#5
“Take a Letter Maria” – R.B. Greaves (1969)
Last night as I got home about a half past ten
There was the woman I thought I knew
In the arms of another man
I kept my cool, I ain’t no fool
Let me tell you what happened then
I packed some clothes and I walked out
And I ain’t going back again
So take a letter Maria, address it to my wife
Say I won’t be coming home, gonna start a new life
So take a letter Maria, address it to my wife
Send a copy to my lawyer, gotta start a new life
You’ve been many things but most of all a good secretary to me
And it’s times like this I feel you’ve always been close to me
Was I wrong to work nights to try to build a good life
All work and no play has just cost me a wife
When a man loves a woman it’s hard to understand
That she would find more pleasure in the arms of another man
I never really noticed how sweet you are to me
It just so happens I’m free tonight
Would you like to have dinner with me
So take a letter Maria, address it to my wife
Send a copy to my lawyer, gotta start a new life
There’s something so awesomely sexist about having your secretary draft a letter to your wife telling her you’re leaving – then asking the secretary on a date. In my opinion, “Take a Letter Maria” illustrates ‘60s sexism pretty perfectly, and it was this song that made me start want to do this list. I was expecting this song to be my #1, but as I continued to do my research, I realized that there were FAR more sexist songs out there. It would have been ranked higher if the singer had left his wife for no reason at all (which is how I remember the song when I first heard it) but, alas, there’s the whole cuckold thing, which he even blames himself for. Still… pretty sexist.
9 thoughts on “The 6 Sexistiest Songs of the ’60s — #5”
He caught her creating on him in their marriage bed and he’s a misogynist? You have problems with reality.
Kaiser Basileus
Kaiser, my thoughts exactly.
cas
what is exactly sexist about this
long rod van hugen dong
It’s just a song, telling a story through words. He screwed up the work-life balance, found his wife cheating, got his secretary to draft a letter to his wife (like a good businessman!), realised how good his secretary was to him, and asked her on a date. Men being close to their secretaries is nothing new. This guy never cheated and only made his move after his wife cheated on him.
Obviously his feelings with his secretary surfaced in a rush after the infidelity. But as I said, this is a story told through song. The story itself is admittedly a bit pat, in fact, far-fetched, but it doesn’t strike me as sexist.
Greg
After reading this I realize whoever put this list together was just a mean person desperately trying to find misogyny and sexism anywhere — when where there isn’t any. What an absurd and repulsive agenda.
GusW
If you don’t see misogyny and sexism in a song like “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss),” I think it says a LOT more about you than it does about me. Have a good day!
Sugardanny
Someone’s a sour bitch… (O.O)
David Paulus
First of all, the song kinda sucks … so there’s that; but I actually don’t think it’s all that sexist. The lyrics aren’t as self justifying or as creepy as your other choices — hell, the guy actually owns up to his own role in screwing up the marriage.
What’s going on, to my way of thinking, is that we’ve got a guy who realizes he’s effed things up with his woman and now he’s in a big hurry to put his mistakes behind him by starting over with whoever happens to be nearby.
I’d charge him with wishful thinking before calling him a sexist.
Paul Bradford
Nothing sexist about this song and the guy was certainly less feminine than the fellow that struck his girl in “He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)” by The Crystals. Obviously, had he been more of a man and garnered his wife’s respect and vetted her properly (because a good woman tells a man directly there’s a problem instead of expecting him to read her mind and screwing around behind his back; such would’ve cared about preserving the relationship and her sexual loyalty) but, nothing sexist with having the self-respect to drop her for the slut she is and move on.
David Paulus