Lyric discussion by Emily859 

Cover art for Under My Thumb lyrics by Rolling Stones, The

As a woman who is an equalist/feminist whatever you wanna call it…I don’t find this song offensive at all.

The lyrics are about our uglier impulses as people. It touches on the sexual and psychological satisfaction of overcoming someone who used to have the upper hand on you, or didn’t treat you with respect initially.

It’s not healthy but I don’t think it’s meant to suggest abuse on either side, not necessarily. I think it’s not meant to be taken so seriously that he’s saying: she abused him, now he’s abusing her.

I think she rejected and messed with him, because she didn’t fully appreciate him. Now he’s managed to make her fall for him, and he’s reveling in it…but he definitely seems to be exaggerating in order to gloat about the situation. It’s not that deep. It’s a celebration of the meanness and vanity we all have in us.

Music is about shedding light on all aspects of the human condition, and if we shy away from elements that are strange, or less socially acceptable, art becomes boring and lifeless.

[Edit: Grammar mistakes.]

@Emily859 Hmmm, right now I'm sat on my own after my girlfriend left, I was under her thumb, she is a narcissist and denies having said things to me and accuses me of losing her stuff, tells her family that I am a sh*t. I have never been treated like this before. I have known this song for many years but recently it has had some bad press. I re-listened to it and made my mind up, it feels very personal to me.

I am stuck in the song at the end of verse one. She is apparently...