Josephine Baker - World War II Spy

Most people are familiar with the photos of Josephine Baker (June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975) in one of her iconic dance costumes, but how many have seen this photo of her in her Free France Air Force uniform? How did a child living in poverty in St. Louis become a spy for the French Resistance?

She left home in her early teens after years of dancing on street corners and digging in trash cans for food, working in Vaudeville for a few years before she found a home in the Harlem as a chorus line dancer -- one of the best dancers, actually. That earned her a spot in a European tour in 1925, which changed the course of her life. When the tour ended, she dropped out and returned to France to star in her own show at the Folies Bergère. Thus began her life-long love of Paris. She spent a decade dancing and performing, celebrated as the first person of African descent to become a world-famous entertainer, known as the "Black Pearl", the "Bronze Venus", and the "Creole Goddess."

But she was so much more than simply a dancer. Later in her life she would become a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, refusing to perform in front of segregated audiences in the US, and writing articles about discrimination. But before this period of public acts of resistance, though, she had an even more exciting but covert period -- she was a spy.

When the Germans invaded Poland, she refused to leave France for safer areas, and instead joined French Resistance when she was recruited by the French military intelligence to serve as a "honorable correspondent." Her role was to use her celebrity to mix with high-ranking officials at embassy parties, and gather information about troop locations. She moved freely all around Europe, Northern Africa, and even South America as an entertainer, carrying info about airfields, harbors, and troop concentrations back to officials in France or Britain written in invisible ink on her sheet music.

After a long period of recovery from a dangerous infection resulting from a miscarriage, she focused her energies on performing for troops stationed in North Africa. There was no organized entertainment for the troops there, so she and her friends created their own. As part of her efforts to promote the Free France movement, when she was invited to perform for King Farouk in Egypt, she refused because of his refusal to recognize the resistance, but instead preferred to stay neutral. Instead, she offered to perform at a separate Free France celebration in Cairo, and invited him to preside over the event. That was her way of encouraging him to at least subtly reveal which side he supported.

For her efforts, she was awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant in the Free French Air Force, and after the war she received both the Croix de Guerre and the Medal of the Resistance, and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur, an honor usually reserved for French citizens.

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Little Melba and her big trombone

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
by Katheryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone (Bookshop / Amazon / Library) is a fun picture book about the trailblazing jazz musician and arranger Melba Liston, starting with her childhood in Kansas City, Missouri, during the Great Depression, following her through her adult years as a trombone player in various bands, and then to her work as a music arranger and teacher.

When I read the story of Melba requesting a trombone at the age of 7, my first thought was What is a little girl going to do with such a big instrument? She's going to a whole lot, that's what! She was surrounded by music growing up, and with the support of her parents she was able to explore her natural talent.

Katheryn Russell-Brown's writing brilliantly captures the swinging rhythm of the big band era. Frank Morrison's colorful artwork grabs your attention with its warmth and movement. Looking at each page I can almost feel the warm sun of a summer day on the streets of Kansas City; feel the excitement of this young virtuoso as she stretches herself toward her goal; and head the music of life in this vibrant community.

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone (Bookshop / Amazon / Library) earned the Self-Rescuing Princess Society seal of approval for showing us how even a little girl can make her big dream come true with a lot of work and a little luck. This book is an excellent choice for early readers interested in music, as well as an enjoyable storytime or bedtime book for younger kids.

[Note: I have included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. I am exploring options for increasing my income from this blog to help me to continue to bring you the important stories of kickass women and girls. While I will always work to tell these stories, I have bills to pay. By all means feel free to look for these books elsewhere if you prefer. If you want to help support the work I do here, please consider using these links to shop.]

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Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song

Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song (Amazon / Library) is an absolutely beautiful book celebrating the life and art of these two extraordinary voices in American history: civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.

Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney, a phenomenal husband and wife team, join their two talents in what I am convinced in a work of passion for them both. Andrea Davis Pinkney's prose is magical, lifting the reader out of reality and carrying us along on the journey of these two historic figures. And Brain Pinkney's artwork makes this book an almost spiritual experience.

Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song (Amazon / Library) wins the Self-Rescuing Princess Society seal of approval for showing the power of a single voice to inspire a nation, and how the joining of two remarkable voices change the world. This book is a beautiful bedtime story for younger children, as well as an excellent choice for early and middle grade readers.

