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

African-American Women Archetypes

Based on the lyrics, Simone pictured four types of African-American Women[2]:

• The first of the four women described in the song is "Aunt Sarah" a character who represents African-American enslavement. Simone's description of the woman emphasizes the strong and resilient aspects of her race, "strong enough to take the pain" as well as the long-term suffering her race has had to endure, "inflicted again and again".

• The second woman who appears in the song is dubbed "Saffronia", a woman of mixed race ("my skin is yellow") forced to live "between two worlds". She is portrayed as an oppressed woman and her story is once again used to highlight the suffering of the black race at the hands of white people in positions of power ("My father was rich and white/He forced my mother late one night").

• The third woman is that of a prostitute referred to as "Sweet Thing". She finds acceptance with both black and white people, not only because "my hair is fine", but also because she provides sexual gratification ("Whose little girl am I?/Anyone who has money to buy").

• The fourth and final woman is very tough, embittered by the generations of oppression and suffering endured by her people ("I'm awfully bitter these days/'cause my parents were slaves"). Simone finally unveils the woman's name after a dramatic finale during which she screams, "My name is Peaches!"

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.[3]

Reference

  1. Nina Simone, 1933-2003. Thulani Davis. 29 April 2003. The Village Voice. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  2. Four Women (song). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  3. San Juan Entertainment. George F. Brown. 14 December 1966. The Virgin Island Daily News, p. 14. Retrieved January 20, 2021.