Song Review – Joy Williams’ “Woman (Oh Mama)”
It appeared nearly preordained that The Civil Wars weren’t built to last for the long term when you really pondered how bright they burned each time they took the stage. The singing duo had a kismet that was other-worldly, but that was their fatal flaw as much as their paramount asset.
Two years removed from the dissolving of The Civil Wars, and Joy Williams has decided it’s time to re-emerge as a solo artist. But don’t let anyone tell you this is uncharted territory for the singer. She spent the entire decade of the oughts putting together a solo Christian music career before fellow Civil War John Paul White came into the picture. Now Joy has released a new single called “Woman (Oh Mama)” ahead of a solo project named Venus, and as you may be able to surmise from the titles, it is a very woman-centric foray into the power of the female identity.
“Woman (Oh Mama)” is everything people hated about The Lilith Fair rolled up into one outdated serving. Songs like this are what typecast a lot of great music from the Lilith era as expressions of gender protest. Similarly, “Woman (Oh Mama)” is like audio catnip for the upper crust NPR crowd. A stridently feminist song with undercurrents of African chant beats mixed with reggae overtones? Yeah, that sigh you just heard was the 100,000 orgasms let out after NPR affiliates added this song to their playlists. It’s the perfect solution for over-educated white guilt emanating from elitists in segregated upper class white communities who like to fool themselves into believing they imbibe in “multiculturalism” through songs like this (and this is coming from someone who is a staunch NPR supporter).
We already knew Joy Williams had an affection for Afropop when The Civil Wars brought Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” to the set list, but “Woman (Oh Mama)” takes this passion to an entirely new level. The chants, the beats, the way the subject-verb agreement is ignored in the singing to attempt to portray this song as coming from an African bushmen (or bushwomen) is the stuff the misunderstandings about the term “World Music” are made of. World Music is a blanket term that is insulting to the unique and diverse forms of musical expression from around the globe.
It probably isn’t fair to broach the whole discussion on if this song is country or not. The Civil Wars always were a duo that straddled lines, but did it in a manner where nobody could be too offended because the music was heady and accentuated the talent of the twosome. But one of the reasons you always felt reluctant to totally buy into The Civil Wars was because you knew a track like “Woman (Oh Mama)” was possible, looming out there in the offing, and would make you hang your head as a professed fan once you heard it. I think “Woman (Oh Mama)” gives some insight of why John Paul White’s differences with Joy Williams were irreconcilable.
At the same time, it’s not as much about what is wrong with “Woman (Oh Mama)” as how it fits into the mindset of the listener. Joy isn’t attempting to launch a super hit here, she is engaging in what she feels is raw expression. Joy set out to create an uplifting moment, and for a lot of women, she will undoubtedly succeeded. Williams is wanting to be empowering, and there’s no evidence cite the intentions of “Woman (Oh Mama)” as anything but pure. But lacking any subtly, and sliding into the worst stereotypical vein of “I’m a woman, hear me roar” Lilith Fair/Ani DeFranco gender music, the song comes across as blaringly one sided as Bro-Country, but with this elitist-ness and sort of hokey gender rallying that should know better in 2015.
I’m all for raising the ceiling for women in not just music, but in life, and celebrating the beautiful and powerful force of nature that is the feminine spirit. But going about it in such a direct manner seems more about drawing lines around our differences as opposed to erasing them.
1 1/2 of 2 Guns Down. (from a male reviewer)
Carly
April 8, 2015 @ 8:12 am
Female here, didn’t like it either. I was really hoping from something else from her. Pretty bummed.
Mack
December 3, 2015 @ 8:57 pm
50+ White Republican Conservative Male here. Sorry, but I love this song. I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to like it because of some nonsense about political ideology. Of course, I like many of the shows and stories on NPR also, which I am also not supposed to like I suppose. Actually the underlying beat is much more akin to Indian music than African music in my opinion. We live in a world where some women are wrapped in bags, and some women are exploited, and some women are powerful – all in the same world at the same time. We have some feminists that actually hate femininity and seek to make a world where women act just like men – what a tragedy that would be. What does it mean to be fully feminine and yet be a modern empowered woman? I think Joy is exploring these topics in this song in a powerful way. Besides I like the beat!
Ryan
April 8, 2015 @ 8:17 am
This song only solidifies my belief that, while Joy has a tremendous voice, John Paul White was who made The Civil Wars.
Liza
April 8, 2015 @ 8:18 am
It’s boring.
RD
April 8, 2015 @ 8:21 am
What a fucking disaster.
Andrea Tryggvason
April 8, 2015 @ 8:30 am
Very Kate Bush! Not my thing.
tikivixen
May 16, 2015 @ 3:07 am
But I think it’s really cool that you recognized one of the major influences at work here (Williams has stated her love for Kate Bush). Unlike the ignorant reviewer above who thinks Billie Jean is “afropop” what the what? lol
I will say that although I loathe the studio version of this song, it really warms up live and becomes a lot of fun. Much more spontaneous and heartfelt.
Jon
April 8, 2015 @ 8:31 am
I’m not at all surprised by this. Once the Civil Wars split I’ve only been looking forward to new stuff by John Paul. At least Single Lock is putting out some great music.
Jack Williams
April 8, 2015 @ 8:34 am
I listened to this and I would say that your review is dead on. And after reading and listening to some interviews of her, all I can say is it just figures.
It’s a minor point in the article, but one disagreement I have is grouping Ani Difranco with the Lilith Fair crowd. I think she’s a badass and more “Screw you, I’m a woman” than “I am woman.”
Trigger
April 8, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
I think Ani DeFranco has some good stuff, and was only lumping her with the Lilith Fair because so many people hear the names and immediately laugh it off as being angry and anti-male. Sure there’s that element, but there’s so much more beyond that.
Gena R.
April 8, 2015 @ 8:49 am
Yeesh… I quite liked some of that Lilith Fair stuff — Joy’s voice reminded me a bit of Joan Osborne in places — but this song is just a monotonous mess.
TheRealBobCephus
April 8, 2015 @ 8:52 am
I didn’t realize Ms. Williams was from the African bush….
Albert
April 8, 2015 @ 8:52 am
This is a vocal talent to be reckoned with . This is , sadly , a forgettable piece of music . Although I think Cvil Wars has made it nearly impossible for Joy to just sing “songs” again , I think she owes it to herself and her fans to create something that musically maintains musical interest in a much more effective way . The approach she’s taken here will, I believe , leave many wanting , and leave this incredibly gifted and emotive singer searching for a forum outside of NPR where her case will not only be heard but appreciated if only for its attempt to be something it , unfortunately , is not . I give Joy points for trying to stand out from the fray with a talent that deserves to do just that. I hope this is just a stop on her mission and not the destination .
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 8, 2015 @ 9:02 am
This underscores I think what was wrong with Bro-Country and I think a lot of music. It’s usually never the subject matter, it’s the production, it’s the performance. You take any number of classic tunes like “Red Neck, White Socks, Blue Ribbon Beer” or Think I’ll just Stay Here an Drink” and really it isn’t that the Bros’ music is so different in theme, it’s just poorly conceptualized/stylized/performed. This is a great example of what is a fine concept, that maybe had less than desirable results.
Chris
April 8, 2015 @ 10:55 am
Huh? Bro-country lyrics are the worst out there. Everything is wrong with bro-country. The lyrics, vocals, music and production are all bad.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 8, 2015 @ 11:40 am
You must also hate Joe Nichols’ “What’s a guy gotta do to get a girl” for being a bro-song, and Jones’ “White lightning” for being a drinking song, and Conway’s “You’ve never been this far before” for being sexualized. The content in bro-tunes is similar to what we’ve seen in country before, it’s just that they didn’t take the time to make it good while they were at it.
Jordan Kirk
April 8, 2015 @ 1:54 pm
Nah man. Those are good songs. These are unoriginal copy and paste songs.
