Thursday, October 25, 2007

Song Reflection - Jennifer Medina

"Womanopoly" by Musiq Soulchild

Yo listen
I met this girl on Baltic Ave.
And you can tell how she steps on boardwalk,
She was from Park Place
I asked what she was doing on this side of town
She said she had some taxes to pay
I figure I'd take a chance and advance to go
And find out more about
Cause there more to know than the way she ways
And the way that she wears her clothes,
Or the way she plays this game (so cold)
She said she came up rough
And one income was not enough
There'd be nights she'd go to sleep hungry
Cause her mom was always short on food and money
See people used to joke a lot
Tease her bout her clothes not being in style
Dressed in dingy skirts and dirty sneakers
From the finest second hand down Oriental Ave.

[Chorus]

But now look at her
She got this game on lock
Anything she ever wanted now she got it
And I've gotta say
And I'm proud to see
That someone like her is in central
Womanopoly

Once she graduated junior high she started working overtime
Scrubbing floors or working on assembly lines
Just so she could help her mother out and
After college they moved into Marvin Gardens
And she got a job working at the city water department
To raise enough cash
In move into community chest condos on Pennsylvania Ave
She fell in love with this dude named ray
Who was a small time hustler from St. Charles place

And he was known for always bein in and out of trouble
But the problem was that he was never on her level
She argued with her mom about ray's work
Til he was sent upstate on the same day that she gave birth
But see the baby never made it, it drove her nearly crazy
And she couldn't take it

[Chorus]

(Listen) see where she came from
Many people find it hard just to hang on
You often find them in the same place complaining
Instead of finding a better way of maintain
She could have balled up and cry
Wished that she would die
And just gave up on tryin
Instead she grind from the bottom
Just to make it to the bottom now she's on top and she's flying

[Chorus]

This song is a story about the struggles of a young woman. This story reflects the struggles of many young women. As soon as this woman was able to start working, she went out and found a job because she valued contributing to her family. She viewed work as an opportunity to make money. More money in the family meant better living conditions and more opportunities. Womanopoly is a metaphor that is used throughout the song. The word monopoly can be defined as “exclusive possession or control.” Womanopoly symbolizes the way this woman took control of her life. She was a child who was raised in poverty, but she did not let this determine her future. She may have made a few mistakes along the way, but she was not perfect. She was human. She learned from her mistakes and moved on. She worked as a means a making a better life for herself and her family, despite the constant hardships she had to face. She carried on and she thrived. In a sense, she was the link to a better life for her family. She was their heroine.

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