It's Different For Girls

Album: Innocence Reaches (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title is a play on the phrase "it's different for guys," which is something young men tell girls to explain their urges (Joe Jackson tackled the subject in his 1979 track, also called "It's Different For Girls"). In the song, Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes imagines what it must be like to be a woman, starting with a didactic analysis ("aggressively objectified"), then telling it in more simple terms ("they don't spit on the streets"). A key observation comes in the refrain: "For every one psycho bitch, there's 10,000 aggro pricks."

    The song was released in 2016, which was a year before the #MeToo movement picked up steam.
  • Kevin Barnes penned this song in Paris from the perspective of his 11-year-old daughter, Alabee. He explained to Billboard magazine: "I try to relate on her level. It gives me a special perspective on the female experience. You see how misogynistic the world is. It's nowhere near as bad in the United States as it is in the Middle East, or other areas of the world, where it can be so oppressive towards women. We need to address this as a species. We need to have a dialogue."
  • Kevin Barnes has a long history of wearing drag on stage, so it was no surprise when he appeared in the video wearing women's clothing. Directed by Stephen Winter, the clip shows a gathering of colorful people freely expressing themselves.
  • Musically, this was inspired by the 2005 track "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above" by the Brazilian dance group CSS. The Innocence Reaches album is filled with EDM experimentation.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.