[Note: I have included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. I am exploring options for increasing my income from this blog to help me to continue to bring you the important stories of kickass women and girls. While I will always work to tell these stories, I have bills to pay. By all means feel free to look for these books elsewhere if you prefer. If you want to help support the work I do here, please consider using these links to shop.]

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My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz

My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz
by Monica Brown, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz (Amazon / Library) is my favorite of the many children's books I've read in the last couple years. The book was so much fun to read. Rafael Lopez' illustrations are bright and colorful and perfectly capture the joy of life in Celia's music. The text perfectly captures the rhythm and cadence of Salsa.

Monica Brown takes us on a musical journey through Celia's life, starting as a young girl growing up in Cuba surrounded by the love of her large extended family, and through her adventures following her love of singing and performing. But even though she has to leave her beloved Cuba, she carries the warmth of her memories and pours them into her performances, so perfectly captured in her signature call of "Azucar!"

My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz (Amazon / Library) is told in English and Spanish, with each on the same page, making this a great book for bi-lingual kids, or kids who are learning a second language. It's a book that's great for middle-grade readers to enjoy on their own, but it is also perfect as a book for younger kids sitting on mom or dad's lap, swaying to the music, jumping to the beat, and dancing around.

[Note: I have included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. I am exploring options for increasing my income from this blog to help me to continue to bring you the important stories of kickass women and girls. While I will always work to tell these stories, I have bills to pay. By all means feel free to look for these books elsewhere if you prefer. If you want to help support the work I do here, please consider using these links to shop.]

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Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa

Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa
by Veronica Chambers, illustrated by Julie Maren

Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa (Amazon / Library) tells the story of Cuban-American singer Celia Cruz, starting as a child whose job is was to sing lullabies to her younger siblings through her career as she moves from Cuba to the United States following her passion for the music of her home.

Veronica Chambers brings her story to life beautifully with words that flow over each page, and Julia Maren's artwork captures the spirit of a young woman stretching for her goals in life.

"When she opened up her mouth to sing, she heard a girl like any other. But when she sang... Her father heard thunder. Her cousins heard the call of the sea. Her neighbors heard a hummingbird."

Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa (Amazon / Library) is a good book for middle-grade readers, with a paragraph or two on each page with a facing page of illustration. It's an excellent introduction to Celia Cruz' life and career told in a way that's easily understood by younger children as well, and includes relevant words in Spanish, with a glossary in the back.

[Note: I have included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. I am exploring options for increasing my income from this blog to help me to continue to bring you the important stories of kickass women and girls. While I will always work to tell these stories, I have bills to pay. By all means feel free to look for these books elsewhere if you prefer. If you want to help support the work I do here, please consider using these links to shop.]

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Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald
by Roxane Orgill, illustrated by Sean Qualls

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald (Amazon / Library) tells the story of her life from childhood to the beginning of her remarkable career.

Roxane Orgill's love of music is evident in her lyrical prose, as she shows us the life of one of music's greatest performers who grew up dancing for change on the streets of Yonkers showing off steps she learned by taking the train up to Harlem to watch the dancers in the Cotton Club.

It also tells of the extreme hardships she endured as a child living in abject poverty being raised by an uncaring aunt. It doesn't gloss over the danger she was in, nor does it shy away from talking about how Ella was sent to a reform school. Instead, it shows a tenacious young woman who refused to be held back. Eventually she earned herself a spot on the stage at the Apollo's amateur hour dressed in hand-me-down rags and old work boots. And after a moment of paralyzing fear, she began to sing. And that's pretty much all it took. She won the top prize, found herself taken in by experienced performers, and she was on her way.

Sean Qualls' artwork is full of energy, and perfectly captures the era's jazzy style Ella came to embody. Bright, bold colors make each image a visual treat to look at while bringing the story to life on the page.

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald (Amazon / Library) is ultimately an inspirational book, showing Ella's determination to find a way into the life she wanted. Each stage in her early life is broken into its own chapter, making it a good book for beginning readers.

[Note: I have included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. I am exploring options for increasing my income from this blog to help me to continue to bring you the important stories of kickass women and girls. While I will always work to tell these stories, I have bills to pay. By all means feel free to look for these books elsewhere if you prefer. If you want to help support the work I do here, please consider using these links to shop.]

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Anna Maria's Gift

Anna Maria's Gift
by Janice Shefelman; illustrated by Robert Papp

An engaging book about a talented young violinist adjusting to a new life as an orphan after her father dies, overcoming her grief and learning how to forgive.

