Posted on 04/25/2022 1:38:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway
On April 24, 1972, John Lennon released a new single: “Woman Is the ---- of the World.” Even at that time -- an era in which racial epithets were thrown around freely -- the title caused outrage.
Billboard called it “the most controversial record of the year,” with one jukebox programmer telling the magazine, “John Lennon should quit trying to make points with the American public and do his own thing, like go back to England.”
In a report issued at the time of the song’s release, the Los Angeles Times detailed that 300 stations across the U.S. had received the song. Only two were willing to play it. “With a normal Lennon record, all 300 stations would be playing it now,” noted Apple Records sales manager Tom Takayoshi.
Of course, Lennon didn’t use an inflammatory racial term in his song without reason. The former Beatle was trying to make a pro-feminism point, declaring that women were actually the most exploited members of society.
“I agree that a lot of people, Black and white, are slaves in the world,” Lennon explained, “but each of them has his own slaves and that’s usually the wife.”
Listen to 'Woman Is the ---- of the World'
The song’s title actually came from Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, who originally coined the phrase during a 1969 interview with Nova magazine. In May of ‘72, the couple appeared on The Dick Cavett Show to further defend the tune.
“There was a few people who reacted strangely to it, but usually they were white and male,” Lennon remarked, before admitting he too had dismissed the phrase when Ono first said it.
“At the time I was more of a chauvinist than I am now, and I must say I was saying, ‘Well come on, what about this? What about that?’ And I argued a lot,” he revealed. “But then as, like everybody else, we talked more and more about it in the last two years it became more of a thing, and I had to find out about myself and my attitude to women.”
The words “Woman is the ---- of the World” kept coming back to Lennon’s mind, so he eventually approached Ono to create the track (which would officially be a Plastic Ono Band release).
“I said, come on Yoko. Look, this is it. You’ve said it here. I agree with you now. I think she is. She’s the slave of a slave,” Lennon recalled. “So we sat down together and we wrote, we tried to write together the whole story as best we could in a three or four minute song.”
Lennon’s use of the n-word was defended by California congressman, Ronald Dellums, co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“If you define ‘----’ as someone whose lifestyle is defined by others, whose opportunities are defined by others, whose role in society is defined by others, the good news is that you don’t have to be Black to be a ---- in this society,” the politician remarked. “Most of the people in America are ----.”
Dellums’ comments echoed Lennon’s beliefs, and the rocker was happy to quote the congressman’s statement when defending his song.
“I think the word ---- has changed and it does not have the same meaning that it used to,” Lennon declared, reiterating that the song’s main point was to shine a light on women’s rights. “I really believe that women have the worst,” the former Beatle stated. “Whatever it is, however badly or poor people are, it’s the woman who takes it when they get home from work.”
“Woman Is the --- of the World” made it to No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, no mean feat considering the lack of radio airplay it received. Still, it ranked as Lennon’s lowest charting single in his lifetime.
Look at post #25. Every time I see this guy’s name I think of Professor Irwin Corey, even though he was before my time.
Oh. You noticed it too!
Lennon was a nasty jerk.
Ten years gone. Agree, but they needed two records to get as many good songs.
The word originally did not mean a black person. It referred to someone of the lowest class. It was not specifically about race. It’s another word the left has changed the meaning.
Concur. Talking about the word is not the same as using it on someone. We should not be afraid to discuss it.
Do you have a citation for that?
Lenin (sic) only opened his mouth when he needed to change socks.
Why couldn’t he Imagine a bullet proof vest or using Yoko Ono as a human shield?
Q: What’s yellow, ugly, and sleeps alone?
A: Yoko Ono.
Q: What does Yoko Ono have in common with the Ethiopians?
A: They both live off of dead beetles ( Beatles ).
Are you a musician?
Cancel his ass
Of course. We used to play Tchaikovskiy...well...in the 7th grade. My 12 year old instinctively hates the Beatles. They play Breakfast with the Beatles on a local radio station and I play it just to spin him up!
Beatles music is still prolific more than 50 years after they broke up, so regardless of your opinion, it does not suck. The subject song and much of Lennon’s solo output does indeed suck, however.
Lennon could be a violent ass and has admitted to getting into fights when young and hitting Cynthia once or twice, but everything else in your post is utter BS,
If that is your view of marriage and wives you are one sick puppy.
Not specifically. Search the etymology of the word and a variety of historical meanings come to light. I discovered this when I wrote a paper in high school on that Lennon song. My English teacher clued me in. It was surprising.
I discovered the way Lennon used the word, he was referring to women as persons of low stature and powerlessness—”we make her paint her face and dance.” He was pushing feminism in his own way.
Especially in muslim areas. Slaves to slaves of Satan.
So did I.
““Woman Is the —— of the World.” “
I wondered WHAT could that be. I had to google it and to my surprise the word is “nigger”.
It’s an actual word. Used by African Americans EVERY time they speak.
Apparently used by John Lennon in some dumb song where the word makes ZERO sense.
In THIS case, WHY is it a bunch of dashes? A word used in EVERY rap song, but NOT okay when used as a lyric in a white guy’s song?
I REALLY just don’t understand it.
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