Rosie, Billie, and the Fight for Respect: Feminist Anthems in the Age of Jazz
Part 2 of "From Suffragettes to Taylor Swift: The Feminist History of Protest Songs"
Wikipedia has an article titled “List of feminist anthems” but there’s something a little odd about it. Between “The March of the Women” by Cicely Hamilton in 1910 and Lesley Gore’s 1963 hit “You Don’t Own Me” there’s…nothing.
Music has always been a powerful force for social change, but when women pick up the mic, it becomes something even more electric. Whether it’s blues divas in the 1920s leaving no-good men in the dust or Billie Holiday haunting audiences with her chilling ballads, women have used songs to fight injustice, demand equality, and spark revolutions. These anthems didn’t just entertain—they changed the world.
Take, for instance, Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”:
“Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root…”
With its visceral imagery of lynching, Holiday’s voice transcended entertainment, transforming this song into a weapon against racial violence. But this legacy of resistance didn’t start or end with her. Let’s explore the roots of feminist protest music from the 1920s through the 1950s—a time when every lyric carried the weight of defiance.
The Blues Queens: Love, Loss, and Divorce
Blues divas like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey didn’t just sing about heartbreak—they sang about kicking heartbreak to the curb, usually with a sharp wit and a knowing smirk. Take Bessie Smith’s 1923 classic, “Sam Jones Blues,” where she gleefully announces:
“You ain't talkin' to Mrs. Jones
You speakin' to Miss Wilson now
I used to be your lawfully mate
But the judge done changed my fate”
Translation: Sam Jones is out, and Bessie’s thriving. This wasn’t just entertainment; it was a battle cry for women tired of being stuck with deadbeat husbands.
Smith wasn’t alone. Ethel Waters sang about independence in “No Man’s Mama” (1925):
“This ends the five-year war,
I'm sweet Miss Waters once more!
I can come when I please, I can go when I please,
I can flit, fly and flutter like the birds in the trees,
Because I'm no man's mamma now!
Hey, hey!
I can say what I like, I can do what I like,
I'm a gal who is on a matrimonial strike”
These lyrics weren’t just about personal liberation—they resonated with a broader audience of women who were navigating a rapidly changing world, one where gender roles were beginning to loosen, even if only slightly.
Meanwhile, Ma Rainey’s “Prove It On Me Blues” (1928) took things a step further:
“Went out last night with a crowd of my friends,
They must've been women, 'cause I don't like no men.
It's true I wear a collar and a tie,
Makes the wind blow all the while
Don't you say I do it, ain't nobody caught me
You sure got to prove it on me.”
This wasn’t subtext—it was text. Ma Rainey was out here in a three-piece suit, singing about queer love and challenging everything society thought it knew about women’s sexuality.
Vaudeville Divas: Feminism with a Smile and a Wink
If blues queens brought raw emotion, vaudeville stars like Sophie Tucker brought humor and sass. Known as “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” Tucker was a larger-than-life performer who didn’t shy away from progressive themes. In “You’ve Got to See Mama Ev’ry Night”, she playfully laid out her expectations:
“You gotta see your mama every night
Or you can't see your mama at all
You've got to kiss your mama, treat her right
Or she won't be home when you call”
Tucker’s unapologetic attitude was groundbreaking, as was her risqué delivery of songs like “I Ain’t Taking Orders from No One.”
“I’m not gonna bark
At nobody’s track
There’ll be no cold feet
Parked on this mama’s back
But I’m not taking orders from no one.”
These performances weren’t just entertaining—they offered women a chance to laugh at the patriarchy while dreaming of independence.
Jazz and Broadway: Melodies of Empowerment
By the 1940s, jazz and Broadway had become powerful vehicles for feminist expression, infusing sly critiques of patriarchy, celebrations of independence, and unapologetic demands for respect into mainstream culture. These works didn’t just entertain—they nudged audiences to question societal norms, even if they weren’t quite ready to name the movement “feminism” yet.
Broadway’s Sharp Wit: Humor as a Weapon
Broadway was no stranger to tackling complex social issues, but feminist themes took center stage in the late 1940s. Enter Cole Porter’s “I Hate Men” from Kiss Me, Kate (1948)—a hilariously scathing takedown of male arrogance that still feels biting today:
“Of all the types I've ever met within our democracy
I hate the most the athlete with his manner bold and brassy
He may have hair upon his chest, but sister, so has Lassie
Oh I hate men”
The song’s speaker skewers every archetype of men—lazy husbands, chauvinists, and liars—with a gleeful cynicism that would make any fed-up woman want to stand up and cheer. The brilliance of Porter’s lyrics lay in their wit; they let women laugh while quietly planting seeds of rebellion. This wasn’t just a show tune—it was a cheeky reminder that women could be in on the joke of male mediocrity.
On the lighter side, South Pacific (1949) delivered “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” a jubilant anthem of liberation from toxic relationships:
“If the man don’t understand you,
If you fly on separate beams,
Waste no time!
Make a change!
Ride that man right off your range!
Rub him outa the roll call
And drum him outa your dreams!”
This wasn’t a teary breakup ballad; it was an empowered declaration of moving on. The imagery of washing away a bad man was simple yet evocative, giving audiences a moment of catharsis and joy. With its catchy melody and playful tone, the song became an unofficial anthem for anyone ready to reclaim their sense of self.
