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between_time_and_42Recently I commented some of my thoughts on Florence and the Machine's lead-off single from their upcoming album, Dance Fever, on the song's corresponding music video. It's gotten reactions from some folks who agree with me, some who do not. I thought I'd share my initial review of it here, and then go into a slightly deeper analysis of the lyrics...
From my music review account on Instagram:
"Florence and the Machine is one of my favorite bands and they put out a new song today that is (excuse me) FUCKING. ME. UP. Let’s take a look as to why…
"While the lyrical content of Florence Welch’s first couple albums balanced the personal with songs of the supernatural and occult, earning her a fond reputation in the public eye as an inhuman being similar to a forest nymph or a faerie queen, 2015’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and 2018’s High As Hope placed a greater emphasis on autobiographical details as Ms. Welch worked through personal demons. Her new song 'King' continues down this same route, as Ms. Welch’s press statement accompanying the single explains that the song comes from examining her place as a woman in the music business and how her experience differs from that of a male musician. Marriage and motherhood are two standards that society expects women to fulfill, and after years of playing with the proverbial big boys, Ms. Welch now finds herself contemplating these traditional roles, and what it would mean for her to take them on. Viewed through one lens, the song’s pre-chorus is an empowering chant: “I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King.” But what happens when one decides to become a mother and bride? Does this mean you automatically lose your “golden crown of sorrow,” your “bloody sword to swing?” And how does one come to terms with such a major shift in priorities?
"In the press statement, Ms. Welch also mentions that she’s always modeled herself on her male musical idols, but “felt a wall come down” between her & them when she realized that the choice she finds herself facing looks very different to them. As a fellow musician who’s modeled myself on male idols as well, this shook me and has forced me to examine my motivations. Was it simply because I wasn’t exposed to enough women in music that I found myself drawn to male idols from an early age? Is it because they’re genuinely charismatic? Does it come from amount of shame or internalized misogyny?
"I don’t have answers, but here’s what I do know: “King” is great, both musically and lyrically. As her lyrics have matured, so have the band’s musical style. The heavy chamber pop orchestral arrangements and vocal acrobatics of Lungs and Ceremonials have given way to a calmer, though no less emotional composition. Anchors by a steady drumbeat and bassline (which sound amazing btw, props to the mixing engineer), the song shows Florence utilizing her powerful, yet restrained mid-range, often sounding overcome with emotion, before letting loose with a wordless cry around the middle 8. A swell of brass and harp floods the song with nostalgia- Florence hasn’t completely let go of the style that introduced her to the world. I do have one small quibble with the lyrics, though- at the end of the song, she sings 'I was never as good as I always thought I was.' You have always been that good, Ms. Welch! (I understand her point but man, she has yet to make a bad album.) I can’t wait to see whatever’s next for her."
So, let's get into the specifics of "King." When I first heard it, I knew immediately that what I was taking away from it was probably not the message that the majority of listeners would take away from it. "I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King-" that sounds like a pro-feminist anthem, a call to action for women who refuse to identify with traditional roles that society places on them. I imagined that many women would use these lines to validate their career-oriented (or otherwise oriented towards something that doesn't involve starting a family) lifestyles, and I was happy that such a song existed. But I think that "King" isn't just about that, but rather about the struggle to reconcile the dichotomy of "strong, independent girlboss" vs. "housewife/stay-at-home mom." These are stereotypes taken to the extreme by a society that often prefers to view things in black and white, with little nuance. I don't think it's possible to fully embody either of these extremes, and I believe that the narrator of "King" (I'm not going to identify her as Florence, I believe it is a very personal song but I also don't want to put my interpretation in her mouth) is someone who's trying to find a sweet spot right in the middle.
