a few months back in a thread asking about pop/rock performers who may be conservative, it was mentioned that Ben Folds Five’s BRICK and The Verve Pipe’s FRESHMEN were about abortion. I hadn’t heard that before & didn’t think of it till I heard both songs this week, did a search & found that indeed that was the intention of the writers. They were not supposed to be anti-abortion statements but they’re not exactly pro-choice anthems either.
On the other hand, Ani DiFranco did a spoken-word/song about having an abortion; Joan Osbourne, Bonnie Raitt & Eddie Vedder among others have been actively pro-choice, so what songs have there been along the spectrum about abortion?
Btw, I also know about (tho have not heard) the Sex Pistols anti-abortion song & Everclear’s “sing the blues” song
Back in the day, the “trouble” in Romeo Void’s “A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)” was commonly assumed to be an unwanted pregnancy. The lyrics certainly aren’t explicit, though.
That was the thread to which I was referring- the Sex Pistols song “Bodies” is mentioned far down on page 1 as is BF5’s “Brick”. I didn’t see TVP’s “Freshmen”.
The Sex Pistols song Bodies isn’t clearly anti- or pro- abortion - it’s about how ugly it all can be, and really sounds nihilistic and amoral, rather than making any big statement about it.
The Cold Chisel song Choir Girl is also about abortion, but it’s quite subtle, and it’s unclear whether it’s making a statement pro- or anti-.
Of course who can forget the Jello Biafra/Mojo Nixon song Will The Fetus Be Aborted, sung to the tune of Will The Circle Be Unbroken (kind of). Again, it seems more like a jokey/amoral song than one trying to stand up for anyone’s rights.
Ani Difranco’s Hello Birmingham (not the one mentioned in the OP) is about an abortion doctor who got murdered in his home, and in one of the later verses she sings about a personal experience. I guess it could be described as pro-choice/pro-not-killing-doctors song.
Well, the song “Vicky Verky” by Squeeze is about a 14 year old girl who has an abortion while her boyfriend is in Borstal (a British juvenile prison). You’ll find it on the Argybargy album.
Harry Nilsson is one of my faves.Surprised to read that ''Coconut" is about abortion.Anyways,another Harry came to mind when I saw this thread title – Harry Chapin.His “Woman Child” on “Sniper & Other Love Songs” fits the topic.
I think it IS called Coconut. But if there was a smiley for “furiously scratching my head,” I’d use about five of them here. Not that I know it’s false, but it’s a weird concept. Sounds like an urban legend to me, anyway.
“Silent Scream”, by Slayer. A lot like “Bodies” by the Sex Pistols, not really pro or con. Not so sure if “Freshmen” is really about abortion; there’s a lot of speculation about the song’s meaning, and the band refuses to explain.
Hmm… all the songs I know about dealing with unwanted pregnancies involve waiting for the baby to be born and then killing it… guess I should pay more attention to popular music…
I think the song is about all of the troubles seen in Birmingham, specifically the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King or possibly even Medgar Evers. I could be wrong.
I think her bit at the end:
I was once escorted through the doors of a clinic
by a man in a bullet proof vest.
No bombs went off that day, so I am still here to say
Birmingham I’m wishing you all of my best on this
Election Day.
is just to show her solidarity with a city that has seen much strife in the name of freedom. That particular bit is definitely pro-choice, however, as you stated.
They’re not rock/pop, but I can think of two songs that touch on abortion.
One is by a folk-y Texas singer named Sarah Hickman, off her “Shortstop” album. It’s about a woman thinking back on a youthful love affair that led to her getting pregnant and getting an abortion. The abortion is not the focus of the song; the youthful love is.
Country star Tim McGraw has a song out called “Red Ragtop” about a young couple. It mentions an abortion. Again, though, that’s not the focus of the song.
