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“Bang” is a song of homage to the beloved actress and writer Carrie Fisher, who gave life and embodiment to the role of Princess Leia in George Lucas’ StarWars While Fisher will be forever immortalized as Princess Leia, her personal life was fraught with substance abuse, eating disorders, and depression. There is tragic irony in the disconnect between Fisher’s personal hardships and external glorification. Princess Leia as a character has inspired generations of women, and yet the woman who played this iconic heroine was continuously objectified, humiliated, and pressured to conform to patriarchal standards of beauty throughout her career.
‘Bang’ is a song of hope: hope for a more equitable world in which we can respect ourselves and others. The objectification of women has tragic consequences: it ruins lives and our self self esteem; it fosters as a sense of detachment, and lack of agency over our own bodies.
I began to write this song in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The romance between characters Princess Leia and Han Solo in Star Wars is a ominous example of how rape culture is normalized, even glorified, in film and popular culture. Their story is is aligned with the toxic, yet timeless, notion that endures in our culture- that when it comes to sexual consent, ‘no means yes’.
This song is about cultivating a healthy relationship to our own sensuality and sexuality, and to our own bodies, hearts, and minds. It’s about my hope for a future in which all people can express their emotions and desires in healthy, respectful ways.
When returning to the Star Wars universe to film The Force Awakens, Fisher was inundated by criticism and pressure from the industry and fans alike in regards to her appearance and performance. While she admitted to feeling hurt and overwhelmed by being put under a harsh spotlight, Fisher still managed to make room for joy and humor in her life. During downtime on set while filming, Fisher would spontaneously begin to sing and dance.
I hope that we can liberate ourselves from the limitations we as a society have set on beauty and sexuality. I hope that we can all dance into our own sensuality, in the face of pain and uncertainty.
“Bang” is not only a tribute to Fisher, but also an outlet for coping with the deaths of my personal female heroines who have triumphed in the face of harassment, sexism, and objectification. I hope to honor our female predecessors who have fought to make the world safe, equitable and enjoyable.
~ Elena Loper, 2018
lyrics
You have measured out your life in tablespoons
For a galaxy of stargazers,
Lusty for your golden bands.
Your body was never your own
And your story will be a fable soon,
To a galaxy of stargazers
Enamored by your hologram.
And when it ends, with a bang
With a bang,
Will you reach for the bottle?
But because it will end,
Will you slow dance?
Will you slow dance on your own?
Us wide-eyed girls, we grew up fast-
No word in our lexicon for "harassed".
Eyes fixed on you
Up against a wall,
We thought that was the only way
To get it
At all.
I felt it end
With a bang
With a bang.
Then I took to the bottle.
But because it will end-
I can slow dance.
I can slow dance
On my own.
And am I selfish-
For wanting you around?
With your wit, and your wisdom, and your dancing.
I am impatient
For my coming is slow
But the ending is advancing,
Yeah the ending
Is advancing:
And when it ends, with a bang
With a bang,
Will you reach for the bottle?
But because it will end,
Will you slow dance?
Will you slow dance on your own?
Ani DiFranco acoustically revisits classics from across her career, with assists from Amy Ray, Billy Bragg, and Maceo Parker. Bandcamp New & Notable May 18, 2019
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