem is, “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” is literal, hence, understandable why it raised eyebrows and caused an uproar upon release. Oh, the controversy when abuse conflated with love comes into play! Amazingly, this record came from two of music’s most elite songwriters, once husband/wife team 🎼✍ Carole King and Gerry Goffin 🤯. “He hit me, and it felt like a kiss / He hit me but it didn’t hurt me.” Well, he should’ve never put his hands on you, 🎙 Barbara Alston! Sadly, Alston and The Crystals add, “He couldn’t stand to hear me say / That I’d been with someone new / And when I told him I had been untrue…” While the infidelity is a bad look, the hitting part remains #PROBLEMATIC. Furthermore, the victims think it’s okay, blaming themselves for being hit – “He hit me and I knew he loved me.” BULL💩! As troubling as 🎵 “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” is to listen to, it’s based on a real-life experience. As the story goes, King/Goffin’s babysitter, singer 🎙 Little Eva, was honest to them about being hit by her boyfriend and rationalizing it as his love for her. Yikes!

Appears in 🔻:

5. Foster The People, “Pumped Up Kicks”

💿 Torches • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 🗓 2011

“Robert’s got a quick hand / He’ll look around the room, he won’t tell you his plan.” Hmm, that’s disturbing and totally unsettling 😱. Furthermore, 🎙 Mark Foster, the lead singer of 🎙 Foster The People, adds to the damning nature of 🎵 “Pumped Up Kicks”: “Yeah, he found a six-shooter gun / In his dad’s closet with a box of fun things /… But he’s coming for you, yeah, he’s coming for you, wait.” Yikes 😬! HOLY HELL! HOLY SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS! The point is, clearly, Foster The People paint Robert as a dangerous kid, even if they don’t directly characterize him as a school shooter. In a Billboard interview with Foster, he asserts, “the school shooting part of it was never spoken about in the song. I think people filled in the blanks that it was about a school shooting, but I never say anything about a school in the song.” Still, the second track from their 2011 album, 💿 Torches, feels inspired by such, and Foster later asserts it was “reacting to the idea [of a shooting]” more so than “reacting to [a] shooting itself”. What makes the song eerier is the fact that it sounds brighter than it should despite such dark subject matter – oh, the musical contradiction!

“All the other kids with the pumped up kicks

You better run, better run, out run my gun

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks

You better run, better run faster than my bullet.”

😬!!! Things only get more troubling in the second verse, where there seems to be trauma in some regard via coded lyrics (“And he’s [Daddy] bringing me a surprise / ‘Cause dinner’s in the kitchen and it’s packed in ice”). Robert goes on to assert, “Yeah, the sleight of my hand is now a quick-pull trigger.” So, however the perpetrator is traumatized, he plans to inflict trauma on others. The controversy writes itself on “Pumped Up Kicks,” which spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at no. 3. However, following the events of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012, radio dropped “Pumped Up Kicks”. The why should be obvious. Notably, Parkland school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, watched the music video “Kicks” prior to the mass shooting – DISTURBING! In 2019, Mark Foster spoke about retiring the song, for obvious reasons. 🎵 “Pumped Up Kicks” is an example of a fine song that reflects a sad reality that shouldn’t be a reality in the U.S.

Appears in 🔻:

6. Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”

💿 Pain Killer • 🏷 Capitol Nashville • 🗓 2014

“I gotta girl crush, hate to admit it but / I gotta heart rush, ain’t slowin’ down.” If 🎙 Karen Fairchild weren’t singing lead vocals, there’d be nothing eyebrow raising about the 🎙 Little Big Town hit, 🎵 “Girl Crush” (💿 Pain Killer), would there? No.“Girl Crush” is a cleverly written song that shocked many people. How? Well, if you don’t pay close attention to the lyrics, “Girl Crush” can be mistaken as an LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈 record. IT’S NOT (technically 😉)! “Girl Crush” is a great song that simply requires you to pay attention to the lyrics. According to Fairchild (via ABC News), “Girl Crush” is about “a girl saying [to her ex], ‘Why do you love her and not me’ and not about a lesbian relationship.” You can see how people made the mistake, and Fairchild acknowledges the provocativeness of the song. Even so, the chorus debunks the oft-mistaken ‘gay agenda’ early on:

“I wanna taste her lips, yeah, ‘cause they taste like you

I wanna drown myself in a bottle of her perfume

I want her long blonde hair, I want her magic touch

Yeah, ‘cause maybe then, you’d want me just as much

I gotta girl crush, I gotta girl crush.”

Clearly, this woman is jealous of her ex’s new girl. She admires the girl only because she’s won over her ex, which is a – drum roll please – GUY! He remains her biggest crush, end of story. For those upset that 🎵 “Girl Crush” was queer, you have nothing to worry about. For those of us who thought “Girl Crush” was awesome because it was queer, well, take solace in the fact that it bothered narrow-minded folks and homophobes!

