What Hath Thou Unleashed? 510,617 and counting

The youtube experience that’s happening to us now blows every brain cell in my in my head. For this to make any sense, please check out the plethora of moronic anti-female stay-in-the-kitchen-bitch-but-not-before-you- spread-your-legs comments at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo_VXWO5SKo.

The very founding premise of Bubbles & Cheesecake was to inspire people to build up their self esteem by learning to express themselves creatively - in words, lifestyle, dress, lawn ornaments, whatever canvas Life shoots your way. It never dawned on Holly or I that that one little song and video could unleash such a firestorm of self expression, if that’s what you can call the diatribes, many of them incredulously illiterate, that have polarized men and women on our page. Hear me loud and clear: THIS SONG HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MALE VERSUS FEMALE ANYTHING. How on earth anyone even deducts that from this song or video is flabergasting to me. If that’s what we were saying do you honestly think the best visual approach would have been 60 cartoon ladies and us cavorting in a pool? We have been told a thousand times over the past 48 hours that youtube comments are a breeding ground for unhappy, largely unsuccessful, angry at the world kind of people (who are probably 15 years old) who are pissed that no one has noticed and featured the video of them burning ants or singing “September” or “I’m Here” from Color Purple or the zillion other videos up there of people singing my songs in their bedroom. So, to be clear, here’s a line by line analysis of what “It’s A Woman Thang” means from our perspective. And, fyi, you can actually hear us writing the song,often line by line, at http://www.bubblesandcheesecake.com/iawt/writingaudio.html.

“It’s A Woman Thang”

When you think that you don’t know what you know
when you know that you really do know (everyone has had trouble expressing themselves at times, even when they have an instinct that what they are feeling is right.)
It’s a dirty ol shame in a dirty ol game
that you let your power go. (this isn’t the first time you’ve been weak when you know you have the goods to be strong.)
That’s a woman thang. oh yeah
That’s a woman thang. (this type of behavior is historically more typical in women than men.)

Now when I say it’s a woman thang
my mama did it,
your mama did it,
My mama before her mama did it. (it’s been going on since Adam and Eve)
But what I mean’s you got the strength inside
to speak your mind and turn the tide. (stand up for yourself. walk out of abusive relationsips, bad jobs and the like whether you’re male or female. only you can clear the air around you.)

The first time hard,
the second time easier,
the third time easier still. (practice makes perfect.)

When you think that you don’t know what you know
when you know that you really do know. (oh God, here I go again making the same stupid mistakes in not standing up for myself.)
It’s a dirty ol shame in a dirty ol game
that you let your power go. (why am I so weak?)
That’s a woman thang.
That’s a woman thang. (not speaking up is usually attributed more to females than males.)
you gotta fight that girl (speak up!)

Now ask yourself this very thing,
am I a woman?
Am I a waif? (are you strong or are you powerless?)
Am I the one that I forsake? (why do I always sell myself down the river?)
And if someone come and try and mess with me
can I count on the love and the blessings in me? (can I count on myself to stick up for myself, to express my feelings, to demand I be treated with respect, regardless of whether I’m female or male.)

The first time hard,
the second time easier,
the third time easier still (demanding respect gets easier everytime you stand up for yourself.)

When you think that you don’t know what you know
when you know that you really do know.
It’s a dirty ol shame in a dirty ol game
that you let your power go. (oh boy, here I go again acting like a wimp because I really have an opinion here I’m not expressing.)
That’s a woman thang. (that’s an everybody thang.)
That’s a woman thang.
That’s a woman thang.
You gotta fight that, girl. (do something about it!)

1, 2, 3, let’s go/ we’s at the door ( get ready, here I come.)

Na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na (felt better singing na na na than to write lyrics here.)

Give a woman what she want
Give a woman what she need
Give that woman her due
so her heart don’t bleed. (I AM somebody! If you can’t see that why am I still here?)

Give a woman what she want
Give a woman what she need
Give that woman her due
so her heart don’t bleed. (I’m saying it loud and clear. respect me as I respect you or I’m outta here.)

If anyone with even half a brain cell left in their head can’t see that this is not an anti-male call to war but, rather, a universal song about respecting and expressing oneself - It’s An Everybody Thang - I don’t know what to say. It makes Holly, Bubbles, Cheesecake and I very proud that we have exposed the predjudice lurking behind so many dull eyes and lazy brains that only have the courage to express themselves when hiding in the glow of their computer screens.

November 28th, 2007