When Anna Maria's father dies, she moves to an orphanage in Venice. Though she misses her father, she knows he will always be with her, as long as she has his beautiful violin. Luckily, the orphanage is also a renowned music school, with a teacher who is none other than composer Antonio Vivaldi. But when her violin is stolen, Anna Maria must search Venice's bridges, streets, and canals. Will she ever find it—and can she ever be happy in Venice without it? This lyrical historical-fiction story captures Venice, the joy of music, and how kindness can make a scary new place feel like home.

I was surprised to learn that Anna Maria's story is based in history and the orphanage she was sent to actually existed. The Ospedale della Pietà was founded by a Franciscan priest as a place for children who had been abandoned as well as for orphans like Anna Maria, whose parents died from an unmentioned disease.

It is also true that composer (and priest) Antonio Vivaldi ran the music program for the Pietà. Originally the funds for the orphanage came from donations and public funding, but as the number of children grew the funds did not. In the 17th Century, someone had the idea to organize some of the more musically talented girls in the orphanage as a group of performers for the religious services. This was a brilliant idea, as wealthy Venetians began to attend these services in order to see these talented girls perform. Over the next two centuries, countless girls were given a top-notch musical education, and trained at least two composers: Anna Bon and Vincenta Da Ponte.

Anna Maria's Gift (Amazon/Library) gets the Self-Rescuing Princess Society seal of approval for showing a brave girl facing her troubles head-on. The crux of the story involves jealousy and bullying by another orphan at the Pietà, Paolina, but that is resolved by the end of the story as the adults try to foster a sense of understanding and mutual support between the two girls.

Anna Maria's Gift is a charming book perfect for young readers in the 8 to 10 year old range. It is organized into chapters with several line drawings highlighting the story, and includes a glossary in the back covering words that might be new to them. And it even has a brief historical note, which lead me to do my own research about Vivaldi and the Pietà.

[Note: I have included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. I am exploring options for increasing my income from this blog to help me to continue to bring you the important stories of kickass women and girls. While I will always work to tell these stories, I have bills to pay. By all means feel free to look for these books elsewhere if you prefer. If you want to help support the work I do here, please consider using these links to shop.]

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Music Break - Irma Thomas

I'm back from spending a week in Louisiana visiting my family, eating tons of delicious food, and doing a lot of sight seeing. One of the many highlights of my trip was getting to see the legendary "Queen of New Orleans" Irma Thomas perform. What an amazing woman!

I knew a couple of her songs from here and there, but seeing her live was a real treat. It felt as though the audience was a gathering of her closest friends, and instead of having a standing set list she just took requests yelled out by the audience.

The only disappointment: I would have loved to see more. But, at nearly 75 years old, it's still pretty awesome that she put on a 75 minute show full of emotion and dancing.

The best part of the show? When she started in singing her Second Line Medley, and a room full of people jumped up and started parading around the room waiving their handkerchiefs and napkins around. One women even brought a small umbrella just for that song.



Her most well-known song was also her first recorded song, "(You Can Have My Husband But Please) Don't Mess With My Man" written by Dorothy LaBostrie. In the over-50 years she has been performing and recording, she's had a slew of hits, and built an almost fanatical following. You can certainly add me to that list as well.

(photo source: nola.com)

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Music Break - PHOX

It's been a couple of rainy, gray days here in Northern California, and I have been enjoying every last minute of them. I love each season in turn, and winter is no exception. On sunny days, I enjoy a trip outside for a brisk bike ride or hike. But the rainy days of winter are best spent nestled down with a comfy blanket and a good book, a cup of tea and some relaxing music. This week's soundtrack has included a whole lot of tunes from PHOX.

Monica Martin's voice is just so smooth and rich, it's like silk velvet - it just flows over you, enveloping you in its richness and warmth. I picked "Slow Motion" as the song to share here mainly because it's the one that was in my head when I woke up this morning, but the entire album is just plain beautiful. You can listen to the entire thing on Spotify, and find a couple of songs on SoundCloud.



What are you listening to these days? Anything fun or exciting? Please feel free to leave links in the comments.

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Music Break - Erica Glyn

In my on-going effort to listen to more new-ish music, I've been following links I find on various music blogs and falling down rabbit holes on Spotify and SoundCloud.

