最佳20世紀的歐西歌曲 / Songs of the Century (2)

I will cheat a little by naming my second choice with two songs: "Que Sera Sera" by Doris Day 桃樂絲黛 and "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy. Don't get me wrong, the two singers were in their own rights top performers and their songs stayed on the pop chart for a long long time. I am combining them because if you view them together, they really tell how women's value and perception have changed over the years.

In the Doris Day 桃樂絲黛 song, the girl asked the mother "... will I be pretty, will I be rich ..." and the mother provided her with the "... whatever will be, will be ..." outlook in life. But, in the Helen Reddy song, it was woman-power "... I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman ..." The sex revolution of the sixties essentially rejected the virtuous Doris Day type of woman and with Helen Reddy's song, the so-called Women's Lib movement began (along with MS magazine, the burning of the bras, etc.) In the seventies, it was definitely within a woman's reach to control her own life and destiny!!

Ironically, the pendulum seems to have swung back now and girls/women these days are again appealed by being beautiful, rich and famous. I mean, consumer demand is the only reason why a major US channel is willing to pay $1 million dollar to interview an already rich heiress who just spent slightly more than a month in jail. Okay, okay, I hear you. Don't get us all started. So here are the songs: "Que Sera Sera" and "I am Woman". Enjoy !!!

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Click here for the article on Helen Reddy and the song "I am Woman":
海倫雷迪 - 我是女人 (1972年) / Helen Reddy - I Am Woman 1972