# Misogynist lyrics/songs from the pre-hip-hop era **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880 "2006-08-23T13:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jean\_Poutine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@Jean\_Poutine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jean_Poutine)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/1 "2006-08-23T13:37:03Z")
Inspired by a current pit thread, which I was discussing with a friend who was arguing that songs have always had misogynist lyrics, but couldn’t come up with any. Of course, pre-1985 or so had to be pretty tame in comparison to some of today’s popular music. I decided to do my own search, but after a scan of an old Billboard Hot 100 chart book, all I could come up with (ok, it was a brief search) was “Devil Woman” by Cliff Richard. Very tame in comparison, but still a bit shocking because Cliffy was a former teen idol- unless of course the song was tongue in cheek. I don’t recall if he took flak for this song or not, but anyways- what are some other examples? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/2 "2006-08-23T13:38:21Z")
Rod Stewart’s Stay With Me comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/3 "2006-08-23T13:40:29Z")
> [@Jean Poutine](#): > > Inspired by a current pit thread, which I was discussing with a friend who was arguing that songs have always had misogynist lyrics, but couldn’t come up with any. Of course, pre-1985 or so had to be pretty tame in comparison to some of today’s popular music. I decided to do my own search, but after a scan of an old Billboard Hot 100 chart book, all I could come up with (ok, it was a brief search) was “Devil Woman” by Cliff Richard. Very tame in comparison, but still a bit shocking because Cliffy was a former teen idol- unless of course the song was tongue in cheek. I don’t recall if he took flak for this song or not, but anyways- what are some other examples? See “The Blues”. 😃 There’s lots of songs in the old blues catalog that can still shock. See Willie Dixon’s “Violent Love” for a good example. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/4 "2006-08-23T13:49:52Z")
“Cruella Deville,” from _101 Dalmatians._ ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/5 "2006-08-23T13:51:06Z")
“Under My Thumb,” by the Stones. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/6 "2006-08-23T13:55:48Z")
Going back farther, “Wives and Lovers” sung by Jack Jones. I don’t know who wrote it. ---
**Author:** ![Southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southpaw)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/7 "2006-08-23T14:10:52Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > Going back farther, “Wives and Lovers” sung by Jack Jones. I don’t know who wrote it. I was going to mention this one! I despise this song. BTW it was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/8 "2006-08-23T14:19:55Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > See “The Blues”. 😃 A genre which directly inspired such paeans to the feminine mystique as “Living Loving Maid”. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/9 "2006-08-23T14:23:56Z")
“Stupid Girl” - Rolling Stones ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/10 "2006-08-23T14:27:10Z")
“She wouldn’t do what I asked her to So I socked her on the jaw . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Jean\_Poutine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@Jean\_Poutine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jean_Poutine)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/11 "2006-08-23T14:30:04Z")
I thought it was odd no Stones songs jumped out at me from the Hot 100 book- stupid girl and under my thumb weren’t chart hits, that’s why. These are two GREAT examples of what I was looking for- they’re just plain _mean_- what did these girls do to make Mick hate them so :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/12 "2006-08-23T14:31:27Z")
The work of Mr Ted Nugent comes to mind. In an interview on “Behind the Music”, I think, he was asked if his music advocated violence against women. His answer was something like “I don’t advocate violence against women, I perform it.” For instance, the song “Stanglehold”: you ran the night that you left me you put me in my place i got you in a stranglehold baby that night I crushed your face Lovely and romantic, eh? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/13 "2006-08-23T14:48:10Z")
A friend of mine had an album wiht a Robert Johnson song called “Red Lip My Doodlewang.” It wasn’t really misogynist, though. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/14 "2006-08-23T15:22:29Z")
Beatle’s–can’t recall the title, but John Lennon sings of “I was mean to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved.” _Getting Better All the Time_, I think. Also, something entitled “Little Girl” or “You’d Better Run” or something like that–again John, singing about chasing the girl down and meting out justice. They were such nice boys… Gilber O’Sullivan had a song about bare foot and pregnant, which was not satirical or ironic in the least–but the name (mercifully) escapes me now. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mighty\_Loa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@The\_Mighty\_Loa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mighty_Loa)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/15 "2006-08-23T15:55:51Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Beatle’s–can’t recall the title, but John Lennon sings of “I was mean to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved.” _Getting Better All the Time_, I think. > > Also, something entitled “Little Girl” or “You’d Better Run” or something like that–again John, singing about chasing the girl down and meting out justice. > > They were such nice boys… > Gilber O’Sullivan had a song about bare foot and pregnant, which was not satirical or ironic in the least–but the name (mercifully) escapes me now. It was actually Paul singing lead on **Getting Better**. _I used to be cruel to my woman/I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved/Man I was mean but I’m changing my scene/And I’m doing the best that I can._ John sang **Run For Your Life**. _Better run for your life if you can little girl, hide your head in the sand little girl, catch you with another man, that’s the end. Little girl._ There’s a great deal of misogynism in country and western songs, spanning the decades. I was listening to the America station on XM one day and I was absolutely appalled by the sheer number of songs that were subtley misogynistic. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/16 "2006-08-23T15:59:18Z")
Subtly? It’s almost a requirement in the genre that a male CW artist write a “bitch done me wrong” song. Of course, the ladies must themselves write at least one tune about what a cheatin’, drinkin’, gamblin’, cussin’, impregnatin’ deadbeat your average feller is. Seems only fair. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/17 "2006-08-23T16:04:53Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Subtly? It’s almost a requirement in the genre that a male CW artist write a “bitch done me wrong” song. Well, that’s why when you play a CW song backwards, the dog comes back to life, the guy’s truck runs again, and his woman comes back. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/18 "2006-08-23T16:05:28Z")
In _Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs_ ( a **very** funny book btw ), there’s a chapter titled “Songs Women Hate”, with some of course being misgynist. I recall one with the line “He hits me, and it feels like a kiss”. ---
**Author:** ![Glassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Glassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glassy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/19 "2006-08-23T16:13:52Z")
Lots of songs are not so much violently woman-hating as just sort of paternal and contemptuous. Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” for instance. Which is just as irritating, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880/20 "2006-08-23T16:20:49Z")
_When you’re sixteen going on seventeen…_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynist-lyrics-songs-from-the-pre-hip-hop-era/369880.md?page=2)