One song that keeps popping up in the more remote places is "All Just for You" by Erica Glyn. And with good reason. It's a great song. Its lyrics are all sultry insistence while the music reminds me of that kind of kaleidoscopic feeling you have when you're really drunk and things are swirling around inside your head. There are many comparisons between Erica Glyn and 90s trip-hop artists like Portishead, and I can see why. The floaty feeling is still there, but there's also the grinding guitar to ground you.



According to Erica herself, "'All Just For You' is a bit of a rebellious song. There’s a lot going on lyrically. There are many levels of interpretation and meaning but ultimately it’s meant to grab you by the collar, shake you up a bit and ask you 'What are you doing to make things better?'"

I was interested in learning more about her music, so I looked around. I found her earlier albums on Spotify. Each has its own unique sound while also carrying the thread of her talent.

Her latest EP, Dollar for Thieves can be heard on Diffuser. The other songs on the EP are good. Erica describes the EP as "is an angst-y 5-song EP that wrestles with 21st century frustrations and the struggle to keep your head above water while pushing to be a better person."

Yeah, I think that's something we can all relate to.

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She's Crafty - Rock and Roll edition

Yesterday was the 63rd birthday of Pat Benatar. She's one of my all-time faves, and certainly one of folks whose music would be included in the soundtrack of my life.



I was a full-fledged teenager during the 80s. Her songs are an enormous part of my rock and roll background. Whenever I hear one of her songs, I'm immediately transported back in time to my old room and singing into my hairbrush while dancing in front of my mirror.

So, in her honor, I've come up with some pretty kickass rock and roll themed stuff. Like this basic black t-shirt with a totally badass rock and roll embroidered pattern, by Katy Flynn.

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Music Break - Screaming Females

I recently came across this video on some other blog post long since lost out of my feed. (I think it was some kind of "Awesome Women in Music in 2015" wrap up post, but it's long gone.) It's just plain brilliant.

I freely admit I love the original Taylor Swift version. There's absolutely no shame in that. But this cover? So fantastic. Marissa Paternoster's voice is a perfect blend of heart-break and "fuck it" that takes this cover of an already pretty kick-ass song about shaking off the crap that keeps getting piled on us to even deeper levels.

And then she goes into the guitar solo for the break and just kills it.

Since I spent pretty much the entire Christmas break with this cover stuck in my head, I decided this week to seek out more by Screaming Females. OMG y'all. I am officially in love. Their whole album Rose Mountain is just amazing. Made all the more so when I read this great interview with Marissa where she talks about her health issues and the role they played in its conception. Honestly, it's been on repeat all day while I wrote this.

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Music Break - Celia Cruz

Today is the birthday of the remarkable Celia Cruz, the "Queen of Salsa."

I don't know when I first heard her sing. I suspect it was in Mambo Kings, but it's hard to remember. Maybe it was when I would listen to Tito Puente with my parents. It feels like she's been around on my playlists for ages. What an amazing voice. And now we get to learn more about her life, thanks to the fantastic telenovela Celia.

While I was reading about her for this post, I saw that she's often referred to as "La Guarachera de Cuba." My Spanish is pretty rudimentary, so I had to look up "guarachera." As it turns out, even Google Translate doesn't know what it means. Fortunately, Wikipedia did. Guaracha is the name for the traditional type of Cuban music she's known for -- fast tempo and lyrics.

I've selected a couple of my favorite videos of her singing. Check 'em out:



Over her career, she traveled the world, appeared in several movies, and recorded 23 gold albums. Today I will be queuing up and listening to (and dancing along with) her music in her honor.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso!

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You may also be interested in:

Women's History Month - Charlotta Bass
Charlotta Amanda Spears Bass was born in Sumter, South Carolina (the year is unclear, some sources say 1874, some day 1879, or even 1880). She was the sixth child out of eleven children. Very little is known about her early life. When she was twenty, she moved to Providence, Rhode Island, to live with her brother. There, she took a position working for the Providence Watchman...

Happy Birthday - Geraldine Doyle
Today would have been the 90th birthday of Geraldine Hoff Doyle. If you don't know who she was, don't feel too bad. I only heard of her recently myself. If she looks familiar, it's because she was very likely the model for the "We Can Do It!" poster.



In case you need a reminder... you are amazing!
I just love this poem. I revisit it whenever I'm feeling a down or frustrated or a little powerless. You are amazing. As.you.are. Stronger than you know. More beautiful than you think. Worthier than you believe. More loved that you can ever imagine. Passionate about making a difference. Fiery when protecting those you love. Learning. Growing.

