"I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar"

Natalie Polston

Dr. Brown

ENGL306

23 February 2016

“I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar”

            The year 1975 was met by the United Nations declaring it International Women’s Year, and its anthem: “I Am Woman.” Written and performed by Helen Reddy, the song serves as a marker of the development of Women’s Liberation (Women’s Lib) in the 1970s. While former movements focused on women’s voting rights and citizenship, 1970s feminism honed in on women’s rights over their bodies, equal pay, and similar issues. Much of the work of this movement needed to stem from awareness. This is why Helen Reddy’s classic song was well timed and well-said. Her anthem serves to prove the power of women not only in the music industry, but also on the world stage.

            Looking at women’s rights in the United States today, it may be difficult for some to believe that women were previously more oppressed than now. For example, contraception was once illegal. Progressions such as legalization of contraception were the result of tough fights fought by strong women. However, with fresh challenges and a remaining list of inequalities, the women of the 1970s were faced with unique and intimidating obstacles. Those who were part of Women’s Lib chose their first mode of action: to make others aware of the oppression that was still occurring. They set out to “[break] the silences which were so pervasive” (Stopper 75). If people could be aware of what was happening, they may be much more susceptible to joining the fight against it. Reddy’s goal of awareness is clear in the lyrics

I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again.

Here, it’s clear that her conviction is that if everyone, particularly women, knew full what they were going through, they wouldn’t be able to go back to old ways. It’s evident that awareness is a large portion of the work this song sought to achieve.

            The 1970s were a time where women got a lot of attention—and that was no accident. With major court cases like Roe v. Wade taking place in the early 1970s, it makes sense that the United States would be more tuned in to the rights of women. “I Am Woman” gained its popularity just two years after the Roe v. Wade decision, while the country’s head was still turned in that direction. Reddy certainly utilized kairos in that her song fell on the world’s ears at the right moment in time. It was a song known to bring women “much needed clarity and inspiration” (Arrow 213). In a time where, even after much progress, women were still oppressed, “I Am Woman” catalyzed motivation to carry on.

            In past women’s movements, women have been forced to go against popular culture. Equality of women was not a popular idea, and therefore women had to step outside of culture in order to be heard. However, with mass media growing in the 1970s, along with it grew accessibility to new ideas. By and large, Women’s Lib tried to take hold of the media and “the rise of cultural studies from the late 1970s saw a less adversarial relationship develop between feminism and popular culture” (Arrow 215). By joining an already established institution of popular culture, Reddy utilized ethos. While mass media still enforced gender inequality, Reddy saw the power it had to influence minds.

            Though 1970s feminists were only beginning to take hold of some of the power encapsulated in mass media, this new mindset was severely underrepresented in music. According to Reddy, at the time there were no female empowerment songs. She commented, “I finally realized I was going to have to write the song myself because it simply didn’t exist. And that was the genesis of ‘I Am Woman’. It was my statement as a feminist” (Reddy, in Gaar 1992, 122). Not only was the song significant for Reddy personally, it stood as a reference point—breaking the ground for feminism to be represented in music. Even through her Grammy win, Helen Reddy stood tall as a “superstar and feminist” (Wells 1973, 25). She used her celebrity to grow her activism, rather than shrinking back for fear of reproach.

            The song’s lyrics are powerful and evocative. Riveting lines such as, “Oh yes I am wise, but it's wisdom born of pain,” are sentiments to which all women can relate. The song spoke for a national feeling had by women that hadn’t yet been articulated in music. The song utilizes pathos in both the lyrics and the music itself. Particularly enthralling are the last lines of the song: “I am invincible, I am strong, I am woman.” Words like these are utterly empowering, and show women in a different light. She reminded her audience that being a woman is something to be proud of—women are shrouded in this irrevocable strength and resilience. The music of the song grows as Reddy proudly belts, “I am woman, hear me roar.” The tune is simple, and the chorus is catchy as to be easily learned by any who listen.

Reddy effectively put feelings into words, because “for many women, listening to ‘I Am Woman’ was a way of connecting with some of the goals of feminism as they were articulated in popular culture, especially taking pride in womanliness, and female economic independence” (Arrow 223). In many cases, it gave women a new way to think about men, one another, and themselves (Arrow 226). In a cultural world where women’s voices were silenced frequently, “I Am Woman” was a banner and reference point—not only for women but also for men. It’s clear that her audience is broad when, in the song, she has a “long long way to go, until I make my brother understand.”

“I Am Woman” created and defined what was a feminist anthem. More than that, it was a source of simultaneous comfort and empowerment for women in the 1970s and beyond. In a time when women were denied of much, this song allowed them to celebrate the glory of being a woman, regardless of how she is treated. Yet in that, Reddy reminded women that they need not accept whatever treatment others give them—therefore spurring on the Women’s Liberation movement of the 1970s. She used a major part of culture to change the culture, at the opportune time, and with the most fitting words.

Works Cited

Arrow, Michelle. "‘It Has Become My Personal Anthem’." Australian Feminist Studies 22.53 (2007): 213-30. JSTOR. Web.

Sink, Nancy. "Women's Liberation Movement." Women's Liberation Movement. N.p., Dec. 2008. Web.

Stopper, Anne, and Marianne Hartigan. "The Catalyst for Women's Lib." Books Ireland 284 (2006): 75. JSTOR. Web.