Female Names in Song Titles Written by Females (DIY Codex)
-
Performed By: Sam Alon
Written By: Sam Alon
Released: 2013 -
Performed By: Dolly Parton
Written By: Dolly Parton
Released: 1974 -
Performed By: Florence + the Machine
Written By: Emilie Haynie, Florence Welch, Thomas Bartlett
Released: 2018 -
Performed By: Fleetwood Mac
Written By: Stevie Nicks
Released: 1975 -
Performed By: The Bangles
Written By: Susanna Lee Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Deborah Mary Peterson
Released: 2011
I have created a modern codex of songs whose titles are names of women and were written by women. I decided to create a codex drawing from one of my own original songs, “Danielle,” which is named after a good friend of mine who was very influential to me personally and creatively from 2011–2013. With some favorites like “Eleanor Rigby,” “Runaround Sue,” “Come On Eileen,” “Lola,” “Layla,” “Iris,” and “Billy Jean,” I wondered how many songs about women are written by women. After researching hundreds of songs that include a woman’s name in the title, I discovered that only a small portion of them were actually written and performed by women. Note: my research only spanned across popular recorded songs by major artists from the 20th and 21st centuries and does not include songs by lesser known independent artists. After browsing around two thousand songs with female names in the title, I found only forty-three songs* performed by a female artist. In order to narrow down my list of female performers, I eliminated the songs that were written by men and recordings of cover songs. To further narrow down my list, I looked for a common theme in these songs. The five songs I have selected speak of a woman’s aesthetic inner and/or outer beauty. Images of nature are also presented in each song.
The five songs that I have chosen have this common denominator of beauty but portray it in different lights. “Danielle” (2013), written by me, Sam Alon, admires a particular woman’s beauty with an underlying message—exuding beauty and positivity can be a mask for a heavy internal sadness. “Jolene” (1974) by Dolly Parton speaks with a tone of fear of how someone so beautiful can be an intimidating threat to her relationship and she pleads to her not to destroy it. “Rhiannon” (1975) by Fleetwood Mac sings of beauty being a seduction and one who falls under her spell may end up in a deceptive fantasy. “Patricia” (2018) by Florence + the Machine is a tribute to singer and songwriter Patti Smith and speaks of beauty as inspiration for creativity. “Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun)” (2011) by The Bangles is about a fictional person inspired by Laurel Canyon-based singer-songwriters of the sixties and seventies, such as Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon. It portrays beauty as a power source that women, especially other singers songwriters, strive to be.
I have organized my codex starting with a banner of images that symbolize femininity and beauty, such as the Venus symbol, Aphrodite, a lotus flower, a rose, a lily, and Queen Anne’s lace, which I found on unsplash.com. Below that is an index of the songs I have selected including their credits. Following that, I included content for each of the five songs. It starts with the title in a medieval-style font and decorative lettering (stock photos) for the first letter of each song as an homage to ancient medieval codices. Below each title is a video of the album art along with the full audio recording of the song taken from YouTube.com. Below that is musical notation—lyrics found on lyricfind.com and ultimate-guitar.com and chords from ultimate-guitar.com. I have included guitar tablature from ultimate-guitar.com for “Jolene” and “Rhiannon” as these two songs are very guitar-driven. For my song, “Danielle,” I have also included on the right side of the musical notation some pictures of the eponymous subject of my song that I believe capture her beauty and spirit, which are described in the lyrics. Lastly, you will find a carousel slideshow of pictures (taken from unsplash.com) of the imagery set forth in the lyrics that I feel the songs evoke.
My codex relates to premodern books and manuscripts that transmitted music into the present in regards to the organization of my codex. I drew inspiration from the Montpellier Codex (ca. 1300) and included an index. Additionally, in medieval manuscripts, it was common to enlarge the first letter at the start of the musical notation or text and make it ornate. I have done this not in the musical notation but in the song titles. Ancient manuscripts tended to use the same type of artwork and style throughout the entire manuscript; however, I chose to individualize each song’s decorative letters for the sole reason that I was having too much fun browsing through the different styles! I wanted to include as many as I thought looked pretty. Many medieval manuscripts also included intricate illustrations to go along with each musical piece to give the reader a visual element that relates to the lyrics. I, too, have also included images (found on unsplash.com) for each of my song selections that correspond to their lyrics.
My hope is that when viewing my codex, you will experience music that is enjoyable in a visual and auditory sense. I am also hoping to contribute to your perception of women, if you don’t already, in knowing that women are an undeniable force of nature that cannot be reckoned with. In this day and age, the role of the woman is more important than ever. We have had a long history of injustice in this patriarchal society and it is still very much so prevalent today. I am only one person, but one person is all it takes to make a change, to make a difference, to inspire, to influence. These songwriters I have selected were influenced by some one and let it out through song and in turn have influenced other women, including me. Women ARE just as creative as men. Women ARE able to write with versatility. As Beyoncé said, “Who run the world? Girls!” And as a girl in a man’s world, it is my duty to continue to fight for change, to stand up for our rights, to empower other women, and make even the smallest impact in a cruel yet beautiful world. Enjoy. #girlpower
*to see a list of the 43 songs I discovered with a female name in the title performed by women, scroll to the end of this page.
LYRIC CHART
GUITAR TAB
Capo 4
Standard Tuning
[Intro] x4
Am*
e|---------------------------------|
B|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|---------------------------------|
[Chorus] x2
Am C G Am*
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
B|---1-1-------|---1-------1-|---0-------0-|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|-----------0-|-------0-----|---0---0-----|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-0---0-------|-3---3-------|-------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|-------------|-------------|-3---3-------|---------------------------------|
G Am*
e|-------------|-------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|---0-------0-|---0-------0-|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|---0---0-----|---0---0-----|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|---------0---|---------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-------------|-------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|-3---3-------|-3---3-------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
[Verse] x4
Am C G/B Am G
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|---1--1------|---1-------0-|---0-------0-|---1-------0-|---0-------0-|---0-------0-|
G|-----------0-|-------0-----|-------0-----|-------2-----|---0---0-----|---0---0-----|
D|---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---0-----0---|---2-----2---|---------0---|---------0---|
A|-0----0------|-3---3-------|-2---2-------|-0---0-------|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-3---3-------|-3---3-------|
Am*
e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
[Chorus] x2
Am C G Am*
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
B|---1-1-------|---1-------1-|---0-------0-|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|-----------0-|-------0-----|---0---0-----|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-0---0-------|-3---3-------|-------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|-------------|-------------|-3---3-------|---------------------------------|
G Am*
e|-------------|-------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|---0-------0-|---0-------0-|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|---0---0-----|---0---0-----|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|---------0---|---------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-------------|-------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|-3---3-------|-3---3-------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
[Verse] x2
Am C G/B Am G
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|---1--1------|---1-------0-|---0-------0-|---1-------0-|---0-------0-|---0-------0-|
G|-----------0-|-------0-----|-------0-----|-------2-----|---0---0-----|---0---0-----|
D|---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---0-----0---|---2-----2---|---------0---|---------0---|
A|-0----0------|-3---3-------|-2---2-------|-0---0-------|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-3---3-------|-3---3-------|
Am*
e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
[Chorus] x2
Am C G Am*
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
B|---1-1-------|---1-------1-|---0-------0-|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|-----------0-|-------0-----|---0---0-----|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-0---0-------|-3---3-------|-------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|-------------|-------------|-3---3-------|---------------------------------|
G Am*
e|-------------|-------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|---0-------0-|---0-------0-|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|---0---0-----|---0---0-----|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|---------0---|---------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-------------|-------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|-3---3-------|-3---3-------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
[Coda]
Am*
e|---------------------------------|
B|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----|
G|-0h2-------------------0-------0-|
D|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---|
A|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|---------------------------------|
************************************
| h Hammer-on
| p Pull-offSource: Ultimate Guitar
LYRICS
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you
Jolene
He talks about you in his sleep
And there's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name
Jolene
And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me
Jolene
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me
Jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do
Jolene
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him even though you can
Jolene, Jolene
Source: LyricFind
LYRIC CHART
[Verse 1]
Am
Oh Patricia, you've always been my North Star
And I have to tell you something
I'm still afraid of the dark
But you take my hand in your hand
From you the flowers grow
And do you understand with every seed you sow
You make this cold world beautiful?
