Four Women (1966)

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Four Women is a song written by jazz singer, composer, pianist and arranger Nina Simone, released on the 1966 album Wild Is the Wind. It tells the story of four different African American women. Each of the four characters represents an African-American stereotype in society. Thulani Davis of The Village Voice called the song “an instantly accessible analysis of the damning legacy of slavery, that made iconographic the real women we knew and would become”.[1]

Key Lyrics

My skin is brown

My manner is tough

I'll kill the first mother I see

My life has been too rough

I'm awfully bitter these days

Because my parents were slaves

Misinterpretation

Much to Simone's dismay, and despite her intention to highlight the injustice in society and the suffering of African-American people, some listeners interpreted the song as racist. They believed it drew on black stereotypes, and it was subsequently banned on several major radio stations.[2]

Covers and Popular Culture

Reference

  1. https://www.villagevoice.com/2003/04/29/nina-simone-1933-2003/. Thulani Davis. 29 April 2003. The Village Voice. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  2. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=grdNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3795,2693076&dq=four-women+nina-simone+ban+radio&hl=en. George F. Brown. 14 December 1966. The Virgin Island Daily News, p. 14. Retrieved January 20, 2021.