Music Break. . .Woman Nation

For time to time I need a break from the bullshit of politics. Don't get me wrong, I love politics. In fact, I've recently completed a course in Conflict Management from the Unites States Institute for Peace and am now starting two online classes with the U.N. Institute for Training and Research in the hope of becoming more politically focused. However, if you couple my political training with my Dutch classes and full time work as a PhD student at the AMC here in Amsterdam you'll see I'm officially over-worked. Granted, I signed up for these classes myself-I want to keep learning- but still, they take their toll.

With all of that said, I need a music break. Something that I identify with. . .

Stop.

Think!

Ah yes. . . my mentor Jolie

Before Jolie died of Ovarian Cancer in 2005 she wrote a song called Woman Nation relating the relationship between America "State" and America "Nation" to a situation of Domestic Violence. Unfortunately, Jolie never had the chance to record it. Luckily, another brilliant artist and friend of Jolie Colleen Kattau recorded it and has been performing it for the past couple of years. Here are the lyrics.

Woman Nation
By Jolie Christine Rickman
(sung by Colleen Kattau)

Woman, he treats your body mean x2
He likes to knock you in your chest
Slap you in the face
He’s kicking ‘round your children
And he’s messin’ up your place
Woman, He treats your body mean.

Woman, he ‘s the worst he’s ever been x2
He likes to dress you up in lies
And strip you of your will
He’ll send you to the hospital and
Stick you with the bill
Woman he’s the worst he’s ever been.

Woman, to thy own self to be true
Woman, the decisions up to you
If he protects and he feeds and he cares about you
Why is your sweet soft skin
Turning Red and Black and Blue?
Woman, the decision’s up to you.

Now some people don’t think
I’m talkin’ about them
Some are self-lovin’ women
Some are peaceful lovin’ men
But see my Woman’s name is Nation
My man’s name is State
Let me tell you lady nation
You’ve potential to be great
But see your man is a peace-hatin’
Muscle-bound salivatin’
Only into money makin’
Never bringin’ home the bacon
Taco Bell
Cheap Date
Gamble away your children’s fate
Shock and awe
Space invader
Missile dick
masturbator

Nation, he treats your body mean x2
He likes to knock you off your picket line
And choke you of your breath
He’ll be pounding on your eardrums
Until your truth goes deaf
Nation, He treats your body mean.
Nation, he’s the worst he’s ever been.
He says the only road to peace
Is the one that leads to war
And he’s countin’ on us women
To be mopping up the floor.
Nation, he’s the worst he’s ever been

Nation, to thy own self to be true
Nation, the decision's up to you
If he protects us and he feeds us
And he cares about me and you
Why are our rainbow colors
turnin’ red and black and blue
Nation
Nation
Nation!



Aaah. Music Break!

Re-focused!
Now I realize why I've always identified with women. Their struggle is my struggle!