Bluntly put, this past Wednesday was a horrible day for our nation. The atmosphere of campus has been dismal; I’ve watched a classmate cry in every course in my schedule. Watching over half of the nation choose to vote for a convicted felon over a woman (and the more I think about it, the more this fact settles into the sinking pit of my stomach: it’s because she is a woman) has stirred up some truly hopeless feelings within me. And I know I’m not alone. When the dark times come, we can always turn to music. Though it’s not the answer, or the solution, or the cure, at least it feels good. Here’s what I personally have been listening to since hearing the news. Fair warning: it’s a lot of Taylor Swift.
- Mad Woman- Taylor Swift
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“No one likes a mad woman / You made her like that / And you’ll poke that bear ‘til her claws come out / And you find something to wrap your noose around” “And women like hunting witches, too / Doing your dirtiest work for you”
Election day certainly created a lot of mad women, and rightfully so. Now is the time to protect the rights of all women (even the ones who voted for Trump and don’t realize their mistake), and if anger is what fuels our fire, so be it.
- I know a place- Muna
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“They will try to make you unhappy / Don’t let them / They will try to tell you you’re not free / Don’t listen / I, I know a place where you don’t need protection / Even if it’s only in my imagination / I, I know a place we can go / Where everyone gonna lay down their weapon”
The bridge of this song is resonating with me like never before. It’s a great reminder to not listen to the misogynists who are trying to bring us down. If we let them silence us, they win.
- I Know the End- Phoebe Bridgers
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“The billboard said, “The end is near” / I turned around, there was nothing there / Yeah, I guess the end is here”
“I Know the End” is a dystopian, end-of-the-world ballad that feels dramatically all too fitting for our time.
- I hate it here- taylor swift
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“I’m lonely but I’m good / I’m bitter but I swear I’m fine / I’ll save all my romanticism for my inner life and I’ll get lost on purpose / This place made me feel worthless”
Trump’s America will undoubtedly be one that attempts to make women feel worthless. We must fight through this loneliness and bitterness to make change, but for now, I hate it here.
- I’d Love It If We Made It- the 1975
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“”I moved on her like a bitch”, excited to be indicted / Unrequited house with seven pools, “Thank you, Kanye, very cool” / The war has been incited, and guess what? You’re all invited / And you’re famous, modernity has failed us”
The somehow ever-prevailing wisdom of Matty Healy’s poignant, satirical cultural commentary has found us once again. “I’d Love It If We Made It” asks us, “Why are we giving our power to the least deserving just because they ask for it?”
- Keep Ya Head Up- 2Pac
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“And since a man can’t make one / He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one / So will the real men get up / I know you’re fed up ladies, but keep your head up”
One can only hope that, in these trying times, men will listen to the words of 2Pac. Real men respect women!
- the man- taylor swift
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“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man”
I just know Kamala has this one on repeat right now.
- Don’t Hurt Yourself (feat. Jack White)- Beyoncé
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“When you hurt me, you hurt yourself / Don’t hurt yourself”
In the words of Karl Marx, “In the relationship with woman, as the prey and the handmaid of communal lust, is expressed the infinite degradation in which man exists for himself.” Men—you are just as human as women. If you make laws that treat them like objects, what does that make you?
- Spin Bout U- Drake
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“Damn, just turned on the news and seen that men who never got pussy in school / Are makin’ laws about what women can do”
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
- The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived- taylor swift
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“And you deserve prison, but you won’t get time”
If I had to describe President Trump in 6 words. Enough said.
I hope these songs provide you comfort or inspire you in the same way they do for me. I think this playlist is just the right mix of inspiration and dwelling in eternal dread. But, let’s remember to use this dread as ammunition. Trump’s victory may be a roadblock in the fight for progress, but that doesn’t mean we should give up. In the words of Vice President Harris, “This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves.”