A Voice from Women's History

I love music written by women, performed by women. That's no surprise to any of you who know me. I've talked at length about the glories of Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, Annie Lennox, Julie London, Rosanne Cash...but today, I'm turning the clock back to the very beginnings of women in recorded music--90 years, in fact, to share with you a song that was so revolutionary in its time that it deserves a fresh look today.

The song is "She's Good Enough to Be Your Baby's Mother (And She's Good Enough to Vote With You)." Doesn't quite roll off the tongue, but the title says it all. Recorded in 1916 by Anna Chandler (left), I discovered this on a wonderful 1999 compilation called Respect: A Century of Women in Music. And in honor of Women's History Month, I'd like to share the lyrics with you today.

She's Good Enough To Be Your Baby's Mother
And She's Good Enough to Vote With You
No man is greater than his mother
No man is half so good
No man is better than the wife he loves
Her love will guide him
What ‘ere beguile him

She’s good enough to love you and adore you
She’s good enough to bear your troubles for you
And if your tears were falling today
Nobody else would kiss them away
She’s good enough to warm your heart with kisses
When your lonesome and blue
She’s good enough to be your baby’s mother
And she’s good enough to vote with you

Man plugs the world in war and sadness
She must protest in vain
Let’s hope and pray someday we’ll hear her pain
Stop all your madness, I bring you gladness

She’s good enough to love you and adore you
She’s good enough to bear your troubles for you
And if your tears were falling today
Nobody else would kiss them away
She’s good enough to warm your heart with kisses
When your lonesome and blue
She’s good enough to be your baby’s mother
And she’s good enough to vote with you

She’s good enough to give you old Abe Lincoln
She's good enough to give you Brandon Sherman
Robert E. Lee and Washington too
She was so true she gave them to you
She’s good enough to give you Teddy Roosevelt
Thomas A. Edison too.
She’s good enough to give you Woodrow Wilson
And she’s good enough to vote with you.

Listen to a sample of this song here.