Lyrics with Laura

Welcome to a new feature of The Thread: Lyrics with Laura. The idea is to create a fun corner for music lovers to banter about great artists and great songs – so please leave your comments below or be on the lookout for a post on our social accounts! I will highlight a female artist whose music is really special to me and present my five favorite songs by the artist – I’ll also share a quote by her that speaks to Engage’s identity and values. I encourage you all to weigh in on whether you agree on my song choices. I’d also love to hear your crazy concert stories or cool insights about songs and their backgrounds.

My first female artist to spotlight is Annie Lennox. Annie really broke out in the 80s as part of the duo Eurythmics with Dave Stewart – think: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). As much as I love Dave, Annie has had a tremendous solo career complete with three solo Grammys, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe. She is truly one of the coolest to ever do it.

In her own words: “I identify with other women because of my gender, and I identify with other women if they are mothers because I’m a mother, too. It’s very simple. It’s nothing complicated, it’s not rocket science. It’s about empathy. It’s about understanding that what happens with one person is potentially what happens to you, and seeing yourself in someone else’s shoes. Fundamentally, we are all in the same place: we’re born, we live, and we’re going to die. In between, we’ll have joy and we’ll have sadness.”

I chose this quote because it highlights the importance of empathy in coming together, especially as women. It reminded me of a part in Rachel’s piece in our previous edition of The Thread – she says “somehow, we have to find a way to live together.” I think having empathy is an important step in getting there.

In no particular order, below are my five favorite Annie Lennox songs – some are more mainstream; others are deeper cuts. In each edition, I hope to introduce everyone to at least one song they didn’t know before!

1. Money Can’t Buy it
   Side Note: This also doubles as one of my favorite music videos. If you want to see Annie sing to her reflection in a legends-only look – an iconic red dress and a towel on her head – check it out.
2. No More “I Love You’s”
   FYI: For any Nicki Minaj lovers out there, Nicki sampled this song on Your Love. And I know this song is a cover – which I usually try to stay away from – but her version is too good, and she won a Grammy for it!
3. Legend In My Living Room
4. Why
5. Walking on Broken Glass

 

You can listen to the Edition #1: Annie Lennox playlist on Spotify here. I’m also creating a larger The Thread playlist with all the songs from each edition to be added as we go along!

Laura Valentine is the Chief of Staff for Engage. You can reach her at laura@engagewomen.org.

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