Week Twelve Blog Post

When I first listened to the song He Hit Me, all of my  roommates were in our kitchen making dinner and I was sitting in our living room with the song playing loudly through my laptop speakers. After the first thirty seconds of the song had played all of my roommates came into the living room shocked at the lyrics they were hearing. My roommates and I all sat together listening to the song and before the song had ended we were all laughing in disbelief at how utterly ridiculous we found the songs message to be. I found this reassuring that all of us understood that the singers reasoning as to why the abuse in her relationship was justified is absolutely incorrect. Although my roommates and I all understand that abusive relationships are unacceptable, I know that there are others out there who haven't come to this realization, and sadly I know a few of these people personally.
As I researched the songs origins I found that Carole King, Gerry Goffin, and Phil Spector arranged the song finding the inspiration in their babysitter Little Eva. Little Eva is the stage name of Eva Narcissus Boyd a singer who performed several songs written by Carole King, Gerry Goffin, and Phil Spector. While still babysitting for King and Goffin, Little Eva had admitted to them that she was regularly beaten by her boyfriend. When King and Goffin inquired as to why she tolerated his behavior, she was insistent that her boyfriends actions were motivated by his love for her. King, Goffin, and Spector assured the public that the song was not written to stand behind the violent motivations of abusive relationships, but rather to document Little Eva's experiences. As I went back through and listened to the song again I focused on the music behind the lyrics and found that as the song progresses even the bells and percussion trill in a higher resolution when the singer declares that she is glad that her partner has hit her, and she proclaims that she loves him too. It is as if the music is building to that moment of realization in support and celebration of her decision.
As I listened to the covers of this song I got the impression that these covers were made in more of a satirical fashion. I don't think that the covers were to promote domestic violence but to draw attention to how unacceptable it is, to the point that is completely ridiculous that such a song should exist. When Courtney Love is preparing to sing her twisted version of the song, the first thing she says is "This next song is really sick." The singer immediately points out how dysfunctional the song is at the beginning and creates a much darker and contrasted composition of the song. It is not sung with the same happy trilling bells that can be heard in The Crystals original version. In Grizzly Bear's version I think you hear a lighter and more reflective method applied to the version. I feel that Grizzly Bear attempted this song with the hope of creating a more satirical aspect. I do not necessarily feel that either of those covers really achieve what I think they were hoping to achieve. I think those who are experiencing domestic violence in their own lives might listen to this song and find relativity rather than satire.
I also feel that there are still a lot of songs that are produced today that send messages of validation for domestic violence, maybe not as direct as He Hit Me, but subtle messages can definitely be found in some of todays most popular hits. An example that comes to mind would be the song I Love The Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna. The main chorus of the song says "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, thats alright because I like the way it hurts, just gonna stand there and hear me cry, thats alright because I love the way you lie." This is just one example that comes to mind but it is enough evidence to me that the mentality of enduring abuse in the name of love is still prevalent and insistent in today's society. I really hope that as society continues to progress and push education on this issue that young girls and women will realize that love is not about enduring pain to achieve love, but rather to let go of pain through love. I would much rather listen to a song about this very concept instead of a twisted masochistic ballad.