FMS-Blog : The Wildly Whimsical, Mostly Musical WebLog
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Beyonce's Girl Power
While I was away over the weekend I've been unable to get Beyonce's latest single out of my head. It didn't help that every time I turned on the TV in my hotel room it seemed to be playing on one of the music channels. And I got to thinking about why it has struck me so, despite being in the R&B genre - one I've never really taken much interest in.
And it occurred to me that what this song, Irreplaceable, has going for it that many others don't is a true sense of girl-power: real and lasting defiance against a culture that dictates norms for women somewhere between lower pay for harder work and out-and-out abuse in the home and beyond. Looking at the lyrics independently from the rest of the production gives a clear indication of Beyonce Knowle's intentions for the song:
To the left, to the left...
To the left, to the left...
Mmm.. to the left, to the left -
Everything you own in the box to the left!
In the closet, that's my stuff.
Yes, if I bought it then please don't touch.
And keep talkin' that mess, that's fine,
But could you walk and talk at the same time?
And, it's my name that's on that Jag
So go move your bags - let me call you a cab.
Standing in the front yard tellin' me how I'm such a fool,
Talkin' 'bout how I'll never ever find a man like you,
You got me twisted.
You must not know 'bout me.
You must not know 'bout me.
I could have another you in a minute.
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby.
You must not know 'bout me.
You must not know 'bout me.
I can have another you by tomorrow.
So, don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'
You're irreplaceable.
So go ahead and get gone.
Call up that chick and see if she's home.
Oops, I bet you thought that I didn't know.
What did you think I was putting you out for?
Because you was untrue,
Rollin' her around in the car that I bought you.
Baby, drop them keys.
Hurry up before your taxi leaves.
Standing in the front yard tellin' me how im such a fool,
Talkin' 'bout how I'll never ever find a man like you,
You got me twisted.
You must not know 'bout me.
You must not know 'bout me.
I could have another you in a minute.
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby.
You must not know 'bout me.
You must not know 'bout me.
I will have another you by tomorrow.
So, don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'
You're irreplaceable.
So, since I'm not your everything
How about I'll be nothing -
Nothing at all to you?
Baby I won't shed a tear for you;
I won't lose a wink of sleep
Cause the truth of the matter is
Replacing you is so easy.
To the left, to the left...
To the left, to the left...
Mmm.. to the left, to the left -
Everything you own in the box to the left!
To the left, to the left...
Don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'
You're irreplaceable.
You must not know 'bout me.
You must not know 'bout me.
I could have another you in a minute.
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby.
You must not know 'bout me.
You must not know 'bout me.
I can have another you by tomorrow.
So, don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'...
You must not know 'bout me.
You must not know 'bout me.
I could have another you in a minute.
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby.
You can pack all your bags, we finished
Cause you made your bed now lay in it.
I can have another you by tomorrow.
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking
You're irreplaceable.
The opening lines of the song have a strong potency about them and then the whole thing goes on in a similar vain, turning over onto its head the idea that women are (and should be) somehow reliant upon their male partners. Beyonce exclaims loudly that she isn't putting up with that for a minute longer, while also acknowledging the weakness we all share: the tendency to walk out of one mess right into another, with the line "I will have another you by tomorrow" - something of a double-edged sword!
I love the way this song is delivered on the 'single' recording of it, although it seems a bit strained compared to some of her live performances that were given in the key a semitone lower. Perhaps it's partly this strain on the voice that accounts for the way that Beyonce falls off of some of the ends of the lines but I also feel that it's perhaps to demonstrate a sense of desperation: certainly it comes across as a cry out loud. It's also worth mentioning that the band that performs both on the live performances Beyonce has given around the world of this song and on the video are exclusively female - a nice touch to get the point of the song across. In terms of it's feminist guts, this song rivals the Gloria Gaynor dancefloor classic I Will Survive and walks all over anything self-proclaimed 'girl powered' Spice Girls ever produced.
Wonderful stuff - as I said, I've never really been into this style of music but one or two of the gems from this genre have been penned and performed by Beyonce Knowles, another notable example being Crazy Right Now.