Much of my interpretation was shaped by Florence's aforementioned press release, so here's what she said in full:
"As an artist, I never actually thought about my gender that much, I just got on with it. I was as good as the men and I just went out there and matched them every time. But now, thinking about being a woman in my 30s and the future, I suddenly feel this tearing of my identity and my desires. That to be a performer, but also to want a family might not be as simple for me as it is for my male counterparts. I had modelled myself almost exclusively on male performers, and for the first time I felt a wall come down between me and my idols as I have to make decisions they did not"
From this, I took the idea that the narrator of this song does want to be King, but only because she's trying to match what her male counterparts, the men who work in the same field as her, are doing. This is a standard set by society. She wants to be free to run around and perform without worrying about tomorrow, and the only people she's been exposed to who seem to have accomplished this goal are male. (Btw, I just realized I might use language in this review that reinforces the idea of a gender binary- please excuse me if I slip up. What I say is, for the most part, intended to reflect the traditional ideas that a certain society upholds, not to say I believe in all these stereotypes.) So, in order to be treated seriously, she can't be Queen- she has to be King and fall into the same mold that they're trapped in.
"But you need your rotten heart, your dazzling pain like diamond rings. You need to go to war to find material to sing: 'I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King...' I need my golden crown of sorrow, my bloody sword to swing, my halls to echo with grand self-mythology. I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King."
These images of going to war, possessing "dazzling pain," needing a "bloody sword to swing..." All of this sounds like it's playing into the idea that great art can only come from great pain. This opens up an entirely new conversation within the song, asking whether it's right to elevate art that came from a traumatic place, as if glorifying it. (I wonder if this too has something to do with the masculine vs. feminine stereotypes- men are discouraged in Western society from showing pain, but art based on pain is celebrated, so maybe this is the only avenue for men who have suffered such things to express themselves?) To me, it also sounds like a lonely existence- a golden crown "of sorrow" and a "rotten heart" are not things that should be desired. It's wild that this is almost encouraged for artists. (Not to go on a tangent, but recently I've been listening to another band I love, Frightened Rabbit, whose lyrics, penned by lead singer Scott Hutchison, often depicted painfully accurate portrayals of depression. I always used to listen to those songs without too much thought for their writer's mental health, just enjoying the music and the bravery that Hutchison had in being so open about his struggles. In 2018, Scott Hutchison committed suicide. I'm not saying that it was the fans' responsibility at all to do anything that could have prevented this, and of course I'm not trying to put across the idea that "there were warning signs all along" or whatever it is that some have said- it's clear from his lyrics that Hutchison's struggles with depression were lifelong and it's just very sad, to me, that at one point in his life he felt it was too much to keep going. But it does constantly make me think about how pain and personal struggles are almost mythologized by those who consume art, about the archetype of a "tortured artist" and about how it can become too easy to separate the art from the person who creates it... anyway, I am really going off the rails now, let's get back to "King.")
But at any rate, this seems to be the narrator of the song's only method of self-expression, because she's never been exposed to anything different, and at this point she violently rejects the idea that she could need or want or a different lifestyle, caught up as she is in binary thinking. "I am no mother! I am no bride! I am King!" It's a mantra, a loud proclamation of her identity. And there is nothing wrong with this way of thinking! In fact, it's closer to my own than the message that I think the song is actually trying to put across. There's no shame in deciding to devote oneself to one's art, if that's the thing that makes life worthwhile to you.
The second verse, however, introduces a new idea, and in my opinion these lyrics are the most important in the entire song. "But a woman is a changeling, always shifting shape. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new begins to take. What strange claws are these, scratching at my skin? I never knew my killer would be coming from within... I am no mother. I am no bride. I am King."
This, to me, represents the narrator's desires shifting. No longer does she want to be the fiercely independent King. Now she wants those things she'd scorned before- a partner, a family. But- here's the important part- she doesn't want to give up her way of life, the respect she's earned and the power she's gained from her peers. She doesn't see how she can have these traditional things without sacrificing her current way of life, because there hasn't been a precedent for it- all her other peers are men, who don't face the same kind of societal pressure to start a family the way women do, who won't receive the same amount of shame from the public for starting a family and giving up on their image as a "strong, independent" role model, who (for cis women and men, anyway) have no biological deadline on when they can produce a child. I think these lines express how the narrator hates the way her own desires have betrayed her. Her newfound desire to start a family is likened to "strange claws scratching at [her] skin" and a "killer-" the killer of her old way of life, perhaps. She never expected her feelings to change, after she'd thought she had it "figured out" years ago. When she repeats the mantra from earlier, it's in a voice choked with emotion, as if she's trying to convince herself that this is still an image she wants to fulfill. But she can't see a way to be King without also accepting that she'll never have the kind of life she wants.