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Music Break - Flint Eastwood

I just heard this new song by Flint Eastwood for the first time earlier this week, and it has pretty much got me enthralled. It's beautiful and touching and gives me chills every time I listen to it.

And I've listened to it a dozen times or more.

It's haunting, but in a bittersweet way. Jax's voice is perfectly ethereal and sweet. And the acoustics are amazing. It turns out that it was recorded in a church. According to her website, the song is based on the final words her mother had for her. In fact, the whole EP is the creative product of her dealing with her mother's death.

"As the listener makes their way through the EP, they experience Jax making her way through her mother's illness and passing, railing against it, dealing with the aftermath associated with such a loss, eventually accepting it, and using it as a driving force to continue to create."

This sense of learning to carry on comes through loud and clear in "Find What You're Looking For." Her mother's words of advice for living a productive and happy life are inspirational in themselves. But to have turned them into a song that she can share with others, to share the burden of the pain of loss as well as the gift of love, that is what makes this song so beautiful. And, I'll wager the entire album Small Victories follows in the same vein.

"Small Victories comes from the idea that doing anything creative in life takes a lot of persistence, struggle, and hustle. It's easy to expect that the spoils will come easily and be immediately fruitful. But if you focus on the little things, the 'small victories,' you realize that it's those things that are the most rewarding. That's what keeps me going."

Jerilyn Jordan's review on AudioFemme is what brought it to my attention. If you love music and want to support women who make music or write about music, I highly recommend following their blog.

If you like the work I do here at Self-Rescuing Princess Society,
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Music Break - P!nk

Everyone needs an anthem once in a while. And Pink seems to be very good at supplying them.

Alecia Beth Moore (aka Pink) was born on September 8, 1979. Her musical talent was evident in her youth. When she was a teenager, she used lyric-writing as an outlet for her feelings. According to her mother, "Her initial writings were always very introspective. Some of it was very black, and very deep, almost worrisome."

I think that's why her lyrics seem to resonate so strongly with me. Her emotions come through because she's not just writing something she hopes will sell, she's using her songs to tell her story. And her story is something I think many of us can relate to. Like "So What" which is probably one of my favorite post-break-up songs.

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Music Break - Elle King

If, like me, you have a hole in your life where the Dixie Chicks used to be, mourn no longer. Elle King is here to save the day. Her album Love Stuff is chock full of alt-country feminist hotness.

Not too long ago John Scalzi posted this video on his blog and it's pretty much been on repeat here since. Such a great song flipping the usual story about the guy who "loves 'em and leaves 'em." Her voice is so sexy and scratchy, and the lyrics are exceptionally liberated. And, you know, a little eye-candy in the video doesn't hurt.



Ex's & Oh's

Well, I had me a boy, turned him into a man
I showed him all the things that he didn't understand
Whoa, and then I let him go
Now, there's one in California who's been cursing my name
Cause I found me a better lover in the UK
Hey, hey, until I made my getaway

One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
Cause I'm the best baby that they never gotta keep
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
They always wanna come, but they never wanna leave

Ex's and the oh, oh, oh's they haunt me
Like ghosts they want me to make 'em all
They won't let go
Ex's and oh's

I had a summer lover down in New Orleans
Kept him warm in the winter, left him frozen in the spring
My, my, how the seasons go by
I get high, and I love to get low
So the hearts keep breaking, and the heads just roll
You know that's how the story goes

One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
Cause I'm the best baby that they never gotta keep
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
They always wanna come, but they never wanna leave

Ex's and the oh, oh, oh's they haunt me
Like ghosts they want me to make 'em all
They won't let go
My ex's and the oh, oh, oh's they haunt me
Like ghosts they want me to make 'em all
They won't let go
Ex's and oh's

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Movie Night - The Last of the Blonde Bombshells

A couple of weeks ago a friend visited and shared her HBO-Go login with me, which was very kind of her*. Mainly, we spent our time watching Veep, because why wouldn't you? But later I started to explore other shows and movies I wasn't able to see elsewhere. And that's how I found out about The Last of of the Blonde Bombshells starring Dame Judi Dench, whom I adore. It also has Olympia Dukakis and Ian Holm. What's not to love?

We meet Elizabeth at her husband's funeral. She's a woman recently unmoored from the role of wife and mother, and who finally feels free to explore her own interests again, much to the chagrin of her children who've only ever known her as "mum."

