Song 532: This week the playlist recognizes I Am Woman by Helen Reddy, written by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. Due to the sad news of Ms. Reddy's demise this past Tuesday, it seemed like an appropriate moment to highlight her signature recording as the SotW, also marking her first appearance on this list. When the anthem came across the airwaves in a very high tide in the summer of 1972, I generally liked the tune, but, having grown up in a conventional humdrum patriarchal environment, I didn't necessarily go along with all of the hit's feminist assertions. It actually took me a couple of decades to comprehend the depth of the negative consequences of patriarchy and recognize the necessity of feminine equality. In fact, late in 1973, well over a year after this cut's chart run, I had a conversation with a fellow who claimed that in a relationship, part of the male duty was to control and discipline the female partner, to the point where you might have to hit her upside the head if she didn't follow orders. At the time, in my early 20s, I went through an unfolding process of defining my moral values, and it took a year or two before concluding that I did not agree with that male supremacist POV. However, I had to get to my late 30s before I clearly understood how women had truly been down there on the floor, and to share the hope that no one's ever going to keep them down again. The more they spread their loving arms across the land, the better it is for everyone.
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