This leads to the scenario depicted in the song's opening lyrics (which, in my head, take place during the pandemic-enforced lockdown, where too much time alone with each other is starting to cause significant tension): "We argue in the kitchen about whether to have children, about the world ending and the scale of my ambition, and how much is art really worth?" Don't get me wrong- I don't think the narrator of this song is suddenly putting aside her ambitions to raise children. That is not the vibe I get from this song AT ALL, and in fact, I resent the idea of it- that all women secretly want to fulfill the role of mother and bride deep down, no matter what they say about being independent. But I think that the narrator is trying to have her cake and eat it, too. She wants BOTH things- to be legitimized as an artist and live a life that allows her to keep creating for as long as she lives, and to be able to do those things with a partner at her side and a child in her arms. Many artists have managed to do this before, but because the narrator always molded herself based on artists who didn't have to make that choice, she is unprepared now and unsure of how to walk that tightrope wire, how to balance the never-ending ambition with the desire to be mother and bride.
Is there a way out for the narrator? I think so. And I think, if this truly is a struggle that Florence Welch has personally faced, she'll probably find her way through it too. (If it turns out that this song is purely an empowerment anthem, though, I say more power to her, it's always great to have someone in the public eye to look up to who's following a path similar to the one I personally wish to follow.) But the wordless cry in the middle of the song makes it clear that there isn't going to be an easy solution to this, and the song's final lines that bother me so much- "I was never as good as I thought I was, but I knew how to dress it up... I was never satisfied, it never let me go, just dragged me by my hair and back on with the show"- show that the narrator still feels conflicting desires pulling at her and isn't sure what kind of an image she wants to present now that her desires are changing right before her eyes. I can't wait to hear this song in the context of the album- I feel like it'll leave an even deeper impression when I hear it then.
Before I end this post, I wanted to tack on some quick thoughts about the second pre-release single, "Heaven Is Here:"
Notice how I didn't say a word about the visuals of "King"'s music video. I'm honestly not prepared to get into all of that right now. But for me, "Heaven is Here" is ALL about the visuals- makes sense, as Florence said that this is the first song she ever wrote that's supposed to accompany a dance performance. I've watched this video so many times and I really can't get enough. Some folks have said that the choreography in this video is "from" a show called The OA, but I think that's only because the choreographer who worked on that show is the same person who choreographed this video, and also I haven't seen The OA so let's leave that aside for now. I just can't get enough of this!!! The way she seems to toss an invisible cigarette from her lips on the opening line "oh, bring your salt, bring your cigarette." Both times she sings "Heaven is here if you want it," her arms by her sides, palms up, a smile on her face, using an open body stance to encourage others to come partake in the Heaven that she offers. The skirt twirling, which always takes me by surprise even though I know it's coming. The dancers snapping at the air like dogs as Florence yelps. The way they pound at the air along with the backbeat of the song. The shot of the shoes creeping forward. The way the performance ends, Florence gasping with her eyes turned upwards, before ending in a stiff, downward stance as if some spirit had possessed her body to perform that song and now it's exited and given her body back to her. I'm sooooooo obsessed!!! I really hope I get to see her perform this live, and that when she does, she does it with the same kind of movements as in this video! (Ahhhh I'm just remembering now how electrifying it was, seeing her perform live back in 2019- at one point she jumped off the stage and went racing through the audience, and then she was still down in the pit when the next song began and she walked through the audience with this thousand-yard stare (it was appropriate for the song) and just let them touch her and WOW, it was so amazing, I love her so much.) Also, I just watched her visual album for How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful in full recently (it came out 6/7 years ago but I hadn't seen it in full until now), and I must say, the choreography in "Heaven Is Here" is such a step up from the choreography in The Odyssey, I love it honestly (and I love the whole thing because it really brings Florence down to earth and shows that she's not a goddess, she's not King, she's just a human like all of us) but I did think it got really repetitive and this feels so fresh and exciting in comparison.
