The male songwriter confessional - a contrast to women pouring out their soul

We all know the gripping art of the woman singer songwriter confessional
nothing could be as deep and moving

First and foremost Joni Mitchell - who bared her soul so openly

others - Sarah McLachlan, Laura Nyro, Norah Jones, Fiona Apple, Carol King, Gillian Welch, Suzanne Vega, Kate Bush, Patti Smith, Rickie Lee Jones, Sade, Lucinda Williams, Tori Amos, Nina Simone, Amie Mann, Riahnnon Giddens, .....

Where the focus is love lost, love attained, feminine empowerment, attraction, yearning forward, sexuality, deepest warm thoughts, nurturing friendship, emptiness, loneliness, attractiveness, social injustice



The testosteroned focus is quite different

some of the women's themes are of course addressed at times and men speak on some of the same areas women do but overwhelmingly male songwriters focus on

getting way too old (at 30), " is that all" self meaning, substance abuse, relevance, conquests, having nothing in common with much younger conquests, , self loathing, life on the road, sex, lust, power, violence, madness, enlightenment, the current guru, revenge, going it on your own, pissed at your friends, not enough real friends, me against the world, defiance, depression, despair


why is this?
thoughts

examples of male artists who predominantly exude traits similar to woman

female artists portraying more male dominated topics in songs


other traits applying more to one gender


Jack Pardo
this thread is brought to you by my car audio system advancing to "The Who By Numbers" this morning

Pete Townshend's uplifting look at all things "life"

 

I don't think your themes are mutually or even partially exclusive to the respective genders you're assigning them to.

 

Some Kate Bush songs explore themes you describe as more "male" in songwriting - The Wedding List is all about revenge, albeit being inspired by a classic french movie.

Maybe it's just that female and make perspectives differ from each other due to things like role models, socialisation process and of course subjective ways of dealing with difgicult emotions. Don't forget the emancipatory movements which got stronger since the 1960s, just the time many of the women mentioned started recording.

 

I think you have stereotypical preconceptions that are off. Thread is also a bit badly timed with one "confessional male songwriter" going down the tubes, this stereotype you sell here having been used to defend his actions previously.

Only my 5 cents.

 

I dont agree, i think that in the end, what you judge be woman or man subjects can be almoust the same, like woman "loneliness' or men "dont have enought friends'. Both sings a lot bout lost love, new love, solitude etc.

 

Neil Young:
I Believe In You
A Man Needs A Maid
Birds
Sugar Mountain

The Beatles:
Don’t Let Me Down
Something
Oh! Darling

Beach Boys:
She Knows Me Too Well
I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
Please Let Me Wonder

 

Solely going by the more popular ones, there might be a point to the OP - especially for the 70s, I'd make a point for more divided choice of topics between female and male songwriters. I won't go out for a definitve statement, though, as I'm sure many of the topics mentioned are pretty universal. The theme of getting older has been explored by female songwriters (e.g. Kate Bush's "Mrs. Bartolozzi"), while topics like lost love, social injustice or emptiness seem to inspire songwriters no matter what gender they might have.

 

The Master!

 

Joni at least, while deeply personal, strikes me as more observational than confessional.

 

Paul McCartney has been known to write a few songs from a woman's viewpoint:
Eleanor Rigby, She's Leaving Home, Another Day, Daytime Nighttime Sufering

 

She's a craftswoman. No confessional outpourings there.

 

Boy George- Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?
Makes Joni Mitchell sound as sensitive as Gene Simmons....

 

Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon somewhat fits with the vibe I think you're talking about.

Sun Kil Moon – I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love Lyrics | Genius Lyrics



(Of course, he's had personal issues of his own documented in the press in recent years; the less spoken of, the better...)

 

I interviewed Mark Kozelek. He called me a ‘bitch’ on stage

He should probably be lucky right now he's a marginal musician and not a mainstream one...

 

Jack Pardo needs to listen to some Phil Collins.

 

I was mentioning in general
of course there are themes that are universal
but still some are most commonly addressed by one genre to a larger degree

the topic was to address artists who had significant songs or canon that was more typically written from via the others prospective,
particularly men who write mote in an introspective mode.


who died?

 

I would almost say that 1/2 if not more Blues songs are male confessional songs. Many deal with a female betraying a man, or with a man betraying a woman. I would list Derek and the Dominoes Layla as a good example, or BB King The Thrill is Gone or Robert Cray Right Next Door (Because of Me).

 

indeed

good point

I guess I was looking more at rock artists
but yes - the blues everyone has infidelity and a heartbreak

 

Oh and I forgot, what about Roy Orbison, I would c all many of his songs are paranoid confessionals!

 

Sufjan Stevens is very introspective - very sensitive sensiblities - especially Carrie and Lowell album

 

Betty Davis. Sexually provocative and who's counter to criticism was "if I was a man ... ".

 

Peter Gabriel has a very sensitive soulful side

 

Nobody. Poster is referring to Ryan Adams' recent troubles.

Jeff Buckley may fit the male confessional category.

 

Christine Lavin

Sensitive New Age Guys -- Christine Lavin and Don White 1/9/2016