Peggy Lee’s Jazz: Resilience and Respect
While Broadway’s feminist anthems often relied on humor, jazz brought a deeper emotional resonance to the conversation. Few did this better than Peggy Lee, whose sultry voice and sharp lyrics redefined what it meant to be a strong, independent woman.
Take “Why Don’t You Do Right?”, a 1942 hit in which Lee turns the tables on a man who’s failed to live up to her expectations:
“I fell for your jivin' and I took you in
Now all you got to offer me's a drink of gin
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?”
Lee’s delivery was smooth but cutting, a mix of elegance and ferocity that demanded accountability. This wasn’t a woman begging for affection—this was a woman stating her worth and making it clear that anyone who didn’t measure up was out the door.
Wartime Feminism: Rosie Takes the Mic
The 1940s weren’t just about factories, victory gardens, and ration cards—they were also about women stepping into roles society had long denied them. As men shipped off to fight in World War II, women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers, proving that they were just as capable of rivetting, welding, and managing logistics as their male counterparts. This seismic shift wasn’t just reflected in the workplace—it was immortalized in the music of the time.
Side note: if you want more information on the history of Rosie the Riveter, listen to this episode of the podcast.
2.6 - Will the Real Rosie Please Stand Up?
Listen in for a walk through the history of Rosie the Riveter, which includes Canadian machine guns, B-movie musicals, and PBS.
Rosie the Riveter: The Face of Wartime Feminism
The most iconic figure of wartime feminism was undoubtedly Rosie the Riveter, the hard-hat-wearing, tool-wielding heroine who symbolized women’s contributions to the war effort. The 1943 song “Rosie the Riveter”, performed by The Four Vagabonds (a feminist anthem doesn’t have to be written and sung by a woman necessarily), captured this spirit perfectly:
“All the day long, whether rain or shine,
She's a part of the assembly line.
She's making history,
Working for victory,
Rosie the Riveter.
Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage,
Sitting up there on the fuselage.
That little frail can do,
More than a male can do,
Rosie the riveter.”
The upbeat tune celebrated Rosie as the ideal worker: patriotic, efficient, and crucial to the war effort. Yet beneath the cheery melody lay a subtle challenge to traditional gender roles. Rosie wasn’t just “filling in” while the men were away; she was proving that women could handle these jobs—and excel at them. The song became an anthem not just for the war years but for women’s empowerment movements that followed.
Ella Mae Morse: Humor on the Home Front
Not every feminist anthem of the 1940s was about factories or uniforms. Some, like Ella Mae Morse’s “Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet”, focused on the chaos of balancing domestic life with the demands of wartime work:
“Been knocking out a fast tank, all day
Working on a bomber, okay
Boy you blast my wig with those clinks
And I got to catch my forty winks
So milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet”
With a playful rhythm and wry lyrics, Morse captured the exhaustion and multitasking that defined life for many women during the war. Women were expected to “do it all”—work a shift, run a household, raise children, and still keep everything running smoothly. Morse’s humor turned this impossible juggling act into a relatable anthem for the overworked and underappreciated.
After the War: A Fight to Keep the Mic
Of course, the war didn’t last forever, and when it ended, so too did the temporary acceptance of women in traditionally male spaces. As soldiers returned, women were pushed out of factories and offices and encouraged to return to domestic roles. But the seeds had been planted. Women had proven they were just as capable as men, and they weren’t about to forget it.
Spirituals and Resilience: Shout, Sister, Shout
The gospel-inspired “Shout, Sister, Shout,” made famous by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, was an anthem of empowerment that blended joy and resilience. Its high energy and celebratory tone encouraged women to find strength in themselves and their communities.
“Now, listen everybody, to the precious words
I'm gonna do some chirping and I ain't no bird
There's a reason for living
A reason for dying
A darned good reason why a woman starts crying
A reason for a mole
A reason for a dimple
But there ain't no reason why a man's so simple”
Similarly, Billie Holiday’s “No More” (1944) was a deeply personal anthem of survival:
“Woke up this morning and found
I didn't care for you no more
No how
Never felt so good before
You're down to my size
It's over and done
So honey, step down from your throne”
Holiday’s voice, weary yet unyielding, captured the spirit of resilience that defined this era of protest music.
The Legacy of Early Feminist Protest Music
The feminist songs of the 1920s through the 1950s weren’t just entertainment—they were acts of rebellion. They showed women that independence was possible, resilience was powerful, and defiance could be fun. These songs laid the foundation for the feminist movements of the 1960s and beyond, proving that music has always been a tool for change.
When Bessie Smith sang about leaving Sam Jones, she planted the seeds for Aretha Franklin’s Respect. When Rosie the Riveter worked for victory, she paved the way for women demanding workplace equality. And when Sophie Tucker refused to take orders, she inspired generations of women to do the same.
These musicians weren’t just making music—they were making history.
Your Turn: What’s Your Anthem?
From Bessie Smith’s blues to Billie Holiday’s ballads, these early feminist anthems still resonate today. So, what’s your go-to feminist anthem? Drop it in the comments—and don’t forget to queue up these classics for a little extra empowerment in your day.
Tune in for the next article in the series, where we’ll talk about the explosion of feminist anthems that came with the era of Rock’n’Roll and the start of the Women’s Lib movement.