From my music review account on Instagram:
"Florence and the Machine is one of my favorite bands and they put out a new song today that is (excuse me) FUCKING. ME. UP. Let’s take a look as to why…
"While the lyrical content of Florence Welch’s first couple albums balanced the personal with songs of the supernatural and occult, earning her a fond reputation in the public eye as an inhuman being similar to a forest nymph or a faerie queen, 2015’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and 2018’s High As Hope placed a greater emphasis on autobiographical details as Ms. Welch worked through personal demons. Her new song 'King' continues down this same route, as Ms. Welch’s press statement accompanying the single explains that the song comes from examining her place as a woman in the music business and how her experience differs from that of a male musician. Marriage and motherhood are two standards that society expects women to fulfill, and after years of playing with the proverbial big boys, Ms. Welch now finds herself contemplating these traditional roles, and what it would mean for her to take them on. Viewed through one lens, the song’s pre-chorus is an empowering chant: “I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King.” But what happens when one decides to become a mother and bride? Does this mean you automatically lose your “golden crown of sorrow,” your “bloody sword to swing?” And how does one come to terms with such a major shift in priorities?
"In the press statement, Ms. Welch also mentions that she’s always modeled herself on her male musical idols, but “felt a wall come down” between her & them when she realized that the choice she finds herself facing looks very different to them. As a fellow musician who’s modeled myself on male idols as well, this shook me and has forced me to examine my motivations. Was it simply because I wasn’t exposed to enough women in music that I found myself drawn to male idols from an early age? Is it because they’re genuinely charismatic? Does it come from amount of shame or internalized misogyny?
"I don’t have answers, but here’s what I do know: “King” is great, both musically and lyrically. As her lyrics have matured, so have the band’s musical style. The heavy chamber pop orchestral arrangements and vocal acrobatics of Lungs and Ceremonials have given way to a calmer, though no less emotional composition. Anchors by a steady drumbeat and bassline (which sound amazing btw, props to the mixing engineer), the song shows Florence utilizing her powerful, yet restrained mid-range, often sounding overcome with emotion, before letting loose with a wordless cry around the middle 8. A swell of brass and harp floods the song with nostalgia- Florence hasn’t completely let go of the style that introduced her to the world. I do have one small quibble with the lyrics, though- at the end of the song, she sings 'I was never as good as I always thought I was.' You have always been that good, Ms. Welch! (I understand her point but man, she has yet to make a bad album.) I can’t wait to see whatever’s next for her."
So, let's get into the specifics of "King." When I first heard it, I knew immediately that what I was taking away from it was probably not the message that the majority of listeners would take away from it. "I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King-" that sounds like a pro-feminist anthem, a call to action for women who refuse to identify with traditional roles that society places on them. I imagined that many women would use these lines to validate their career-oriented (or otherwise oriented towards something that doesn't involve starting a family) lifestyles, and I was happy that such a song existed. But I think that "King" isn't just about that, but rather about the struggle to reconcile the dichotomy of "strong, independent girlboss" vs. "housewife/stay-at-home mom." These are stereotypes taken to the extreme by a society that often prefers to view things in black and white, with little nuance. I don't think it's possible to fully embody either of these extremes, and I believe that the narrator of "King" (I'm not going to identify her as Florence, I believe it is a very personal song but I also don't want to put my interpretation in her mouth) is someone who's trying to find a sweet spot right in the middle.
Much of my interpretation was shaped by Florence's aforementioned press release, so here's what she said in full:
"As an artist, I never actually thought about my gender that much, I just got on with it. I was as good as the men and I just went out there and matched them every time. But now, thinking about being a woman in my 30s and the future, I suddenly feel this tearing of my identity and my desires. That to be a performer, but also to want a family might not be as simple for me as it is for my male counterparts. I had modelled myself almost exclusively on male performers, and for the first time I felt a wall come down between me and my idols as I have to make decisions they did not"
From this, I took the idea that the narrator of this song does want to be King, but only because she's trying to match what her male counterparts, the men who work in the same field as her, are doing. This is a standard set by society. She wants to be free to run around and perform without worrying about tomorrow, and the only people she's been exposed to who seem to have accomplished this goal are male. (Btw, I just realized I might use language in this review that reinforces the idea of a gender binary- please excuse me if I slip up. What I say is, for the most part, intended to reflect the traditional ideas that a certain society upholds, not to say I believe in all these stereotypes.) So, in order to be treated seriously, she can't be Queen- she has to be King and fall into the same mold that they're trapped in.
"But you need your rotten heart, your dazzling pain like diamond rings. You need to go to war to find material to sing: 'I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King...' I need my golden crown of sorrow, my bloody sword to swing, my halls to echo with grand self-mythology. I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King."
These images of going to war, possessing "dazzling pain," needing a "bloody sword to swing..." All of this sounds like it's playing into the idea that great art can only come from great pain. This opens up an entirely new conversation within the song, asking whether it's right to elevate art that came from a traumatic place, as if glorifying it. (I wonder if this too has something to do with the masculine vs. feminine stereotypes- men are discouraged in Western society from showing pain, but art based on pain is celebrated, so maybe this is the only avenue for men who have suffered such things to express themselves?) To me, it also sounds like a lonely existence- a golden crown "of sorrow" and a "rotten heart" are not things that should be desired. It's wild that this is almost encouraged for artists. (Not to go on a tangent, but recently I've been listening to another band I love, Frightened Rabbit, whose lyrics, penned by lead singer Scott Hutchison, often depicted painfully accurate portrayals of depression. I always used to listen to those songs without too much thought for their writer's mental health, just enjoying the music and the bravery that Hutchison had in being so open about his struggles. In 2018, Scott Hutchison committed suicide. I'm not saying that it was the fans' responsibility at all to do anything that could have prevented this, and of course I'm not trying to put across the idea that "there were warning signs all along" or whatever it is that some have said- it's clear from his lyrics that Hutchison's struggles with depression were lifelong and it's just very sad, to me, that at one point in his life he felt it was too much to keep going. But it does constantly make me think about how pain and personal struggles are almost mythologized by those who consume art, about the archetype of a "tortured artist" and about how it can become too easy to separate the art from the person who creates it... anyway, I am really going off the rails now, let's get back to "King.")
But at any rate, this seems to be the narrator of the song's only method of self-expression, because she's never been exposed to anything different, and at this point she violently rejects the idea that she could need or want or a different lifestyle, caught up as she is in binary thinking. "I am no mother! I am no bride! I am King!" It's a mantra, a loud proclamation of her identity. And there is nothing wrong with this way of thinking! In fact, it's closer to my own than the message that I think the song is actually trying to put across. There's no shame in deciding to devote oneself to one's art, if that's the thing that makes life worthwhile to you.
The second verse, however, introduces a new idea, and in my opinion these lyrics are the most important in the entire song. "But a woman is a changeling, always shifting shape. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new begins to take. What strange claws are these, scratching at my skin? I never knew my killer would be coming from within... I am no mother. I am no bride. I am King."
This, to me, represents the narrator's desires shifting. No longer does she want to be the fiercely independent King. Now she wants those things she'd scorned before- a partner, a family. But- here's the important part- she doesn't want to give up her way of life, the respect she's earned and the power she's gained from her peers. She doesn't see how she can have these traditional things without sacrificing her current way of life, because there hasn't been a precedent for it- all her other peers are men, who don't face the same kind of societal pressure to start a family the way women do, who won't receive the same amount of shame from the public for starting a family and giving up on their image as a "strong, independent" role model, who (for cis women and men, anyway) have no biological deadline on when they can produce a child. I think these lines express how the narrator hates the way her own desires have betrayed her. Her newfound desire to start a family is likened to "strange claws scratching at [her] skin" and a "killer-" the killer of her old way of life, perhaps. She never expected her feelings to change, after she'd thought she had it "figured out" years ago. When she repeats the mantra from earlier, it's in a voice choked with emotion, as if she's trying to convince herself that this is still an image she wants to fulfill. But she can't see a way to be King without also accepting that she'll never have the kind of life she wants.
