User:JoeGould123/You Don't Own Me

"You Don't Own Me" is a pop song written by Philadelphia songwriters John Madara and David White, and was recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, when she was 17 years old.

The song was prominent at the time of its release in 1963 as it symbolized women's empowerment, showing the strength of a woman to stand up for herself against a man.

In 2015, singer SayGrace took Gore's song to No. 1 in Australia

Lesley Gore, 1967

The song expresses emancipation, as the singer tells a lover that he cannot objectify her. She doesn't want to be held to his hypocritical gender standards, such as not being able to see other men, when he sees other women.

American music magazine CashBox described it as "a throbbing, multi-track, ballad-with-a-beat on which [Gore] emotionally declares her independence."

After the success of "You Don't Own Me", many of Gore's other recordings (generally written by others), including "That's the Way Boys Are", were eventually comparatively criticized for not meeting feminist expectations. Of "That's the Way Boys Are", author Richard Aquila noted that the lyrics "voice the era's acceptance of sexual double standards," in contrast with the theme of Gore's previous single, "You Don't Own Me". Aquila regards "That's the Way Boys Are" as one of several examples of Lesley Gore recordings that regard women as dependents or passive objects, along with her earlier singles "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry". Musicologist Walter Everett described "That's the Way Boys Are" as one of the many 1960s sexist songs that "perpetuated a boys-will-be-boys tolerance for male but not female infidelity." Music critic Greil Marcus also mentioned how "That's the Way Boys Are" backs off from the "proto-feminist manifesto" of "You Don't Own Me" to a message of "he may treat you like garbage, but they're all like that, and we love 'em for it!"

added Spotify album of Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed Up Hearts: https://open.spotify.com/album/5eluBwSJ7uwDBizWCiazSJ?si=sDldeQj5RAauy1LDp7D4sA

Lesley Gore re-recorded "You Don't Own Me" for her album Ever Since in 2005, later using it during the 2012 presidential campaign for women's reproductive rights. The recording has since been used in many different feminist rights campaigns, marches and TV shows, highlighting the significance of the powerful message the song still delivers. Gore even said “After some 40 years, I still close my show with that song because I can’t find anything stronger, to be honest with you."

Impact

Lesley Gore's single "You Don't own Me" was one of the first songs of its kind to become a feminist anthem, speaking out against the misogynistic culture at the time the single was written in 1963. The impact of this song is evident today, as it has become a song of women's empowerment that is often played during many feminist rights marches, campaigns, and is often showcased on TV shows with a similar agenda.

Lesley Gore re-recorded "You Don't Own Me" for her 11th album Ever Since in 2005, later utilizing it during the 2012 presidential campaign encouraging women to vote and protect women's reproductive rights. The song has since been used in many different feminist rights campaigns, marches and TV shows, highlighting the significance of the powerful message the song still delivers. Gore said “After some 40 years, I still close my show with that song because I can’t find anything stronger, to be honest with you". She still believes in the song's message, stating "When you can do a song in different ways, and do it over different periods of time, and it still has its legs, there's something to be said for that".

Gore passed away in 2015 at the age of 68, sparking a remembrance of the hit song, "which only grew stronger as the rallying cry during the women’s marches in 2018 around the MeToo movement". Even in death, she captivated a nation with the powerful words in "You Don't Own Me".