Intense songs by women

Cafe Society
1

Every once in a while, just for fun, I keep to a theme in my listening. Sometimes I’ll go through my music files and play songs by harmonica players. Sometimes it’ll be songs about crying, or drinking, or songs with numbers, or animals, or rain, or cars. You get the idea. Well I just recently selected several songs at random and remarkably they were all very intense songs by women. Here are three of mine. Please add some of your favorites.

  1. Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynett

  2. Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) - Melanie

  3. Down So Low - Tracy Nelson

2
  1. You Oughta Know - Alanis Morrisette
  2. I will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
  3. I will Always Love you - Dolly Parton (please)
  4. Joey - Concrete Blonde
  5. Respect - Aretha (for what it was at the time as a statement of equality, it was intense!)
  6. Plenty of Pretenders stuff…
3

Me and a Gun by Tori Amos

Untouchable Face by Ani DiFranco

Stay by Sugarland

Fuck and Run by Liz Phair

I’ve also always felt like Jolene by Dolly Parton was especially intense and sad.

4

Fidelity- Regina Spektor
I Am Woman- Helen Reddy
The Only One- Melissa Etheridge
Son of a Preacher Man-Dusty Springfield
Constant Craving-KD Lang
Gloria-Laura Brannigan
Didn’t Know My Own Strength - Lorrie Morgan
Good As I Was To You- Lorrie Morgan
Independence Day- Martina McBride
I Take My Chances- Mary Chapin Carpenter
Don’t Tell Me What To Do- Pam Tillis
I’m That Kind of Girl- Patty Loveless
Jose Cuervo - Shelly West
No Scrubs -TLC

Baby, no one can bring it like country girls can. Roll those ladies on to your playlist and get your feet a tappin’.

5

“Traveling Soldier” by the Dixie Chicks. Not musically intense, but the last time I heard it in traffic, I cried like a baby.

6

‘Never is a Promise,’ Fiona Apple (I’m sure there are a ton more of hers that qualify, but that’s the first one that came to mind. Like ‘Sullen Girl,’ it’s about her brutal rape at 12.)

7

“Rid of Me,” PJ Harvey
“Drunken Butterfly,” Sonic Youth

8

Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria and Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer, both by Patti Smith on Horses are pretty damned intense!

9

“Fast Car” - Tracy Chapman

10

“Black Velvet” - Alannah Myles

11

PJ Harvey – so many, but “Long Snake Moan,” especially (also “Victory,” “The Sky Lit Up,” “Harder,” “50 Ft. Queenie”…you get the picture :slight_smile: I love her.)
Marion Anderson – “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”
Bjork – “Pluto”
The Genitorturers – “Lecher Bitch”
Mahalia Jackson – “How I Got Over” (makes me cry every time I hear it)
My Bloody Valentine – “No More Sorry” (not musically intense, but chilling)
Neko Case – “Blacklisted,” “Running Out of Fools,” “Behind the House”
Stevie Nicks – “Stand Back”

…And anything by Diamanda Galas. That woman could be a Greek Fury.

12

My kind of music …
“Criminal” - Fiona Apple
Lots of Melissa Etheridge … “Chrome Plated Heart,” “Your Little Secret,” “I Wanna Come Over,” “Bring Me Some Water,” “Come to My Window,” among others
“Portions for Foxes” - Rilo Kiley
“I Hate Myself for Loving You” - Joan Jett
“Queen of the Night” - Whitney Houston (I know, I know, but … it works)
“My Lovin” - En Vogue
“Walk Away” - Kelly Clarkson
“Human Nature” - Madonna
“Don’t Let Me Get Me” - P!nk
Trisha Yearwood - “Walkaway Joe”, “Wrong Side of Memphis”
Kim Richey - “Those Words We Said,” “Echos of Love”
Joan Osborne - “Right Hand Man,” “St. Teresa”
Sarah McLachlan - “Possession”
Natalie Inbruglia - “Torn”

13

“Piece of My Heart” or "Cry Baby by Janis Joplin (who should have been mentioned before this)
“My Man” by either Fanny Brice or Barbra Streisand
“You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun” sung by Bernadette Peters.
“Somebody to Love” by the Jefferson Airplane

14

Mine, too.

Every Little Bit, Let Him Fly - Patty Griffin
Long, Long Time - Linda Ronstadt
You’re So Vain - Carly Simon
Mad, Mad Me - Wendy Waldman
Down to You, Song for Sharon - Joni Mitchell
Lose Again - Karla Bonoff

15

The track Aftermath by Battery is among the most intense songs I know, female or male.

16

My roommate liked playing “I Surrender”, by Celine Dion. That’s pretty intense.

And why do people hate Celine Dion? I suppose that’s a topic for another thread.