This leads to the scenario depicted in the song's opening lyrics (which, in my head, take place during the pandemic-enforced lockdown, where too much time alone with each other is starting to cause significant tension): "We argue in the kitchen about whether to have children, about the world ending and the scale of my ambition, and how much is art really worth?" Don't get me wrong- I don't think the narrator of this song is suddenly putting aside her ambitions to raise children. That is not the vibe I get from this song AT ALL, and in fact, I resent the idea of it- that all women secretly want to fulfill the role of mother and bride deep down, no matter what they say about being independent. But I think that the narrator is trying to have her cake and eat it, too. She wants BOTH things- to be legitimized as an artist and live a life that allows her to keep creating for as long as she lives, and to be able to do those things with a partner at her side and a child in her arms. Many artists have managed to do this before, but because the narrator always molded herself based on artists who didn't have to make that choice, she is unprepared now and unsure of how to walk that tightrope wire, how to balance the never-ending ambition with the desire to be mother and bride.
Is there a way out for the narrator? I think so. And I think, if this truly is a struggle that Florence Welch has personally faced, she'll probably find her way through it too. (If it turns out that this song is purely an empowerment anthem, though, I say more power to her, it's always great to have someone in the public eye to look up to who's following a path similar to the one I personally wish to follow.) But the wordless cry in the middle of the song makes it clear that there isn't going to be an easy solution to this, and the song's final lines that bother me so much- "I was never as good as I thought I was, but I knew how to dress it up... I was never satisfied, it never let me go, just dragged me by my hair and back on with the show"- show that the narrator still feels conflicting desires pulling at her and isn't sure what kind of an image she wants to present now that her desires are changing right before her eyes. I can't wait to hear this song in the context of the album- I feel like it'll leave an even deeper impression when I hear it then.
Before I end this post, I wanted to tack on some quick thoughts about the second pre-release single, "Heaven Is Here:"
Notice how I didn't say a word about the visuals of "King"'s music video. I'm honestly not prepared to get into all of that right now. But for me, "Heaven is Here" is ALL about the visuals- makes sense, as Florence said that this is the first song she ever wrote that's supposed to accompany a dance performance. I've watched this video so many times and I really can't get enough. Some folks have said that the choreography in this video is "from" a show called The OA, but I think that's only because the choreographer who worked on that show is the same person who choreographed this video, and also I haven't seen The OA so let's leave that aside for now. I just can't get enough of this!!! The way she seems to toss an invisible cigarette from her lips on the opening line "oh, bring your salt, bring your cigarette." Both times she sings "Heaven is here if you want it," her arms by her sides, palms up, a smile on her face, using an open body stance to encourage others to come partake in the Heaven that she offers. The skirt twirling, which always takes me by surprise even though I know it's coming. The dancers snapping at the air like dogs as Florence yelps. The way they pound at the air along with the backbeat of the song. The shot of the shoes creeping forward. The way the performance ends, Florence gasping with her eyes turned upwards, before ending in a stiff, downward stance as if some spirit had possessed her body to perform that song and now it's exited and given her body back to her. I'm sooooooo obsessed!!! I really hope I get to see her perform this live, and that when she does, she does it with the same kind of movements as in this video! (Ahhhh I'm just remembering now how electrifying it was, seeing her perform live back in 2019- at one point she jumped off the stage and went racing through the audience, and then she was still down in the pit when the next song began and she walked through the audience with this thousand-yard stare (it was appropriate for the song) and just let them touch her and WOW, it was so amazing, I love her so much.) Also, I just watched her visual album for How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful in full recently (it came out 6/7 years ago but I hadn't seen it in full until now), and I must say, the choreography in "Heaven Is Here" is such a step up from the choreography in The Odyssey, I love it honestly (and I love the whole thing because it really brings Florence down to earth and shows that she's not a goddess, she's not King, she's just a human like all of us) but I did think it got really repetitive and this feels so fresh and exciting in comparison.
