Walk like a woman

I pretty much like all songs titled "I Want You." Tom Waits has one, Bob Dylan has one, and so do The Beatles. All except for "I Want You to Want Me," these "I Want You" songs all share a chord of sad longing. On my bus ride today, I was listening to the W songs on my iPod and heard "Walk like a Man" by Bruce Springsteen, followed by "Walk like a Woman" by Charmaine Clamor. It struck me how different these songs are. Crooning "Walk like a man," in the style of Frankie Valli or Bruce Springsteen, seems to be a call for strength and confidence. In Charmaine Clamor's beautiful song, walking like a woman seems to be a declaration of unworthiness. She sings, "I'm gonna learn to how to walk like a woman, I'm gonna learn how to dress, how to dance. I'm gonna learn how to make an impression, do anything for the love of this man." It reminds me of "My Fair Lady," but submitting to men isn't just the stuff of musicals. It's the stuff of real life and it's regrettable.