Besides the copyright issues facing Robin Thicke’s 2013 smash hit “Blurred Lines” were accusations far more menacing. In a world of greater vigilance about inequality between the sexes (and classes), Thicke’s song was called “rape-y” for its lyrical insinuations — basically that the male singer knew better what the object of his desire “wanted.” The refrain “You know you want it” hit some sensitive listeners like a hammer.
Though pop music is often in the cultural vanguard, pop lyrics aren’t always progressive. The ample misogyny in rap lyrics is a much cited example, but even a hero of the progressive movement — Bruce Springsteen, the Boss himself — can sound scary. Springsteen’s 1977 love song “Fire” sounds plainly threatening to sensitive ears in 2016. The lyrics do just what Thicke’s lyrics do — presuppose that the man knows better what the woman really wants. The words imply coercion and intimidation, sounding less like a declaration of love than a declaration of dominance/submission. Springsteen likely didn’t mean it that way, but heard today the “Fire” lyrics disturb. Best to listen, perhaps, to the Pointer Sisters do the song — yet how powerful they sound singing “Fire” gives a clue to the intimidating thrust of the lyrics. Below are two samples from Springsteen’s “Fire” that very clearly land on the wrong side of the issue:
I’m pulling you close
You just say no
You say you don’t like it
But girl I know you’re a liar
I say I wanna stay
You say you wanna be alone
You say you don’t love me
Girl you can’t hide your desire
