I love songs from the 1960s. The music was happy, the hooks were catchy and the singers could actually sing. Still, if you really listen to some of the lyrics to these tunes, you’ll also find a good number of the songs to be ridiculously sexist. You can make the argument that there are some songs just as sexist today, but I would argue that these modern songs are not reflective of how women are actually treated like ‘60s songs were (granted, I wasn’t there… but I’ve watched Mad Men…). Anyway, I have compiled a list of the six most sexist songs of the sixties (I could have chosen more, but I like the alliteration too much), complete with the music, the lyrics and my reaction.
Just to give some parameters to how I compiled the list, I basically looked at whether a song had general statements of how men or women are, advice that ends up demeaning women and if there were power situations that would not (or at least should not) exist today. In terms of the music, it helped if the songs were guileless, earnest, cheerful and not at all sexy (which is why the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb” is not on the list). I will be posting a new song every day for the next six days, so, without further ado, here is #6:
#6
“That’s the Way Boys Are” – Leslie Gore (1964)
When I’m with my guy and he watches the pretty girls go by
Well it hurts so bad deep inside, I wish that I could die
Not a word do I say
I just look the other way
Cause that’s the way boys are
That’s the way boys are
When he treats me rough and he acts as though he doesn’t care
Well I never tell him that he is being so unfair
Cause he loves me and I know it
He is just afraid to show it
That’s the way boys are
That’s the way boys are
Oh, when he wants to be alone
I just let him be
Cause I know that soon enough
He’ll come back to me
He’ll come back to me
When we have a fight
And I don’t think that I’ll see him anymore
But before I know it there he is
Standin at my door
Well I let him kiss me then
Cause I know he wants me back
That’s the way boys are (repeat)
****
“That’s the Way Boys Are” is basically a song that excuses any bad behavior that your boyfriend commits as boys being boys. Your guy fools around? He treats you mean? He leaves you only to come back whenever he wants? That’s the way boys are, and if you don’t like it, what are you going to do? Date a girl? In the case of the singer, Leslie Gore, yes.
12 thoughts on “The 6 Sexistiest Songs of the ’60s — #6”
I think you should have also included Only Women Bleed by Alice Cooper. It implies that women do nothing but mewl and sob over men that neglect and beat them and don’t do anything to retaliate or get themselves out of the situation. Many of us are much stronger than that. I’m disappointed in you, Alice, as I’ve always liked your music otherwise.
j fox
Thanks for commenting. I only included songs that were recorded in the 1960s. Cooper recorded “Only Women Bleed” in the 1970s.
Sugardanny
I don’t think you understand the premise of this song. It is sympathetic to the plight of a woman in an abusive relationship. It describes how she feels. It is not a pronouncement that women as a whole are weak. The truth is that in about 90% of abusiverelationships, the abuser is a man. The song is a comment on that fact, also. And yes, the thought crosses the mind of the woman that perhaps this is why women menstruate (bleed), because women are the ones who are abused, that it is just our lot in life.
Dwonder
Leslie Gore also sang “You Don’t Own Me,” tho…
I don’t k
freetofu
I was only about 7 years old when Lesley Gore’s first hit came out in 1963 (It’s My Party) and yet I remember her vividly. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and other variety shows of that era. I thought I knew most of her hits until I stumbled across this one sometime a few years ago. I really liked how it sounded, at least, until I actually paid closer attention to the lyrics. The song is “Maybe I Know” and was released in 1964 and the only excuse I have for missing it is that was the year The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and everyone went crazy (including me!) The lyrics are:
Maybe I know that he’s been a cheatin’
Maybe I know that he’s been untrue
But what can I do
I hear them whispering when I walk by
He’s gonna break her heart and make her cry
I know it’s me they’re talking about
I bet they all think I’ll never find out
Oh but maybe I know that he’s been a cheatin’
Maybe I know that he’s been untrue but what can I do
my friends are telling me that he’s no good
He isn’t treating me the way he should
He really loves me that’s all I can say
Before my tears fall I just walk away
Oh but maybe I know that he’s been a cheatin’
Maybe I know that he’s been untrue
But what can I do
Oh
Deep down inside he loves me
Though he may run around
Deep down inside he loves me
Some day he’ll settle down
Holly Davis
Neil Diamond “you’ll be a woman soon, soon you’ll need a man”
Lyn
Jennifer Lawson Perez
You realize Leslie Gore also provided the vocals for “You Don’t Own Me” as well, right? She probably should get a little credit for that.
Shoe
That’s a great point. I actually like Leslie Gore quite a lot and don’t think any artist should be judged solely on the basis of a single work. So, I’m not judging Leslie Gore. I’m simply judging the song itself.
Sugardanny
First of all, I love this song — and I love Lesley Gore. What I truly believe about her is that she wrote lyrics in order to troll the effed up sexual standards of her time (not that they’re all that much better now!)
She’s no dope and, as has already been pointed out, she’s the one who wrote “You Don’t Own Me”. None of the observations we’re making from our “enlightened” perspective fifty years into the future would have been any sort of surprise to her.
She wrote a lot of songs, a lot of weird songs, from the perspective of a tortured heterosexual teenage girl in the days when most f us couldn’t spell feminism. She wrote (because she herself was gay) from the point of view of a particularly astute outsider.
Read her lyrics in “Sometimes I Wish I Were A Boy” or “Judy’s Turn To Cry” — “I saw Johnny kissing Judy, so I kissed some other guy, so Johnny got up and he hit him — ‘cause he really loves me that’s why”.
She was on to what was going on and she was delightfully subversive. Don’t underestimate her!
Paul Bradford
Heard What’s New Pussycat recently. Surprised it missed the cut. Plus I didn’t realize how aggressively Tom Jones sings the lyrics. Sounds like a stalker almost. Also, I defend inclusion of Take a Letter Maria. People commenting seem to ignore workplace sexual harassment rules. You can’t be taking out your secretary. So casual, as if Maria has no reason to turn down his offer???
Aaron Feldman
Wishin’ and Hopin’ is up there too. Wear your hair just for him, do the things he likes to do.… If you want to keep him, do everything to please him.
Sue Grayson