Woman In The White House

Less bullying and less fighting

Hi all,

Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Woman In The White House”, by Sheryl Crow (2012), rerecorded in 2020. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1. 

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Vice President Kamala Harris poses for a photo with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a memorial service for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Thursday, August 1, 2024, at Fallbrook Church in Houston, Texas. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson, Wikimedia Commons)

(455 words)

Soon, Americans will be voting for a new president. Who will it be? The songwriter of Woman In The White House would probably be voting for Kamala Harris, the second woman, after Hillary Clinton, to be nominated for president by a major U.S. political party.

Don't you think it's time we put a woman in the White House?
With a whole new attitude
We could use a little female common sense
Down on Pennsylvania Avenue (the street where the White House is located)

The U.S. was founded in 1776. This song was written in 2012. 2012-1776=236. When we round the number, we could say “about” 230 years ago, or two hundred thirty-something years.

After two hundred thirty-something years of waiting
It's way past overdue
Yeah, I think it's time we put a woman in the White House
Girls, how about you?

There is a stereotype that women like to spend a lot of money. However, for a long time in many cultures, women have been responsible for spending for the family. They know how much money comes in and how much they have to pay for the things their family needs. They can’t spend money that they don’t have. The singer is saying that a woman would bring these values to the office of president.

Well we like to spend money / But not money we ain't got
And we can balance a checkbook / But girls let me tell you what

Women of the U.S. Senate (2012) (photo: Senator Stabenow, Wikimedia Commons)

Scandals, inside deals, and illegal acts have continued for decades in Washington, D.C. The song suggests that we can change the situation if a woman is elected because she would be more honest than most of the men who came before her.

It's time we clean up Capitol Hill / With a shovel and a pair of high heels
We've seen what the good ol' boys can do / Now it's our turn to take a shot

Women do tend to have a different approach to issues than men do. Although there may be few physical differences between women and men, they have different social experiences. This can lead to a woman’s ability to process multiple messages (facts, emotions, environmental cues) rather than only one message.

There'd be a lot less fussing / And fighting and carrying on
There'd be a lot more loving / And listening and getting along

Just look what a mess it's been / Heck, I'd write my own name in
I guarantee that we'd all be / Singing a different song

Thinking, and talking, and praying / And less bullying and less fighting

The songwriter is saying it’s time to make a change. It’s time we elected a woman to head the country so that we could move it in a more inclusive and compassionate direction.

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Question:

What do you think? Has your country ever had a woman president or prime minister? What female leaders in history can you name? 

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Vocabulary

be nominated 指名される
common sense 常識
checkbook 小切手帳
honest 正直
tend to 騒ぎたがる
fuss/carry on 騒ぎ立てる
heck 何だ
compassionate 思いやりのある
pray 祈る

Source

Romig, J. (2017, March 8). Do men and women listen differently?. Listen Like a Lawyer. https://listenlikealawyer.com/2016/09/06/do-men-and-women-listen-differently/ Accessed 29 September 2024.

Other articles about women in political office:

Barbara Lee

"Gimme Hope Kamala"

Put a Woman in Charge