Boy, This Song's Lyrics Are Really Out-of-Date!

Joe Tex - A Woman's Hands

Today's selection popped into my head this morning while I was getting ready to go to work. Joe Tex's "A Woman's Hands" has been a favorite song of mine ever since I heard it as a kid - overdubbed applause and all - on my mom's copy of Joe's Live and Lively LP.

As I was thinking about the song, though, I said to myself, "boy, this song's lyrics are really out-of-date!" Although I appreciate Joe's monologue and great gospel-bent singing on this, and I really like the arrangement (whose use of strings and Tex's standard multitracking on choruses belie the "live" nature of the overdubbed LP version), the song's description of what a woman's hands (and mind) are made for jars the listener of 2008 (truthfully, the message was already heading out of style by the time Joe cut the song in 1968). I still like the tune, though, and I present it here, free of ersatz applause.

POST SCRIPT - Tonight, your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul will be a guest DJ for "Down in the Basement," the new weekly Friday night R&B/soul/garage/etc. event hosted by Tim Lawrence, who runs the monthly "Rhythm & Booze" soul night. "Down in the Basement" is held at the Highland Inn Ballroom & Lounge, starting at 11:00 PM, and it's going to be a ball, y'all!