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Thursday, 2 June 2011

Beyonce Bloody Well Runs This Mother


Well I'm a bit late on this one but I could not resist commenting on my girl B's new girl power single 'Run The World'. The song, which is a little heavy on the Major Lazer sample, is a feministy number that claims it is fact the ladies that run the world and dem menz need to keep up with us girls before we leave them behind.

This is not the first time Beyonce has sprinkled her tunes with a little girl power magic in fact 'Run The World' is just one song in Beyonce's ever increasing 'Girls Rule' set list- think back to 'Bills Bills Bills', 'Independent Woman', and 'Single Ladies'.

For young girls this idea that they can run the world would be incredible. I know because I was the little girl inspired by 'Bills Bills Bills', a song I still love to this day and was probably an inspiration for this here blog.

But it is this Girls Rule attitude that has got a lot of feminists confused as it would be great if we girls did rule the world but we do not and have not at any particular time in history. The battle of the sexes game of girls are better than boys etc is pretty tiring and doesn't really help anyone in the long, long road towards equality.

There have also been complaints that Beyonce simultaneously bigs up her own independence whilst calling back to the boys to see if they still fancy her. For example B croons "Boy you know you love it/ How we're smart enough to make these millions/ Strong enough to bare the children/Then get back to business....Hope you still like me". Can you really say that you believe in female empowerment when you're are also concerned with your own sex appeal.

Well the simple answer is that there is no simple answer. As an artist Beyonce can interpret her idea of empowerment as she wishes and it is up to the listener to judge whether the balance of sex appeal and girl power actually work. What I do know for definite is that Beyonce is back on form and its amazing to see her again.

Wednesday, 1 June 2011

**SONG OF THE MONTH**


Don't Dance Her Down Boys has gone on a bit of a hiatus as you can tell but we're back up and running and to kick things off here's the Song of the Month.

This month's post is all about the Queen of the Blues and her amazing number 'Voodoo Woman'. The power in this song and Taylor's voice completely blew me away when I first heard it. I can imagine PJ Harvey doing an amazing cover with her white lady blues voice and everything.

Feel the power of the voodoo woman, it'll put a spell on you...get it.

Lyrics:
They call me the voodoo woman,
And i know the reason why,
They call me the voodoo woman,
And i know the reason why,
Lord if i raise my name,
Youu know the sky begin to cry.

They call me the voodoo woman,
I look through water and spied by land
They call me the voodoo woman,
I look through water and spied by land
I tell all you men
If your woman got another man.

I got a rabbit foot in my pocket,
A toad frog in my shoes,
A crawfish on my shoulder,
Lookin dead at you,
I got dust from a rattlesnake,
I got a black spider bone,
If that don't do it baby,
You'd better leave it all alone.

They call me the voodoo woman,
And i know the reason why,
Lord if i raise my name,
You know the sky begin to cry.

I got a rabbit foot in my pocket,
A toad frog in my shoes,
A crawfish on my shoulder,
Lookin dead at you,
I got dust from a rattlesnake,
I got a black spider bone,
If that don't do it baby,
You'd better leave it all alone.

They call me the voodoo woman,
And i know the reason why,
They call me the voodoo woman, and i know the reason why,
Lord if i raise my name,
You know the sky begin to cry.
Lord if i raise my name,
You know the sky begin to cry.
Lord if i raise my name,
You know the sky begin to cry.
Lord if i raise my name,
You know the sky begin to cry.