You don't own me
" You Don't Own Me " is a popular song written by John Madara and David White of Philadelphia and recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963 when Gore was 17 years old. The song was Gore's second highest-grossing recording and her final top ten single. On November 27, 2016 , the Grammy Hall of Fame announced their inclusion, along with the inclusion of an additional 24 songs.
The song expresses a threatened emancipation as the singer tells her lover that he doesn't own her, that he shouldn't tell her what to do or say, and that he shouldn't flaunt her. The lyrics of the song became an inspiration to younger women and is sometimes cited as a factor in what is known as the second wave of the women's movement .
Gore said: "My opinion on the song was: I'm 17, what a wonderful thing to be on stage and point your finger at people and sing, I'm not yours". In Gore's obituary, the New York Times described "You Don't Own Me" as "indelibly defiant".
Chart performance
The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States . The song stayed in second place for three weeks in a row on February 1, 1964 , but could n't overtake the Beatles hit " I Want to Hold Your Hand "; it became Gore's second most successful hit alongside " It's My Party ". The song stayed in the top 100 for 13 weeks.
Cover versions
Michèle Richard's version
Canadian singer Michèle Richard recorded a French version of the song in 1964 called "Je suis libre".
Dusty Springfield's version
Dusty Springfield released this song in 1964 on her albums A Girl Called Dusty (UK) and Stay A While / I Only Want to Be With You (US). The song appeared again on their album Ooooooooweeeeee !!! from 1965 .
Version of the Ormsby Brothers
Ormsby Brothers released the first male version of this song in 1973 . The Brothers were from New Zealand , and their version was a top 10 hit in Australia that year.
Klaus Nomis version
Klaus Nomi's Version was his first released studio single and was included on his self-titled album, released in 1981 .
Joan Jett's version
Joan Jett posted a cover of the song on her debut album, which was originally called Joan Jett but was re-released as Bad Reputation. The first recording of their famous I Love Rock 'n' Roll cover was a Europe-only double A-side to You Don't Own Me, released in 1979 . Joan's version is pretty much true to the original, the degree of defiant independence is retained in the vocals, albeit with Joan's distinct vocal style.
Version of The Blow Monkeys
The Blow Monkeys covered the song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing . The song is sung in a similar way to the original, but from a male perspective. The text is unchanged from the version by Gore. The song was recorded as an R&B song rather than a pure pop song.
André Hazes' version
André Hazes recorded a Dutch-language version of the song for his album Gewoon André in 1981; "Zeg Maar Niets Meer" was popular in Europe and reached number 2 in the Dutch charts at the beginning of 1982.
Eva Pilarová's version
In 1998 Eva Pilarová sang a Czech version on the album Requiem under the name "Cesta končí".
The First Wives Club - 1996 film
The song marks a key moment at the end of The First Wives Club ( 1996). The three "first wives" - Bette Midler , Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn - break into song and dance and triumph over their selfish ex-husbands. Keaton had sung in Annie Hall (1977) and Hawn had released an LP in 1972, but both were not known for their voices.
Kristin Chenoweth's version
The song appeared in Kristin Chenoweth 's album For The Girls, which was released in 2019, with Ariana Grande among others .
Saygrace's version
The song was covered by Australian singer and songwriter Saygrace and released as her debut single. The American rapper G-Eazy is also there . Grace's version was produced by Quincy Jones , who also produced the original Lesley Gore recording, and Parker Ighile. It was released on March 17, 2015 , one month after Lesley Gore's death, and peaked at number one on the ARIA charts and was later awarded 3 × platinum by the ARIA . The song was also a success in New Zealand, where it climbed to number five for two weeks in a row and number four in the UK .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Song: You Don't Own Me written by John Madara, David White | SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Daniel Kreps, Daniel Kreps: Nirvana, Bowie, REM Songs Among Grammy Hall of Fame's 2017 Inductees. In: Rolling Stone. November 29, 2016, Retrieved May 5, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Will Stos: Bouffants, Beehives, and Breaking Gender Norms: Rethinking 'Girl Group' Music of the 1950s and 1960s . In: Journal of Popular Music Studies . 24, No. 2, 2012, pp. 117-154. doi : 10.1111 / j.1533-1598.2012.01322.x .
- ↑ Neda Ulaby: 'You Don't Own Me,' A Feminist Anthem With Civil Rights Roots, Is All About Empathy. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ^ Biography - Lesley Gore . Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ Lesley Gore, Teenage Voice of Heartbreak, Dies at 68 . In: The New York Times , New York Times Company , February 16, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ↑ You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore | Song Info | AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ a b c You Don't Own Me Song Facts . Songfacts.com. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ↑ Michèle Richard - Je suis libre at YouTube
- ↑ You Don't Own Me - YouTube on YouTube
- ↑ Original versions of You Don't Own Me by The Ormsby Brothers | SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Klaus Nomi - You Don't Own Me. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Joan Jett - You Don't Own Me / I Love Rock'n Roll. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ↑ The Blow Monkeys - You Don't Own Me. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ↑ admin: Hazes, André - Zeg maar niets meer (1981). In: Originals. February 13, 2016, accessed May 5, 2020 (Dutch).
- ↑ Cesta Konci (You Do not Own Me). Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Without Lesley Gore This Famous 'First Wives Club' Scene Would Never Have Happened. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Claire Shaffer, Claire Shaffer: Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth Cover 'First Wives Club' Theme 'You Don't Own Me'. In: Rolling Stone. September 27, 2019, accessed May 5, 2020 (American English).