Issue #2

Songs for Empowerment
by Emily Lebetzis

When I saw the call for entries for “Songs for Empowerment” my first reaction was to make a fairly predictable list of riot-grrl anthems that inspired me as a teenager of the 1990s. Then I looked at the list and saw that it doesn’t do justice to my diverse tastes and interests, which go way beyond women’s issues. So I’ll still give honourable mentions to L7’s “Shove”, Hecate’s “By Myself”, The Melvins’ “Lizzy”, Nextstep’s “More Than You Know” and Submission Hold’s “Source of Fuck”, and I urge you to listen to every Crass/Conflict song ever written, but here is my final list (for now):

1. Fugazi - “Reclamation”
The reason Fugazi is my favourite band is because they address complex issues and cover them sufficiently without ever sounding didactic or ceasing to craft interesting, varied songs. And they aren’t naïve enough to believe that their music alone will change the world. For me this song is about taking extraordinary actions in order to retain responsibility for yourself.
“We want control of our bodies.
Decisions will now be ours”

2. Bikini Kill - “Double Dare Ya”
“We’re Bikini Kill and we want revolution,
grrl-style NOW!”
How can any girl who wants to find a way of changing the world resist that call to arms? I think the clincher in this song was the reference to female machismo. I’ve always been too macho for my own good and Kathleen Hanna’s dare to “cry right out loud” made me realize that showing my emotions isn’t a sign of weakness - it’s a sign of humanity.

3. Huggy Bear - “Her Jazz”
This is a pretty complex song when you really get into the lyrics, but the beauty of music is the way the gist of the message is grasped immediately. Without focusing too hard on what is said, this song sweeps you away with the sing-along parts and basic, dirty rock ‘n’ roll guitars and drums. It’s impossible to listen to while sitting down! “Prettier dead or just more effective/Now we’re hunting you and we’re not being selective/It’s about time you showed some respect/We’re gonna trash the square world”

4. Hot Water Music - “Rooftops”
Hot Water Music are one of those bands I wanted to like for a long time but couldn’t get into them because of one element alone: the vocals. One song by the band was played each week without fail on my favourite radio show and I eventually went and bought the album No Division. It’s now one of my favourite releases by one of the best bands to jump out of bed to. “…For now I’m finding myself up here standing on a rooftop screaming ‘Hey world, are you listening? Listen to me. I’m here and I’m hurting to begin again. Hey world I’m ready to listen and learn something new. I’m here and I’m willing to get myself through’.”

5. Dead Kennedys - “Chickenshit Conformist”
I could have picked many DK songs, but I chose this one for the clear and concise way Jello Biafra describes my disillusionment with elements of the hardcore punk scene in Melbourne in 2000 (even though he’s singing about the Bay Area, California in 1984!). It inspired me to try and introduce more diversity into my community rather than just complain about the state of things.