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Date: 2022-04-18 05:47 pm (UTC)Joan is about Joan of Arc, and as such is not meant exactly as an empowerment anthem, having lyrics that at points are clearly not meant to be seen as desirable ("I gladly abandon the bloom of my youth", "I fight where God tells me, I never ask why"). Still, the chorus has a part that always stroke me as empowering, and which "I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King" really reminded me of: "And they won't call me Mother, or Sister, or Wife. They will know me or not by the strenght of my life." I personally identify more with these lyrics than with King's, because Joan isn't trying to fulfill a masculine ideal. She's living life on her own terms, and those are the terms under which history will judge- or forget- her. There's also a more subtle difference: I really appreciate that King can be an empowerment anthem for women who have no intention of becoming brides or mothers. It's wonderful that there are songs like this, and there should definitely be more. However, like you said, I also saw it as a struggle between the stereotypes of "strong, independent girlboss" and "housewife/stay at home mom", which I don't think is as present in Joan. While she isn't a mother or a wife (and the opening lyrics make it quite clear that she doesn't want to be one: "I am as God made me, I have no desire for a mouth at my breast or a pot on the fire"), Joan of Arc was a sister. The point to me is that no one remembers her as so-and-so's sister, just as no one remembers, say, Ursula Le Guin as Charles Le Guin's wife or their children's mother. These women are known by the strenght of their lives, regardless of whether or not they built families, which for a woman like me who, like the narrator of King in your interpretation, wants to have it all sounds more empowering and desirable than King, where, as you put it, becoming a bride or a mother may automatically lose you your crown.
But that idea that building a family costs you hard-earned power and respect is, like you well put it, applicable only to women, so seeing the song from this angle, of a woman who has always been in the same league as the men and is worried about losing that if she chooses to build a family, due to society's absurd double standards, makes it make a lot more sense to me than when I felt it might be perpetuating some stereotypes rather than reflecting upon them. Thank you for explaining it this way.
As for having more male role models than female as an artist, I don't think that necessarily means internalized misogyny. I think it's more a societal problem, of male artists becoming more famous and being taught more than female ones. For example, right now I'm drinking tea from a mug that says "Asimov & Le Guin & Mary (Shelley) & Tolkien". Four wonderful authors who I absolutely adore and see as strong influences, being two men to whose works I was introduced as a child and on whose worlds I played at being and grew up in, and two women who I had to discover on my own in my late teens and early twenties. This is beginning to change, I think, but there's a looong way to go before female artists are as valued and taught as much as male ones.
(To give another example that goes back to how history sees and judges one: If I say that Lady Jane Wilde was a defender of women's education, a poet, a defender of Irish independence, and that she built a large body of work as a collector of Irish folk tales, most people will have no clue who I mean until I add that she was also Oscar Wilde's mother. She lived a life worthy of being remembered, in Joan's terms, by its own strenght, yet people call, meaning, remember her as, a mother. Another case of societal misogyny, I think.)
I fully agree with your conclusion that there is a way out for the narrator. Society is gradually beginning to change, and songs like King are an important part of the conversation that needs to be had about gender roles and stereotypes. And if the song is meant as purely an empowerment anthem, I am also glad for its existance, due to what it means to women who have no desire to be mother or bride, as we definitely need more positive representation for that choice.
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Date: 2022-04-19 07:43 pm (UTC)I'm really glad my interpretation helped you see the song in a different way... Of course, who knows if my interpretation was the one that was intended, but I always got the feeling that the narrator isn't celebrating the idea of being King and is in fact in a place of turmoil over it, and I was a little concerned that what many people took away from it was "she's saying she's devoting her life to her art, that she has no need for a partner or children" and I just felt like there was something a bit deeper going on there. I agree that if the narrator were to fully identify herself with being King, it would sound misogynistic and I think that attitude would be a step backwards, personally... just because the whole idea of masculinity is still so toxic and flawed in many ways and it's nice to think "she can do anything a man can!" but do you WANT someone to do the things that men are associated with doing? Shouldn't there be more of a breaking down of barriers, a dispelling of stereotypes?
Oh that is VERY true, that male artists happen to be taught and celebrated more and thus we're less likely to be exposed to female artists in our childhood. (Ahh, I love most of the authors on that mug too! (Never read Tolkien...) And referring to Le Guin, I am very grateful to have been exposed to her at a young age, she's definitely still an author I think of fondly and find inspiring...)
Also that's a good example about Jane Wilde, who I didn't know about. Wow, imagine doing all that and then being erased in the public consciousness except for the connection to her son. (That actually reminds me of something I was thinking about recently, where I was reading the wikipedia article for a woman who's married to a singer and it had a whole section about the songs she's inspired from him... that was an interesting twist on the idea of being remembered as someone's wife, since she would be immortalized in song as his wife, but also it's not like the songs were written with the intention of reducing her to that role?)