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Charlotte's Umbrella

from The Wonders of Female Strength by Bicycle Face

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about

This song is a story about Charlotte Smith, a labor organizer in the 1850s who had a very interesting way of dealing with street harassment. Street harassment is still a big deal today, but it was a different story back then. Women almost never left their homes by themselves, and had to have a male chaperone go with them if they wanted to leave the house. Mrs. Smith wanted to prove that women shouldn't have to be with a man in order to feel safe, that women could support each other. She wanted men to take responsibility for their own actions, and to treat women with respect

lyrics

Her name was Charlotte Smith
And she really had it in
For men who would walk around
Just acting like they owned the town
And if they would see a girl
They would be mean to her
Sayin women shouldn’t leave their homes
Without a chaperone

And she said...
Didn't your mama teach you better
Than to put women in danger?
I don't know who taught you
That that was an OK thing to do
Women face enough discrimination
And they don't need your condemnation
And to make her point clear
She would just whack em with her umbrella ella ella eh eh eh
She’d hit him with her Umbrella ella ella eh eh eh
She broke 5,000 umbrellas ellas ellas eh eh eh
Watch out for her umbrella ella ella eh eh eh

Charlotte stood in solidarity
With women working in factories
Who had to work 15 hour days
And got very little pay
She couldn't work for the government
But she still made a fit
And helped pass over 50 laws
To make working conditions better for all

And she said...
Women are in this together
We been fighting this fight forever
Don't you know it's now or never
Now it's raining harder than ever
Know that we'll still have each other
If we stand under the same umbrella
If we stand under the same umbrella ella ella eh eh eh
Together under one umbrella ella ella eh eh eh
United under one umbrella ella ella eh eh eh
Together under one umbrella ella ella eh eh eh
United under one umbrella, ella, ella, eh eh eh

credits

from The Wonders of Female Strength, released March 15, 2016

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Bicycle Face image

Bicycle Face Seattle, Washington

Back when bicycles were first invented, doctors told women that if they raced on their bicycles, their face would get stuck in a strained-looking, bulgy-eyed mess. Thankfully, we have disproved this theory, and our bicycle faces are all smiles!
Bicycle Face is a musical project by Lichen & Evan. We believe that it's important to teach history so that children know that they can change the future! ... more

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