Appears in 🔻:

7. Serge Gainsbourg & Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Lemon Incest”

💿 Les 50 plus belles chansons de Serge Gainsbourg • 🏷 Mercury Music Group • 🗓 2007

Cutting straight to the chase, 🎵 “Lemon Incest” is top-tier controversy – NO 🚫 CAP 🧢! In a 2010 interview with 🎙 Charlotte Gainsbourg, who duetted with her father, 🎙 Serge Gainsbourg, Sean O’Hagan of The Guardian writes, “[“Lemon Incest”] seemed to celebrate both incest and paedophilia, though, when I bring it up, she insists it does neither.” Interesting! Of the song, O’Hagan continues, “Despite, or because of, the scandal the song caused, it spent 10 weeks in the French top 10 and bestowed on the pre-pubescent Gainsbourg an unwelcome notoriety.” When “Lemon Incest” was recorded (1984) Gainsbourg was firmly a minor (13), and there are inappropriate themes explored. Incestuous relationships and pedophilia are topics generally avoided in pop music, FOR GOOD REASON. In the same interview, Gainsbourg seems to write off the controversy as provocation, asserting, “It’s really the love of a father and daughter. It says in the song – the love that will never do together.” Even if it is provocation as she proclaims, “Lemon Incest” gives off creepy vibes that unsurprisingly, stirred the pot something fierce.

“Naïve as a canvas,” Serge sings, later adding, “Your kisses are so sweet.” Um… As for Charlotte, she professes her love for her father on the chorus, proclaiming, “I love you more than anything / Daddy, daddy.” While there’s no problem loving her father, it’s the risqué moments scattered throughout “Lemon Incest” that raise eyebrows. Also, her breathy tone only amplifies the creepiness on this synthpop record. “The love that we will never make together,” she sings, “Is the most beautiful, the most violent / The purest, the most intoxicating.” What more can you say but, holy SugarHoneyIcedTea! At least, 🎙🎼✍ Frédéric Chopin (samples Étude, Op. 10, No. 3 in E Major) gives this disturbing number a lift. Want a record to leave you truly speechless? 🎵 “Lemon Incest” just might be the one to do it.

Appears in 🔻:

Serge Gainsbourg & Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lemon Incest: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 2 (2022)

8. Ariana Grande, “7 Rings”

**💿 thank u, next • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2019**

“Been through some bad shit, I should be a sad bitch / Who woulda thought it’d turn me to a savage?” 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Ariana Grande sounds incredibly fierce on 🎵 “7 Rings”, one of the many highlights appearing on 💿 thank u, next, among the best albums of 2019. It’s also polarizing –CONTROVERSIAL! Some love “7 Rings” while others are annoyed and absolutely loathe it. Perhaps the key reason why folks have ‘a bone to pick’ with Ari on this 🎵 “My Favorite Things”-lifted number – cultural appropriation. Yikes! The black influence of the record is undeniable. Grande, considered a pop artist, blurs the lines including ample R&B influence. R&B is an undeniably black genre, even if more and more white musicians have become ‘hip to the vibe.’ The way she sings, with hip-hop influence, is part of the cultural appropriation argument against the hit: “My wrist, stop watchin’, my neck is flossin’ / Make big deposits, my gloss is poppin’…”

The music video 🎶📼 also contributes to the argument against “7 Rings” if you will (that long hair, the dancing, the vibe). So, what have others said? Brooklyn White (Hello Giggles) writes, “right before the minute mark, ‘7 Rings’ takes a sharp, cringeworthy turn. The trap hi-hats come in, and Grande’s “Pretty Boy Swag” homage kicks off.” In her extensive article regarding the song, that’s just the beginning of White’s skepticism. A different writer, Jayna Viswalingam (Feminism in India) focuses on cultural appropriation from the Japanese perspective. Perhaps the more familiar publication is The Atlantic, where Spencer Kornhaber titles his article, How Ariana Grande Fell Off the Cultural-Appropriation Tightrope, with the headline, “With ‘7 Rings,’ the singer wears a culture as a costume.” Woo! Worth noting, Ariana Grande did respond to cultural appropriation. I guess, take it how you will. If nothing else, “7 Rings” makes a worthy discussion piece.

