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Feminism in Surprising Places: The Badass Ladies of Old Country

by Danielle Lyons

 

 http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/liseberg/image/view/dolly-parton-mottagare-av-liseberg-applause-award-58054
http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/liseberg/image/view/dolly-parton-mottagare-av-liseberg-applause-award-58054

I’ll admit, country music has never struck me as something with feminist undertones. Be that as it may, I love classic country. The older I get, the more I pay attention to the weight of the lyrics sung. These women just don’t sing about honkey tonk angels and cheating men. These women sing about women’s rights and equality. These women were ahead of their time.

Let’s start with the queen shall we? Let’s start with Dolly Parton. She started in the country music circuit as a young child. As she got older she started writing music for the likes of Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr. She eventually took the stage and took off like a rocket. Don’t let her pleading in Jolene mislead you. She’s a lady who tells in like it is. Which is apparent in one of her hits titled, “Dumb Blonde.”

“Just because I’m blonde

Don’t think I’m dumb

Cause this dumb blonde ain’t nobody’s fool”

 

 

800px-Loretta_Lynn
Scott Schram (http://schram.net/ ] – http://www.flickr.com/photos/schram/19988923/

You of course can’t talk about strong women without talking about Loretta Lynn. At the age of 15 she married Doolittle Lynn, who was 6 years her senior. She has never been shy to say that the marriage was never picture perfect. She began her career singing in local clubs with her band, “The Trailblazers.” Eventually, the world took notice of Loretta Lynn and she became a major player in the country music industry. Many of her songs are really empowering for women. Loretta Lynn’s messages are sung loud and proud. Especially so, in her hit, “The Pill.”

“You’ve set this chicken your last time cause now I’ve got the pill

This old maternity dress I’ve got is going in the garbage

The clothes I’m wearing from now on won’t take up so much yardage

Miniskirts hot pants and a few little fancy frills

Yeah I’m making up for all those years since I’ve got the pill”

 

By RCA Victor - Billboard, page 2, 24 October 1964, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27173554
By RCA Victor – Billboard, page 2, 24 October 1964, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27173554

Another heavy hitter of course is Skeeter Davis. She sang all throughout her adolescence before taking a break from music. She came back before rising to stardom. Skeeter Davis’s music is filled with honesty about being a woman. This is made apparent in her song, “I Don’t Want to Play House.”

“I don’t wanna play house, I know it can’t be fun

I watched mommy and daddy and if that’s the way it’s done

I don’t wanna play house, it makes my mommy cry

‘Cause when she played house my daddy said goodbye.”

One thing is for certain. These women were ahead of their time.