CountryKnight
April 8, 2015 @ 6:45 pm
Beer, trucks, and girls are classic country themes. Bro-country poisoned those hallmarks with poor production and singing and as a result, many people will automatically group any songs with those themes as “bro-country.” “Getaway Truck” and “Whatcha Reckon” by Aaron Watson and Josh Turner are songs about taking a girl for a countryside drive. They have bro-country themes, but they are not bro-country songs. Yet, people call them bro-country songs because of those elements.
Albert
April 8, 2015 @ 10:15 am
“This underscores I think what was wrong with Bro-Country and I think a lot of music. It”™s usually never the subject matter, it”™s the production, it”™s the performance. ”
Absolutely – the production is done to death …generic doesn’t even begin to describe it .Its like they just milk and milk and milk the ‘ formula’ until the listener screams ” UNCLE” which ,apparently he has no intention of screaming too soon . Oh and sorry , Fuzzy , it IS the subject matter . NO ONE in the world lives in drunken , horny , rhyme- y , happy Bro-Land 24 hours a day like they’d have you think in THOSE lyrics. Except maybe Snoop and Willie and THEY ain’t singin’ about it non-stop !
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 8, 2015 @ 11:43 am
“they just milk and milk the formula” haha now I’m imagining an emaciated cow labeled “Formula” screaming “Uncle” while Dallas Davidson and Aldean keep pulling on its udders.
You’re right Albert, it does suck, let me try rephrasing my point. Remember Conway’s “I’d love to lay you down?” Is it really that far removed from FGL’s pink umbrella abomination? Yes, one of these sucks and one of these is a masterpiece but they were both drawn from the same human experience of lust.
Eric
April 8, 2015 @ 2:05 pm
Hmm, a discussion about milking on a thread about female songs…;)
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 9, 2015 @ 7:09 am
bravo Eric for making the funniest comment I have ever seen!!!!
Albert
April 9, 2015 @ 12:30 am
You make an excellent point with the Conway Twitty reference …makes me wonder how that one even got past the gatekeepers of the day .
t pool
April 8, 2015 @ 11:34 am
that was the woman from the civil wars?? jebus, that was aweful. i mean, relatively speaking.
Kross
April 8, 2015 @ 11:59 am
I thought the Civil Wars were way overrated, so no surprise that this sucks too.
Sam Jimenez
April 8, 2015 @ 1:13 pm
I never could figure out the hype over the Civil Wars in the first place, but this is REALLY horrible. Just droning crap with a bunch of senseless rambling smothering it.
It’s an insult to all the great music put out by women!
GregN
April 8, 2015 @ 2:30 pm
Huh. I kind of liked it. Almost an Ofra Haza sound to it, from the Kirya days (produced by Don Was). Maybe not the best showcase of her vocal skills, doesn’t quite capture the emotion of her duets with JP that captivated me, but not objectionable at all IMHO.
Some questions:
Did she write it?
Who produced it?
And other than NPR what radio format would play this?
And I still contend that the Civil War’s performance of Barton Hollow at the Opry is one of the best I’ve ever seen. YouTube it if you don’t believe me.
Albert
April 8, 2015 @ 7:33 pm
“And I still contend that the Civil War”™s performance of Barton Hollow at the Opry is one of the best I”™ve ever seen. YouTube it if you don”™t believe me.”
COULD NOT AGREE MORE . That band was far greater than the sun of their parts. They had the monopoly on pure emotion in a Performance ( with a Capitol ‘P’ )…no matter what they sang . Impeccable vocalists , one superb guitarist , a map to melodies no one comes close to and creativity oozing from their pores. No , they weren’t for everyone . They certainly weren’t for ” country ” radio….but they managed to tap into a hunger for this adventurous stuff from nearly every demographic and genre and had the sales to prove it . Isn’t THAT the definition of an artist ? They built on traditional roots and interpreted those roots in a loving , sincere manner seasoned with tons of integrity .
I truly hope that Joy does not have to sell out to sell . She is a unique artist in these times and she may need to find out exactly who that artist is as a solo act . But I sense that she’s capable and I look forward to her journey .
Trigger
April 8, 2015 @ 10:14 pm
Joy Williams co-wrote it with Matt Morris and Audra Mae. Haven’t seen any info about the producer.
Brian
June 19, 2015 @ 9:24 am
As a huge Ofra Haza fan (Kirya being my favorite album of hers), I can’t decide if I’m surprised by this comparison or if it makes sense. I guess the surprise is more because no one really remembers Ofra these days, so cheers to you not letting that amazing voice fade away.
While this song by Joy Williams features a lot of percussion and background vocal arrangements that I could see inspiring memories of Kirya, Kirya is definitely more world fusion than “Woman”. Kirya took a lot of ethnic instruments and traditional songs and masterfully fused them with Western flair. “Woman” is not so much world fusion as world inspired. There are definitely world music touches, but not enough to really classify it as world music/fusion like Kirya most certainly is.
Which leads me to the reviewer’s comments about the term “world music”. I don’t see how that’s insulting at all: it’s a general term for any international/cultural sounds. Similar to “world fusion”, which this “Woman” song is close to but not quite there.
I also don’t get the NPR-bashing.
Paul
April 8, 2015 @ 4:22 pm
This song was so bad it gave me mesothelioma
CountryKnight
April 8, 2015 @ 6:15 pm
Doug, is that you?
CountryKnight
April 8, 2015 @ 6:40 pm
That single art is not flattering.
Yeah, my female professors would love this song just for its theme. I am just praying that my Creative Writing professor doesn’t go into a political rant about Indiana tomorrow. Usually, she turns our class into a pulpit for her views, because that is what Creative Writing is all about.
As for this song. Awful. Just awful. Like you said, the NPR crowd will gobble this stuff up merely because it plays into their beliefs and themes, of course you have people on the opposite side who do that. I won’t support “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” just because you threw in a “support the troops” line. I’m all for celebrating your gender, but good grief, this song is a mess.
Scotty J
April 8, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
Ha! This song does sound like what you would get if you held a songwriting session in the middle of the Women’ Studies department and the local junior college.
Applejack
April 9, 2015 @ 10:51 am
That single art is not flattering.
Come on, I think Joy deserves some credit for being the first armless American to succeed in the pop music scene.
hoptowntiger94
April 8, 2015 @ 10:55 pm
I never listened to Civil Wars so I don’t have a dog in this fight (or care) either way, but I really enjoyed this review. The points about Lilith Fair and NPR are spot on and applicable for many of the female acts in the Americana genre. Very good read.
BwareDWare94
April 9, 2015 @ 9:18 am
To me, this sounds like she was trying way too hard not to sound like Civil Wars.
Applejack
April 9, 2015 @ 11:11 am
Well, I looked up Lillith Fair on Wikipedia to try to remember what that thing was all about. Apparently, the tour came to Starwood Ampitheatre outside Nashville three years in a row in the late 90’s. I had no idea. I thought it was some sort of West Coast thing.
Sadly, Starwood is now a pile of rubble in an unused vacant field.
Scrolling through the lineup, the thing that surprises me is how many country-ish acts were on the bill, including in 2010 when they tried to do some sort of revival tour.
I think country radio really shot themselves in the foot in the last couple years by alienating the adult female audience. They had that demographic on lockdown.
Charlie
April 10, 2015 @ 8:54 am
This really didn’t rate a review, but OK–I see why. You get a pass.
Let’s just send her on her way now, what do you say? Bu-bye Joy Williams. Maybe Taylor Swift will tweet about you.
(My take?–I think they should have made this song little more ‘crowd-sing-along-ish’. You know–like Cold Play does every goddamn one of their songs. Really get those Birkenstocks tapping.)
Medigaagora
April 13, 2015 @ 7:51 am
I am the NPR target audience wrapped in skin, to borrow an awkward line from this song, and I would not listen to this twice even if you bought me a mochaccino. NPR has featured Sturgill, Isbell, Lydia Loveless, Nickel Creek among many, many others favorably reviewed on this site. I don’t think there is a “typical” NPR listener, but I don’t see this going anywhere in my NW DC leafy enclave.