Hear Me Roar
In Dennis Prager's column about how minorities should feel shame as well as pride, we find this:
For a generation, America has been awash in the celebration of minorities and minorities’ celebration of themselves. Just recall “Black is Beautiful” or “I am a woman, I am invincible.”
I don't recall anyone using the latter phrase. I assume he's referring to Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman," which actually has "I am invincible, I am woman." This may seem picayune, but it's not just about word order. Saying "woman" is invincible has a very different feeling from saying "a woman" is invincible.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:21 AM
10 Comments:
Your interpretation is not one I had. She seems to be singing for generic "Woman" rather than herself. Doesn't the context of the song seem to be saying that all women are strong and invincible.
I always thought it meant (and being a junior high guy at the time , resented it) that she was those cool she was woman, that were was an implied "because" between the 2d and 3d statements.
"I am strong. I am invincible. I am Woman."
She doesn't say I am "a" woman- (but maybe she's pulling a Neal Armstrong and dropping articles) Replace the word 'woman' with American (OK Australian) or other descriptive term and from the context, it seems that that quality is the key thing that determines.
I will have to listen through again and see. Thanks- always looking (listening?) for new ways to hear old things
I'm not saying you're wrong, but look at the first line: "I am woman, hear me roar/ in numbers too big too ignore."
Or this line: "I am woman, watch me grow/ see me standing toe to toe."
These lines suggest collective, not individual, action.
Actually that's why I was saying that the song is about collective "Woman". I see that I read the last line of your exactly backwards and thought you were claiming that she was singing she was an invincible woman.
Per Emily Litela, never mind.
"last line of your post"
Remember the Helen Reddy Show? Anybody?
Guess she didn't roar loud enough.
I thought she was hot
If we're onto Helen Reddy, what the hell happened to Angie Baby at the end of that song (Helen's follow-up hit )?
What happened to the boy?
I have to tell you, between that song and Janis Ian's "Seventeen," mid-70s pop music was sorta bleak for girls. "I Am Woman" really didn't make up for this.
For a longer discussion, look at Friday's post "Special Lady."
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