Woman Is the Nigger of the World

Infobox Single
Name = Woman is the Nigger of the World


Artist = John Lennon
from Album = Some Time in New York City
Released = 1972
Format = 7" vinyl
Recorded = 1972
Genre = Rock
Length = 5:16
Label = Apple, EMI [ [http://www.amazon.com/Woman-Nigger-World-John-Lennon/dp/B000LXE6VA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1217903595&sr=1-1 The single on Amazon.com] ]
Writer = John Lennon
Producer = Phil Spector, John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Certification =
Last single = "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
(1971)
This single = "Woman Is the Nigger of the World"
(1972)
Next single = "Mind Games"
(1973)"Woman is the Nigger of the World" is a 1972 song by John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band. The phrase was originally coined by Yoko Ono during a magazine interview in 1969. Lennon later said during his "Live in New York City" album that it took him until 1970 to "dig it." He was hoping to show how women were and still are being treated.

Meaning

The song lambasts the perceived traditional role of woman's subservience to man across all cultures. It was banned from radio airplay because of the word 'nigger', though it was played on WHRW-FM, and many prominent blacks, including black comedian Dick Gregory, spoke out in defense of the song.

John Lennon's explanation of the song on the Dick Cavett Show can be found [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5lMxWWK218 here] .

Appearances

The song was included on the 1975 album "Shaved Fish" but left off subsequent compilations such "The John Lennon Collection" (1982) and "" (1997). However it was included on 2005's "."

John Lennon performed the song with the band Elephant's Memory and with Yoko Ono on the Dick Cavett Show in May 1972. Because of the controversial title, ABC asked Dick Cavett to apologize to the audience in advance for the song's content, otherwise the performance would not have been shown.

Tracklisting

The B-side of the single is Yoko's "Sisters O Sisters," also from the "Some Time in New York City" album. An acoustic early-stage version appeared in a shortened form on the 2004 album "Acoustic:" the same version had already appeared in its full length on some bootlegs such as "The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes".

tracklist
title1 = Woman Is the Nigger of the World
length1 = 5:16
title2 = Sisters O Sisters
length2 = 3:48

Chart positions

References