You’ve definitely heard this one before – maybe from its many movie appearances, a throwback night at your local pub, or your parents’ record collection. Made famous my Tom Jones in 1971, the story goes that Paul Anka was asked by Jones’ manager to write him a guaranteed hit --- and evidently, Anka delivered: the song ranked #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 following its release and has since become a 70s classic.
It’s easy to see why: “panty magnet” Tom Jones singing about his admiration for a woman --- how could it bust? Widely known as one of the iconic male sex symbols of the music industry during the 60s and 70s, Jones' concerts were famous for the masses of lingerie thrown at the stage by fans. And, of course, he certainly played the part and knew how to put on a show – not to mention he’s an incredibly talented singer.
And She’s a Lady is one hell of a groove. It’s a perfect song for him: the swinging beat couldn't be better suited for his famously unsubtle sexual energy on stage. But it’s really the lyrics that make this such a machismo anthem. I mean, sure, some of the lines are sort of sweet and Jones obviously has a lot of praise for his woman. But that’s just the point – this woman is explicitly his. “The lady is mine” repeats the chorus, and the rest of the lyrics are just as possessive and domineering, with lines like “she’s the kind I’d like to flaunt”, “she’s never in the way”, “she knows just what to do and how to please me”.
Don’t get me wrong – this song is a timelessly catchy groove. But there’s an intense male bravado inherent to it that makes you want to roll your eyes.
It’s this quality of the original that makes LION BABE’s 2016 cover of the song so brilliant. R&B/funk duo consisting of artist Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman, LION BABE recorded the cover for the advertising campaign of H&M’s fall collection that year, which was all about celebrating women. Hervey herself even stars in the campaign’s video for which the song was used (watch it down below).
This is a cover done flawlessly. Keeping the original tune and lyrics (with a few minor tweaks), LION BABE's electronic, pop-y spin on the bones of the song give it a whole new energy. Above all it’s now being sung by a woman, and putting this kind of song in the hands of a female voice completely turns it inside out.
Hervey once explained in an interview: “We just made minor tweaks and it made the song so much more powerful, and it made it come from the female voice. She’s the one saying ‘She’s a lady.’ She’s the one claiming her own identity.”
Think about the vast contrast of a man versus a woman singing the line “she always knows her place”: what was once patronizing has now become empowered. LION BABE flips the song on its head in favour of a new era of social consciousness – absolutely brilliant.
Happy listening!
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