17

I’m not sure what you mean by intense, but as female vocalists are my favorite kind, here’re a ton:

Jesca Hoop – Seed of Wonder
Sarah Fimm – Sets Us Apart
Sarah Fimm – Virus
The Romanovs – The King
Dar Williams – Are You Out There

Charlotte Martin – Veins
Tegan and Sara – The First
Loquat – Take It Back
Thea Gilmore – The Gambler
Neko Case – The Pharaohs

The Romanovs – White Flag
Charlotte Martin – Limits of Our Love
Vienna Teng – The Tower
Sarah Fimm – Bombay Cafe
Lennon – Where Do I Fit In

The Romanovs – La Mer Enchanté
Concrete Blonde – Joey
Grand Ole Party – Gypsy March
Grand Ole Party – Look Out Young Son
Northern State – Girl for All Seasons

Pretty Balanced – My Mind is a Box
Sarah Fimm – Spit Trap Ghetto
The Romanovs – Olden Times
Regina Spektor – Hotel Song
Sinéad O’Connor – Daddy I’m Fine

Amanda Ghost – Cellophane
Eisley – Telescope Eyes
The Romanovs – Exit Wounds
Lacuna Coil – Heaven’s a Lie
Beth Orton – She Cries Your Name

Sarah Fimm – Sky Is Falling Down
K’s Choice & Indigo Girls – Rockin’ In The Free World
Anna Nalick – Breathe (2 AM)
PJ Harvey – This Is Love
Kidneythieves – Zerospace

K’s Choice – Paradise in Me
The Romanovs – Sonnet
Jem – 24
Dixie Chicks – Not Ready To Make Nice
Cocteau Twins – Persephone

Vienna Teng – Between
Regina Spektor – Consequence of Sounds
Grand Ole Party – Bad, Bad Man
Sarah Bettens – Not Insane
Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue

The Romanovs – Kiss in the Chemicals
Jefferson Airplane – Somebody to Love
The Vincent Black Shadow – Metro
The Romanovs – China Shop
Amanda Ghost – Filthy Mind

K’s Choice – Everything for Free
Kristin Hersh – Your Ghost
Vienna Teng – Cannonball
Holly McNarland – Elmo
Amanda Ghost – Glory Girl

Charlotte Martin – Pretty Thing
The Veronicas – Secret
Tegan and Sara – Dancing in the Dark
K’s Choice – Not an Addict
The Dresden Dolls – Shores of California

Garmarna – Gamen
Tin Cup Prophette – Going Numb
The Birthday Massacre – Happy Birthday
Pink – Just Like A Pill
The Birthday Massacre – Video Kid

Jack Off Jill – Love Song
The Romanovs – Four Things
Eyes Set to Kill – This Love You Breathe
Sarah Fimm – Scream
Grand Ole Party – Troubador of the Water

Sarah Fimm – Lioness
Pretty Balanced – Miriam
Nina Gordon – Kiss Me 'Til It Bleeds
Tegan and Sara – Living Room
Charlotte Martin – Madman

Sarah Fimm – Running From the Whole
Jack Off Jill – I Touch Myself
Imogen Heap – Whatever
t.A.T.u. – All the Things She Said
Sarah Fimm – Circus Type Thing

Krezip – I Apologize
Kate Bush – Under Ice
Amy Studt – Just a Little Girl
Holly McNarland – Dallas
PJ Harvey – Kamikaze

The Sounds – Painted by Numbers
Pink – U + Ur Hand
All Saints – Chick Fit
Morningwood – New York Girls
Imogen Heap – Airplane

Grand Ole Party – Redrum Heart
Lizette & – Bright Side of the Moon k
Pretty Balanced – Hero of the Story
Natalie Imbruglia – Torn
Angie Hart – Blue

Poe – Fly Away
Ani DiFranco – Angry Anymore
Garbage – Androgyny
Imogen Heap – Sweet Religion
Rose Kemp – Violence

Rasputina – Bad Moon Rising
Evanescence – Going Under
Regina Spektor – Oedipus
Emilie Autumn – God Help Me
Jack Off Jill – Nazi Halo
Hungry Lucy – Rainfall

18

Intense and no one listed Hole?

Violet
Doll Parts

19

Intense is an interesting adjective for songs- I like it.

One of the most intense experiences I’ve ever had listening to a song was the first time I heard Billie Holliday’s ‘Strange Fruit’.

20

Yeah, you got it Rin. When I say intense I mean a song that will send shivers down to the core of your soul. A song strong enough to make you a basket case in a crowd of people and you don’t even care. The first time I heard Down So Low it started out as a pretty soulful tune. And it built up, and built up until the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I began to shiver, and the tears welled up in my eyes, the room began to spin and I wanted to bang my head on the wall and tear out my own heart and stomp on it and shout out to the whole world “Yes, yes! I am one with the universe!”.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little overdramatic here. But suffice to say: It moved me. :slight_smile: