The 1985 song Mick Jagger wrote as a joke about sexism: “I’ll keep my big mouth shut”
Shamefully, rock and roll has allowed a sexist streak to exist throughout its history, especially prevalent throughout the 1980s. During this time, bands were building their brand on misogynistic behaviour. As a response, Mick Jagger went the other way, deciding to write a track that he described as a “joke on sexism”.
It marked a subtle but notable shift in perspective. Rather than leaning into the same tropes that had long defined rock’s excesses, Jagger chose to reflect the changing cultural landscape, using satire to highlight how outdated those attitudes were becoming, even if his approach still carried a degree of ambiguity.
The Rolling Stones don’t have a clean record regarding misogyny and have released several tracks containing sexist tropes, most notably ‘Brown Sugar’, a song that the band has now discarded. In truth, the Stones have a litany of songs which feature lyrics that are undeniably inexcusable by today’s standards.
Another one of their moments to forget is ‘Star Star’, released by The Rolling Stones in 1973. The song, banned by the BBC, discusses groupie culture with Jagger singing: “Honey, I missed your two tongue kisses, Legs wrapped around me tight, If I ever get back to Fun City girl, I’m gonna make you scream all night.”
In the 1980s, there was a rise of overtly sexist bands that rose into the mainstream, such as Mötley Crüe and Kiss. However, while rock music was still stuck in the dark ages, the world had thankfully begun to move on from traditional gender roles, and women were no longer being held from positions of power because of their sex.
That wider social shift inevitably began to influence the music itself. Artists who had once relied on old clichés were now faced with an audience that was increasingly aware of, and resistant to, those narratives, forcing some to adapt or risk falling out of step with the times.
Jagger decided to go solo in 1985 with his debut album, She’s The Boss, with the title referring to the rise of powerful women in business. The LP included a title track with a protagonist in a relationship with a woman who is the breadwinner and also the dominant force at home.
At the time of its release, Jagger discussed ‘She’s The Boss’ with Melody Maker and explained why he decided to poke fun at sexism by reversing traditional gender roles. “It’s all about executive lady talk,” he told the publication.
Jagger continued: “You get a lot of all that about the real independent woman, so I made the words a spoof of the whole thing. You can take it any way you want. There is some serious stuff in there. The guy is screaming that he can’t fuck her ‘cos he’s got to wash his hair… it’s a joke, y’know. It’s a joke on sexism.”
On the track, Jagger sings: “It’s all over, the party’s over! I’ll keep my big mouth shut, Yes, she’s the boss, she’s the boss! She’s got the pants on, now she’s the boss! I stay home. What’d I say? You want to what? Not right now baby, I’ve got a headache, You want it right now baby? Well, I’ve got to wash my hair Okay, okay! I’ll do what you say, okay, okay, okay! You’re the boss, you’re the boss, You’ve got the pants on, now you’re the boss!”
In 2023, these lyrics are nothing out of the ordinary and wouldn’t raise eyebrows if ‘She’s The Boss’ was released today. On the divisive reaction to the track, Jagger explained: “All the women I’ve played it to like it. All the female execs at the record company really like that one. Macho men won’t like it.”
Although Jagger has made mistakes with his lyrics and upset people with his songs, ‘She’s The Boss’ showed his evolution as a person. Watch the video for the track below.
