Listen more carefully to the way she sings "what a tragedy, I'm so terrified", and note the "ya"s at the end of each line of the verse beginning with "I've seen them shootin' up funerals in they Sunday clothes". It's a parody. She's making fun of the people who say these things. This is made even clearer by videos of her performing it live.
I'm inclined to agree with you on this... What I noticed was the backing vocals to the line: "Teacher, teacher please reach those girls in them videos", The response in the backing vocals are "Live your life", which implies a non-judgment of such behaviour...
I'm inclined to agree with you on this... What I noticed was the backing vocals to the line: "Teacher, teacher please reach those girls in them videos", The response in the backing vocals are "Live your life", which implies a non-judgment of such behaviour...
I just listened to a segment on Fresh Air where they interviewed her about it again years later. It was actually a letter her mom wrote to her about what was happening with her family and friends when she left home for college, very much not tongue in cheek, she was struggling emotionally with the fact that her family were addicted to drugs and were being killed by gun violence. However, she deeply regrets writing the line "There's danger when you take of your clothes" at this point in her life and views it as the type of religious based...
I just listened to a segment on Fresh Air where they interviewed her about it again years later. It was actually a letter her mom wrote to her about what was happening with her family and friends when she left home for college, very much not tongue in cheek, she was struggling emotionally with the fact that her family were addicted to drugs and were being killed by gun violence. However, she deeply regrets writing the line "There's danger when you take of your clothes" at this point in her life and views it as the type of religious based fear that seeps in for so many people growing up. Terry Gross offered that her mom may have just been saying there's a danger of getting pregnant and giving up on your dreams. Janelle said that may have been, but she didn't want to put that on her mother since she's the one who wrote the line and that she no longer agrees with it.
Listen more carefully to the way she sings "what a tragedy, I'm so terrified", and note the "ya"s at the end of each line of the verse beginning with "I've seen them shootin' up funerals in they Sunday clothes". It's a parody. She's making fun of the people who say these things. This is made even clearer by videos of her performing it live.
I'm inclined to agree with you on this... What I noticed was the backing vocals to the line: "Teacher, teacher please reach those girls in them videos", The response in the backing vocals are "Live your life", which implies a non-judgment of such behaviour...
I'm inclined to agree with you on this... What I noticed was the backing vocals to the line: "Teacher, teacher please reach those girls in them videos", The response in the backing vocals are "Live your life", which implies a non-judgment of such behaviour...
It isn't. She's talked about it on NPR, it was based on an actual letter she sent to her mother.
It isn't. She's talked about it on NPR, it was based on an actual letter she sent to her mother.
I just listened to a segment on Fresh Air where they interviewed her about it again years later. It was actually a letter her mom wrote to her about what was happening with her family and friends when she left home for college, very much not tongue in cheek, she was struggling emotionally with the fact that her family were addicted to drugs and were being killed by gun violence. However, she deeply regrets writing the line "There's danger when you take of your clothes" at this point in her life and views it as the type of religious based...
I just listened to a segment on Fresh Air where they interviewed her about it again years later. It was actually a letter her mom wrote to her about what was happening with her family and friends when she left home for college, very much not tongue in cheek, she was struggling emotionally with the fact that her family were addicted to drugs and were being killed by gun violence. However, she deeply regrets writing the line "There's danger when you take of your clothes" at this point in her life and views it as the type of religious based fear that seeps in for so many people growing up. Terry Gross offered that her mom may have just been saying there's a danger of getting pregnant and giving up on your dreams. Janelle said that may have been, but she didn't want to put that on her mother since she's the one who wrote the line and that she no longer agrees with it.