Her granddaughter finds her in the attic playing a tenor sax. (And playing it well, I might add.) And thus we learn of Elizabeth's former life. When she was 15, long before marriage and children, she played in the almost-all-girl wartime band The Blonde Bombshells.

Looking for an outlet for her music, she starts playing alongside a busker, where her children discover her one day and try to "talk some sense" into her. They are appalled, and try to appeal to her sense of dignity, asking her "what would the neighbors think?" Of course, she's having none of it. She's quite happy to continue.

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Music Break - Ana Tijoux

You know that feeling when you find a song that could easily become your new anthem? Yeah. That's how I feel about "Antipatriarca" by Ana Tijoux.

With only three college semesters of study, my Spanish is pretty limited, but I can still tell this is a song about kick ass women demanding respect. And the fantastic video drives that point home.

The lyrics I keep catching my heart on:

No sumisa ni obediente (Not submissive nor obedient)
mujer fuerte insurgente (Strong rebel woman)
independiente y valiente (Independent and brave)
romper las cadenas de lo indiferente (Breaking the chains of indifference)
no pasiva ni oprimida (Not passive nor oppressed)
mujer linda que das vida (Beautiful woman, you give life)
emancipada en autonomía (Emancipated in autonomy)
antipatriarca y alegría (Antipatriarch and happiness)
(lyrics source and English translation: lyricstranslate.com)

Antipatriarca

Yo puedo ser tu hermana tu hija, Tamara Pamela o Valentina
Yo puedo ser tu gran amiga incluso tu compañera de vida
Yo puedo ser tu aliada la que aconseja y la que apaña
Yo puedo ser cualquiera de todas depende de como tu me apodas
Pero no voy a ser la que obedece porque mi cuerpo me pertenece
yo decido de mi tiempo como quiero y donde quiero
Independiente yo nací, independiente decidí
Yo no camino detrás de ti, yo camino de la par aquí
Tu no me vas a humillar, tu no me vas a gritar
Tu no me vas someter tu no me vas a golpear
Tu no me vas denigrar, tu no me vas obligar
Tu no me vas a silenciar tu no me vas a callar
CORO
No sumisa ni obediente
mujer fuerte insurgente
independiente y valiente
romper las cadenas de lo indiferente
no pasiva ni oprimida
mujer linda que das vida
emancipada en autonomía
antipatriarca y alegría
A liberar....
Yo puedo ser jefa de hogar, empleada o intelectual
Yo puedo ser protagonista de nuestra historia y la que agita
La gente la comunidad, la que despierta la vecindad
La que organiza la economía de su casa de su familia
Mujer linda se pone de pie
Y a romper las cadenas de la piel
CORO
No sumisa ni obediente
mujer fuerte insurgente
independiente y valiente
romper las cadenas de lo indiferente
no pasiva ni oprimida
mujer linda que das vida
emancipada en autonomía
antipatriarca y alegría
A liberar....

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Music Break - Grace Potter

This came up on Spotify and I instantly fell in love with the grinding guitar and the kickass lyrics. Seriously, these three lines right here sold me on this song:

They told me to keep it quiet
Said my day would never come
So I screamed my lungs out and I ran straight for the sun."

I don't know much about Grace Potter, but you can be sure I'll be checking her out over the next couple of days.

Look What We've Become

They told you to keep your head down
They told you not to run
They told you "we're sorry, you're not the fortunate one"
They told me to keep it quiet
Said my day would never come
So I screamed my lungs out and I ran straight for the sun

And they always told us we would be nothing
Look what we've done (look what we've done)
And they always told us we would be nothing
But look what we've become (look what we've become)

And they told you you don't understand
They told you, "let it go"
And then they took you by the hand
And led you out the door
Your words don't make a sound
My dreams are on the floor
But you're rising up from underground
And I'm nothing like I was before

And they always told us we would be nothing
But look what we've done (look what we've done)
And they always told us we would be nothing
Now look what we've become (look what we've become)

They say it's over now
The world is over you
They told me "no regrets"
There's nothing you can do
But I won't fade to black
On the walk that will be damned
I'll wear my heart like a flag and run
Straight for the sun

Always told us we would be nothing
And they always told us we would be nothing

Told us "keep your heads down"
They told us not to run
They told us "we're sorry, you're not the chosen ones"
They told us to keep it quiet
And said our day would never come
So we screamed our bloody lungs out and ran straight for the sun

And they always told us we would be nothing
And look what we've done (look what we've done)
And they always told us we would be nothing
But look what we've become (look what we've become)

Look what we've become

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