Appears in 🔻:

9. Eminem, “Stan”

**💿 The Marshall Mathers LP • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2000**

Controversy and 🎙 Eminem (Marshall Mathers) are synonymous. His approach is edgy, pushing the envelope over the mountain, essentially. Among his many controversial songs is 🎵 “Stan” from his legendary 2000 album, 💿 The Marshall Mathers LP. The song and subject matter created a brand-new word, stan (an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan). Stanley, the “stan” from the song, exemplifies the dangerous, over-devoted fan. Three out of four verses find Em rapping from Stan’s perspective. In the first verse, we get a picture of how obsessed he is, connecting with the rapper on a much deeper level than fans/musicians generally connect. Stan writes a letter to Eminem, hoping he’ll respond back to him. Notably, he mentions his pregnant girlfriend, with whom he has a suspect relationship with. By the second verse, Stan still hasn’t received a response and becomes more upset, taken with the rapper in a fanatical sense. By the third, the most memorable from Stan’s perspective, things have gone totally off-the-rails. He’s angry with Eminem, addressing him as “Dear Mr. I’m-Too-Good-to-Call-or-Write-My-Fans,” and asserting, “This’ll be the last package I ever send your ass.” He goes on to depict risky behavior, including “Doin’ 90 on the freeway” and “drinking a fifth of vodka.” Expectedly, things don’t end well for Stan. Eminem finally responds on the fourth and final verse, rapping as himself for the first time. He encourages Stan to get help, but realizes by the end, Stan is dead.

So, where does the controversy come in? In the fourth verse, Eminem came off as homophobic to some, namely GLAAD: “And what’s this shit about us meant to be together / That type of shit’ll make me not want us to meet each other.” Without context, or unintentionally, this line could be viewed homophobically because Stan is so taken with Eminem, it sounds gay to the rapper – something he disapproves. Furthermore, given Mathers’ explicitness throughout his career, would it be far-fetched if he went to take a jab at the LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 here? Nope, because GLAAD wasn’t merely mad at him about “Stan.” In this case, however, the homophobic claims seem like a stretch. Stan is an obsessive person with mental issues, hence why Eminem might take pause in meeting him because he’s unstable. Of course, 🎙 Elton John, an openly gay musical icon, who performed “Stan” with the rapper live, had no issues with the lyrics. The music video 🎶📼 for “Stan” is disturbing too (the Eminem shrine alone). A creepy 🎭 Devon Sawa and 🎙 Dido are the actors in this tale where Sawa goes off the deep end obsessed with Eminem. Dido’s 1999 song, 🎵 “Thank You” is sampled. It ends up being the perfect match for this record.

“My tea’s gone cold, I’m wondering why I

Got out of bed at all

The morning rain clouds up my window

And I can’t see at all

And even if I could it’d all be gray

But your picture on my wall

It reminds me that it’s not so bad, it’s not so bad.”

All told, a book could be written regarding 🎵 “Stan”, one of the best songs of the Eminem catalog.

Appears in 🔻:

Eminem, Stan: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 7 (2022)

10. Sheena Easton, “Sugar Walls”

💿A Private Heaven • 🏷 RT Industries • 🗓 1984

“Blood races to your private parts / Lets me know there’s a fire.” Ooh wee, 🎙 Sheena Easton! “You can’t fight passion when passion is hot / Temperatures rise inside my sugar walls.” Wow! 🎵 “Sugar Walls” ended up being one of seven top-10 hits for Easton, peaking at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Sugar Walls,” which appears on her 1984 album, 💿 A Private Heaven, reached its peak position in 1985. As the lyrics suggest, “Sugar Walls” is a sexual song, specifically referencing the vagina. It should not shock you that 🎼 ✍ Prince penned this risqué pop record, where Easton asserts, “Come spend the night inside my sugar walls” (chorus) and “It’s raining tonight / Heaven on Earth inside my sugar walls” (verse three).

These days, songs about/referencing female private parts are far less taboo. Back then, a song referencing the vagina was utterly shocking. No, the song never gets specific about anatomy, but clearly, female pleasure is the modus operandi. Naturally, “Sugar Walls” experienced its bans due to sexual content, including landing a spot on the infamous Filthy 15, songs targeted by the PMRC or Parents Music Resource Center. Given the fact that Prince wrote the song, his reward was appearing twice on the list. C’mon, we all know it was 🎵 “Darling Nikki” that made Tipper Gore feel some type of way! Regardless, as stated earlier, 🎵 “Sugar Walls” gave Easton another top-10 hit, and no controversy ultimately inhibited her career.

Appears in 🔻:

Sheena Easton, Sugar Walls: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 10 (2023)

11. N.W.A, “Fuck tha Police”

**💿 Straight Outta Compton • 🏷 Priority • 🗓 1988**

“Fuck the police comin’ straight from the underground / A young nigga got it bad ‘cause I’m brown.” Woo! 🎵 “Fuck tha Police” by 🎙 N.W.A. ranks among the most controversial songs of all time. The first two lines by 🎙 Ice Cube set the tone – the complicated history of police and black relations where far too often, blacks are made to suffer and don’t get a fair shake. “Fuck tha Police” was released in 1988 appearing on the group’s landmark LP, 💿 Straight Outta Compton. Even so, the issues and points the rap collective mentions on the album are still relevant today as policing is under a microscope and racism is still flourishing, unfortunately. Even prior to Cube’s electrifying verse, the intro sets up the controversial tour de force:

“Ice Cube, take the motherfucking stand

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth

And nothing but the truth so help your black ass?

