I Am Woman
Helen Reddy's song becomes an anthem for a movement
Helen Reddy, born in Melbourne, QLD, Australia went from singer to variety tv host to activist to clinical hypnotherapist to motivational speaker.
Looking for songs for her first album, Reddy wanted to do a song about women’s empowerment. As she explained in 2003:
I couldn't find any songs that said what I thought being woman was about. I thought about all these strong women in my family who had gotten through the Depression and world wars and drunken, abusive husbands. But there was nothing in music that reflected that. The only songs were "I Feel Pretty" or that dreadful song "Born a Woman".1 These are not exactly empowering lyrics. I certainly never thought of myself as a songwriter, but it came down to having to do it.
Women have always been objectified in showbiz. I'd be the opening act for a comic and as I was leaving the stage he'd say, “Yeah, take your clothes off and wait for me in the dressing room, I'll be right there”. It was demeaning and humiliating for any woman to have that happen publicly.
Her then husband/manager Jeff Wald had a publishing company and a connection with a talented young Aussie whose band had just folder named Ray Burton. Burton and Reddy have slightly different memories on how much contribution Burton had to the lyrics (Reddy says none, Burton said he brushed up a few things) but no question Burton did the music.
It appeared on her debut album I Don’t Know How To Love Him (yes, the song from Jesus Christ Superstar). Radio play was hard to come by as everyone had “their female artist” and it took a lot of work on Wald’s part to get it airplay but once it did it became popular. It was recorded as a single when it was to be featured in the opening credits of the comedy Stand Up and Be Counted. That took it to #1 - but funny enough, it stalled out at #2 in Australia.
It was quickly adopted by the feminist movement and remains an anthem to this day, although later feminists had some issues with the added third verse that was used to take it to single length. Reddy always insisted it went beyond feminism, saying, "It's not just for women. It's a general empowerment song about feeling good about yourself, believing in yourself.”
A tribute to her song was performed at the 2020 ARIA awards2 as a posthumous tribute. Between the women on stage and the women on the screen, it was a whos who of Australia’s female vocalists. I dare you not to cry.
Enjoy your song of the day!
The 1966 hit by Sandy Posey had observed that if you're born a woman you're born to be stepped on, lied to, cheated on and treated like dirt. I'm glad it happened that way.
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards
Wow, it's been a while since I've listened to "I Am Woman" and it really is a perfect performance. She's serious, but with a light touch, and a good emotional dynamic range, which has baseline of being fairly gentle and from there hits nots of both forceful determination and rueful weariness.
I used to be more attracted to songs which wore their feelings on their sleeve but, as I get older, I appreciate the skill in that emotional modulation.
Side note: I really like the Sinead O Connor performance of "I don't know how to love him" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kPgo3lPxSQ
What a great tribute to Reddy.
(We must be tapping in to similar energy; "I Am Woman" popped into my mind last night for the first time in decades. I can't add anything to what you've written here, though.)