# Songs by women about other women **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801 "2019-03-09T00:39:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/21 "2019-03-09T14:36:50Z")
Cassie by Flyleaf [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S5X0cWsC8rY/hqdefault.jpg "Flyleaf- Cassie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5X0cWsC8rY) ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/22 "2019-03-09T14:43:18Z")
“Caroline” by Concrete Blonde (more complex than complimentary) Jill Sobule had several–“I Kissed a Girl”; “Margaret”; “Karen by Night”. Again, more complex than complimentary. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/23 "2019-03-09T16:58:59Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > _Jolene_, by Dolly Parton That’s the first thing that popped into my mind when I read the thread title, but having read the OP, it’s not really honoring Jolene. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/24 "2019-03-09T17:08:57Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > Jill Sobule had several–“I Kissed a Girl”… She introduced that song by thanking all the confused Katy Perry fans for buying her song. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/25 "2019-03-09T17:22:41Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Joni Mitchell’s [Amelia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcTDoi9JQiY), in a way about Amelia Earheart. [Electricity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DB1lu3nsy0) by Joni Mitchell is about a woman who is trying to fix an electrical circuit. (I _love_ this song, BTW. It’s in my top-five list of favorite Mitchell songs.) ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/26 "2019-03-09T19:38:44Z")
Anneke van Giersbergen - Yalin; haunting song about a friend she lost to suicide. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/P8Ij2YzTFI8/maxresdefault.jpg "Anneke van Giersbergen - Yalin") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Ij2YzTFI8) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/27 "2019-03-09T20:22:55Z")
“Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover”—Sophie B Hawkins ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/28 "2019-03-10T02:33:07Z")
The first one that popped into my head was Adia by Sarah McLaughlin. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Q5wW8N4pt3U/maxresdefault.jpg "Sarah McLachlan - Adia") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5wW8N4pt3U) I also thought of one that a woman wrote about herself, Tough by Kellie Pickler. I think it fits with the idea of celebrating strength in women. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BLOEqQW-Bmo/maxresdefault.jpg "Kellie Pickler - Tough") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLOEqQW-Bmo) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/29 "2019-03-10T03:13:40Z")
Any parent of daughters will appreciate Martina McBride’s country tearjerker “In My Daughter’s Eyes”: [In My Daughter's Eyes - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2SDMOrTZ8U) Sara Bareilles’s “She Used To Be Mine,” from the musical _Waitress_, is a recent favorite of mine: [Sara Bareilles - She Used To Be Mine (Official Video) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53GIADHxVzM) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/30 "2019-03-10T06:43:04Z")
Natalie Merchant wrote her song [Wonder](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zpYFAzhAZY) about a girl who was born with physical handicaps, whom Merchant[had met when she was a teenager](https://www.songfacts.com/facts/natalie-merchant/wonder), and worked at a day camp for special-needs children. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/31 "2019-03-10T08:48:05Z")
All great answers, friends. 🙂 Hey, speaking of Patti Smith’s _Horses_ and sisters, you remind me, the song “[Kimberly](https://youtu.be/UgzVT3OCLxE)” is addressed to Patti’s little sister, about holding her as a baby, with terrific tenderness and affection. > [@](#): > > And I feel like just some misplaced Joan Of Arc > And the cause is you lookin’ up at me ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/32 "2019-03-10T09:41:43Z")
Stevie Nicks wrote a hell of a lot of them, comparatively speaking, for Fleetwood Mac. I cannot think of any other names as big as her who have so many songs written/sung by women, about other women. _Rhiannon_ _Sara_ _Gold Dust Woman_ _Gypsy_ Stevie Nicks didn’t just sing them, she wrote them all. ---
**Author:** ![Cindycat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/54ee81/32.png) [@Cindycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cindycat)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/33 "2019-03-10T12:13:35Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Stevie Nicks wrote a hell of a lot of them, comparatively speaking, for Fleetwood Mac. I cannot think of any other names as big as her who have so many songs written/sung by women, about other women. > > _Rhiannon_ > > _Sara_ > > _Gold Dust Woman_ > > _Gypsy_ > > Stevie Nicks didn’t just sing them, she wrote them all. I love Stevie. I had Sara played at my twin’s funeral. I don’t think there’s a more powerful female singer/songwriter than Stevie Nicks out there right now. ---
**Author:** ![Cindycat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/54ee81/32.png) [@Cindycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cindycat)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/34 "2019-03-10T12:14:36Z")
Mary Jane by Alanis Morissette is extremely moving. Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin is quite haunting too. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/35 "2019-03-10T14:38:09Z")
It’s not evident in the title, but “Red Bike” by Wendy and Lisa is about a woman. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/36 "2019-03-10T15:55:16Z")
“Ring of Keys” from _Fun Home_. Other songs from the show, like “Changing my Major” ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/37 "2019-03-10T17:20:23Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > How many songs can you think of written by women in honor of other women? Well, I think it’s to honour _women_ rather than _a woman_, but how about **Hymn to Her** by the Pretenders? Surprising fact - assuming the Wiki entry is correct, this wasn't written by Chrissie Hynde. > **[Hymn to Her](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymn_to_Her)** > > "Hymn to Her" is a song that was first released from British–American rock band the Pretenders' fourth studio album, Get Close (1986). It was written by Meg Keene, a high school friend of Pretenders' lead singer Chrissie Hynde. "Hymn to Her" was released as a single in the UK and reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart. According to AllMusic critic Matthew Greenwald, the song has remained popular on adult contemporary radio stations. > According to Spin magazine critic Erik Himmelsbach, "Hy... j ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/38 "2019-03-10T18:10:10Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > **[We Are Family](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyGY2NfYpeE)**, Sister Sledge This was written by Nile Edwards and Nile Rodgers. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/39 "2019-03-12T12:07:34Z")
A couple of Indigo Girls songs stand out in this regard. “[Virginia Woolf](https://youtu.be/Koj4pRD06UA)” by Emily Saliers has the feeling I brought in the OP of being inspired by an illustrious woman. > [@](#): > > they published your diary > and that’s how i got to know you > the key to the room of your own and a mind without end > and here’s a young girl > on a kind of a telephone line through time > and the voice at the other end comes like a long lost friend “[Nuevas Señoritas](https://youtu.be/eeHLS_RKtDE)” by Amy Ray is a tender elegy to two indigenous women activists who’d recently been murdered, Ingrid Washinawatok (Menominee) and Marsha Gómez (Choctaw). > [@](#): > > and i saw them > drifting out over the night sky ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801/40 "2019-03-12T15:24:03Z")
Joan Jett remade “Crimson and Clover” but didn’t change the pronouns so it is still about a woman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-women-about-other-women/830801.md?page=3)