You goddamn right.”

Beyond the two excerpted lines, Ice Cube goes TF in, tearing the po-po to shreds and, also, throwing in some bothersome homophobic slurs (“I don’t know if they fags or what / Search a nigga down and grabbing his nuts”). Of course, the chorus features the infamous phrase, which caused a stir, expectedly. 🎙 MC Ren ‘gives his testimony’ including threatening to turn the tables on an unsuspecting cop (“But drop your gat, and Ren’s gonna blast / I’m sneaky as fuck when it comes to crime”). 🎙 Eazy-E gets in on it too, threatening, “And if I’m rolliin’ off the eight, he’ll be the one / That I take out, and then get away.” Finally, the judge of the track, producer 🎙 Dr. Dre convicts the policemen, asserting “The jury has found you guilty of being a redneck, white bread, chicken-shit motherfucker.” What more can you say but, day-um? Need I explain while the song that Rolling Stone deems the perfect protest song is controversial? 🎵 “Fuck tha Police” is unapologetic, yet, it still holds up today as a scathing take on policing. It’s harsh, but that’s exactly how this legendary rap group planned it. There’s no denying they got their message across loud and clear. The message transcends the LAPD, whom the West Coast group targeted.

Appears in 🔻:

N.W.A, Fuck tha Police: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 34 (2021)

12. Billie Eilish, “wish you were gay”

💿When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? • 🏷 Darkroom / Interscope • 📅 2019

“Don’t say I’m not your type / Just say that I’m not your preferred sexual orientation / I’m so selfish.” Yeah, it’s not particularly surprising that 🎵 “Wish You Were Gay” ended up being controversial, thanks to how it references homosexuality . Like the songs that precede it on 💿 When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, 🏆 Grammy winner🎙 Billie Eilish takes a low-key approach to singing, yet still manages to pack a sizable punch. On “wish you were gay,” she opts for balladry and is successful as she portrays the relatable topic of heartbreak. In many respects, she checks off boxes but the glaring issue is the perceived homophobia. The narrative is that a guy that she liked dumps her, and she hopes it’s because of his sexual preference and not because of her. A bit sus, right 😬?

“I just wanna make you feel oaky

But all you do is look the other way

I can’t tell you how much I wish

I just kinda wish you were gay.”

Appears in 🔻:

13. John Lennon, “Woman Is The Nigger of the World”

💿 Sometime In New York City • 🏷 EMI Records Ltd • 🗓 1972

“Woman is the nigger of the world / Yes she is, think about it.” 🫢 🫢 🫢 It doesn’t take much thought to see why the 🎙 John Lennon song, 🎵 “Woman Is The Nigger Of The World” (💿 Sometime In New York City) has earned its fair share of controversy. First and foremost, any time the hard n-word is used – the racial epithet of all racial epithets – controversy is sure to ensue. Here, Lennon compares the plight of women to that of blacks, which conjures up a fair share of debate. After all, for years, many blacks were enslaved, beaten, lynched, and treated as if they weren’t human. Even after slavery ended, for a long time, it wasn’t smooth sailing in the least for people with more melanin in their skin. At the same time, Lennon makes a good point about how woman have been treated unfairly compared to men worldwide. That is very true, and Mr. Lennon makes it crystal clear he is very much a feminist.

“Woman is the nigger of the world,” he continues in the brief but powerful chorus, “Think about it, do something about it.” It is a controversial yet potent call to action. Lennon provides more evidence of how unfairly women have been treated on the verses. “We make her paint her face and dance,” he sings in the first verse, “If she won’t be a slave, we say that she don’t love us.” Slave, again, is a controversial choice of word for Lennon, but, at the same time, it makes his point crystal clear. Many men, even to this day, expect a degree of submission from their girlfriends and wives which is unfair and reduces them. The second verse offers more: “We make her bear and raise our children /… We tell her home is the only place she should be.” As for the third, “We insult her every day on TV” and, “When she’s young, we kill her will to be free.” It is easy to see why 🎵 “Woman Is The Nigger Of The World” raises eyebrows. That said, Lennon doesn’t come off as racist even if you wished he’d found a much less polarizing word. It all about feminism on this thought-provoking record.

Appears in 🔻:

13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Capitol, Columbia, EMI Records Ltd, Interscope, Macon Music, LLC, Mercury Music Group, Phil Spector, Priority, Republic, RT Industries, Sony Music Entertainment; Deon Black, Kátio de Oliveira, Letticia Massari, Tazz Vaughn from Pexels]

13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2 | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on August 11, 2023August 11, 2023