[Pre-Chorus]
Am C
You told me all doors are open to the believer
Dm Em
I believe her, I believe her, I believe her
Am C
You told me all doors are open to the believer
Dm Em
I believe her, I believe her, I believe her
[Chorus]
Am G F G
Oh Patricia, you've always been my North Star, oh
Am G F G
Oh Patricia, you've always been my North Star, oh
[Instrumental]
Am G F G x2
[Verse 2]
Am G
Well, you're a 'real man', and you do what you can
F G
You only take as much as you can grab with two hands
Am G
With your big heart, you praise God above
F
But how's that working out for you, honey?
G
Do you feel loved?
[Pre-Chorus]
Am C
She told me all doors are open to the believer (Do you feel loved?)
Dm Em
I believe her, I believe her, I believe her (Do you feel loved?)
Am C
She told me all doors are open to the believer (Do you feel loved?)
Dm Em
I believe her, I believe her, I believe her
[Chorus]
Am G F G
Oh Patricia, you've always been my North Star, oh
Am G F G
Oh Patricia, you've always been my North Star, oh
[Instrumental]
D F x3
[Outro]
C
I drink too much coffee and think of you often
D
In a city where reality has long been forgotten
Em
And are you afraid? 'Cause I'm terrified
G C
But you remind me that it's such a wonderful thing to love
D Em
It's such a wonderful thing to love
C
It's such a wonderful thing to love
D Em
It's such a wonderful thing to love
D
It's such a wonderful thing
[Instrumental]
C D Em D C
[Outro]
C D Em
It's such a wonderful thing to love
D C
It's such a wonderful thing to love
D Em
It's such a wonderful thing to love
D C
It's such a wonderful thing to love
D
It's such a wonderful thingSource: Ultimate Guitar
GUITAR TAB
[Intro] (you can play this instead of Am - F for the whole song)
Am F
e|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B|-1-3---5-----3---1-0-----------|---0---1-----0-0---------------|
G|-2-4---5-----4---2-0---2-------|-2-0---2-----0-0---2-----------|
D|-----------------------2-------|-3-----------------3-----------|
A|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1-|
Am
Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and
F
Wouldn't you love to love her?
Am
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and
F
Who will be her lover?
C F
e|---------------------------------|-------------------------| When you get to the F for the second time end
B|-------1-------1-------1-------1-|-------1-0---------1-0---| with on the first fret on the second string
G|---0-------0-------0-------0-----|---2-------2---2-------2-| instead of the second fret ont the third
D|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----3-----------3-------| string.
A|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-3-----------3-----------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------|
C
All your life you've never seen
F
A woman taken by the wind
C
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
F
Will you ever win?
Am
She is like a cat in the dark and then
F
She is the darkness
Am
She rules her life like a fine skylark and when
F
The sky is starless
C
All your life you've never seen
F
A woman taken by the wind
C
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
F
Will you ever win?
F
Will you ever win?
e|-------------8-------------|
B|-8h10p8-8h10---10-8---8h10-|
G|--------------------9------|
D|---------------------------|
A|---------------------------|
E|---------------------------|
Am F
Rhiannon
Am F
Rhiannon
e|-----------10--------------------|
B|-10p8-10p8----8h10p8-------------|
G|---------------------9-7/9-7p5---|
D|-------------------------------7-|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|
Am F
Rhiannon
Am F
Rhiannon
e|---------------|
B|-1-0-1/3\1-0---|
G|-2-0-2/4\2-0-2-|
D|-------------2-|
A|-0---0-----0---|
E|---------------|
Am
She rings like a bell through the night and
F
Wouldn't you love to love her?
Am
She rules her life like a bird in flight and
F
Who will be her lover?
C
All your life you've never seen
F
A woman taken by the wind
C
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
F
Will you ever win?
F
Will you ever win?
e|-------17-------------|
B|-17h20----17----------|
G|-------------19-17----|
D|-------------------19-|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|
Am F (for the rest of the song)
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
e|-------15------------------------|
B|-15h17----17-15----15h17p15------|
G|----------------17----------17---|
D|------------------------------19-|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|
Rhiannon
Taken by
Taken by the sky
Taken by
Taken by the sky
e|-8-8------------------------|
B|-----10--10-8-10/12\10-8-10-|
G|----------------------------|
D|----------------------------|
A|----------------------------|
E|----------------------------|
Taken by
Taken by the sky
e|-10--------------8----------------8-10/12-8-10--------------------------------------|
B|----10-10---8-10---10-8---8h10-10--------------10---8h10-8h10--8h10-----------------|
G|------------------------9-------------------------------------------7h9-5h7/9\7-5---|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------7-|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
From here on I just pick some notes from the Am pentatonic scale as it's quite inaudible for
me to hear what he is actually playing.
Dreams unwind
Love's a state of mind
Dreams unwind
Love's a state of mind
Dreams unwind
Love's a state of mind
************************************
| h Hammer-on
| p Pull-off
| / Slide up
| \ Slide downSource: Ultimate Guitar
LYRIC CHART
Intro: D5 riff, then: G D C X 4.
G
Got a picture of you sitting in the kitchen without a stitch on,
C D G G D C X 2
Beautiful and natural as can be.
G
Later in the gloaming hours in the garden painting flowers,
C D Em A C
All the boys they flock to you, wanna do more than talk to you right now...
C D Dsus4 D
Dontcha want to be?
G D C X 4
Anna Lee---eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
G D C X 4
Anna Lee---eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
G
Maybe it was love and peace and living in the sweetest season,
C D G G D C X2
Wonderland the sweetheart of the sun.
G
Now we want to celebrate her all of us who came in later,
C D Em A C
Quiet power, simple grace, No man could put you in your place right now
C D Dsus4 D
We all want to be:
G D C X 4
Anna Lee---eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
G D C X 4
Anna Lee---eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
[middle eight]:
Am D Am D
Ba-ba-ba-bah
Bm Em C D Dsus4 D
Ba-ba-ba-ba Ba-ba-ba-baaaah
Repeat intro X1
G D C | G D C | G D C |G D C |
Anna Lee---eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
G D C | G D C | G D C |G D C |
Anna Lee---eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeSource: Ultimate Guitar
*Songs with Female Names in the Title Performed by Women:
”Adia” - Sarah Mclachlan
”Amelia” - Joni Mitchell
”Alice” - Avril Lavigne
”Allie” - Belle & Sebastian
”Ana’s Song (Open Fire)” - Flyleaf
”Angie Baby” - Helen Reddy
”Annabel” - Goldfrapp
”Annabel Lee” - Stevie Nicks
”Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun)” - The Bangles
”Annie” - Vanessa Carlton
”Bette Davis Eyes” - Kim Carnes
”Betty” - Taylor Swift
”Charlotte” - Kittie
”Chelsea Morning” - Joni Mitchell
”Christine” - Siouxsie and the Banshees
”Clementine” - Halsey
”Debbie Downer” - Courtney Barnett
”Delilah” - Florence + the Machine
”Dorothea” - Taylor Swift
”Dreamboat Annie” - Heart
”Eliza” - Anna Calvi
”Georgia” - Brittany Howard
”Gloria” - Laura Branigan
”Help Me Mary” - Liz Phair
”Jolene” - Dusty Springfield
”Maria” - Blondie
”Marjorie” - Taylor Swift
”Martha” - Jefferson Airplane
”Mary Jane” - Alanis Morissette
”Patricia” - Florence + the Machine
”Pretty Polly” - Shovels & Rope
”Proud Mary” - Tina Turner
”Rhiannon” - Fleetwood Mac
”Rosie” - Joan Armatrading
”Samantha” - Hole
”Sara” - Fleetwood Mac
”Shameika” - Fiona Apple
”Suzanne & I” - Anna Calvi
”Tolula” - Tori Amos
”Tomorrow, Wendy” - Concrete Blonde
”Unrepentant Geraldines” - Tori Amos
“Valerie” - Amy Winehouse
”Welcome to the Room…Sara” - Fleetwood Mac
