Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
How does the same song about a woman as a victim become a song about a woman retaliating against her abuser?
This American folk song. “Rain and Snow,” used to be about a man abused by his wife who responds by ending her life. But recordings of this song in recent decades have switched the genders. Instead the woman is abused by her husband, and chooses to end the abuse one fatal night. So many women are in prison in the U.S. because they defended themselves against their abusers. And a disproportionate number of these women are women of color. This song reflects a very real part of women’s history that needs to change. It also shows us how singers in oral tradition have changed the outcome of the song to match their experiences or aspire to safer outcomes for women.
You can explore women’s history through ballads & folk song in my upcoming winter offering: Badass Women in Folk Song! Learn more below. Right now, I’m excited to be offering my 6-week experience Badass Women in Folk Song at a 45% discount! In our time together, we learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia. With the dire times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.
Learn more & regyster by going to the lynk on my creator page!
For more resources on supporting incarcerated women, check out the Women’s Prison Association and PrisonActivist. Org
How does the same song about a woman as a victim become a song about a woman retaliating against her abuser?
This American folk song. “Rain and Snow,” used to be about a man abused by his wife who responds by ending her life. But recordings of this song in recent decades have switched the genders. Instead the woman is abused by her husband, and chooses to end the abuse one fatal night. So many women are in prison in the U.S. because they defended themselves against their abusers. And a disproportionate number of these women are women of color. This song reflects a very real part of women’s history that needs to change. It also shows us how singers in oral tradition have changed the outcome of the song to match their experiences or aspire to safer outcomes for women.
You can explore women’s history through ballads & folk song in my upcoming winter offering: Badass Women in Folk Song! Learn more below. Right now, I’m excited to be offering my 6-week experience Badass Women in Folk Song at a 45% discount! In our time together, we learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia. With the dire times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.
Learn more & regyster by going to the lynk on my creator page!
For more resources on supporting incarcerated women, check out the Women’s Prison Association and PrisonActivist. Org
