I was finally going to get around to posting here again, with the intention of saying that I'd taken your comments on board and agree that the middle verse wasn't about circumcision, when I discover an interview with Otep where she confirms the verse is about genital mutilation. I'm not posting this in some petty "I'm right - see?" way, I'm posting it because it's a insight into the song.
Very final question she says:
" "UR A WMN NOW," I wanted that to be deceptively beautiful. I wanted it to be this song where, I don't know, a father is going to dance with his daughter at her wedding, not knowing the chorus. Really not knowing that what they're singing about is the archaic rituals and philosophies that decide when a girl becomes a woman. Is it when she loses her virginity? Well, what if she gets date raped? Is it through these barbaric mutilation rituals that still occur in Africa, where they mutilate young girls' bodies so that they will never enjoy intercourse with their husbands? Or is it, as in the third verse which is based on my mother, is it becoming your own person? Is it taking responsibility for your own life and living that life to the fullest and doing whatever you can to make sure that you achieve the destiny that you deserve?"
I was finally going to get around to posting here again, with the intention of saying that I'd taken your comments on board and agree that the middle verse wasn't about circumcision, when I discover an interview with Otep where she confirms the verse is about genital mutilation. I'm not posting this in some petty "I'm right - see?" way, I'm posting it because it's a insight into the song.
http://www.examiner.com/x-17556-Baltimore-Music-Events-Examiner~y2009m11d5-Interview-Otep-Shamaya-smashes-the-control-machine
Very final question she says: " "UR A WMN NOW," I wanted that to be deceptively beautiful. I wanted it to be this song where, I don't know, a father is going to dance with his daughter at her wedding, not knowing the chorus. Really not knowing that what they're singing about is the archaic rituals and philosophies that decide when a girl becomes a woman. Is it when she loses her virginity? Well, what if she gets date raped? Is it through these barbaric mutilation rituals that still occur in Africa, where they mutilate young girls' bodies so that they will never enjoy intercourse with their husbands? Or is it, as in the third verse which is based on my mother, is it becoming your own person? Is it taking responsibility for your own life and living that life to the fullest and doing whatever you can to make sure that you achieve the destiny that you deserve?"