"The Woman or the Girl You Knew the night before...."

"Girl... ..... you'll be a woman, soon." Neil Diamond sang those lyrics circa 1967, the same year Aretha Franklin was belting out "Natural Woman". Bob Segar recorded the song "Turn the Page" in 1971 with the lyrics "You can think about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before." And "She's Always a Woman" is a song by Billy Joel from his "Stranger" album of 1977, while the BeeGee's sang "More than a Woman"also in the 70s. People also loved John Lennon's song "Woman" from the album "Double Fantasy" released in 1980. After that, the 80s and 90s did not produce any big titles with the word "Woman" as the main theme. So? Why all this history of "Woman" themed songs? What's my point? What does it mean to be a woman? VIVA community wants to know. I think Neil, Bob, Billy, The Gibbs, and John, have all tried to answer the question for women, but how many women have written a song about Women? We might bark up Melissa Etheridge's tree or the Indigo Girls, but as far as I've heard of their songs, I've not found one focused completely on the word or theme "Women" --- which has me believing that neither straight or lesbian women really know what to say about the word "woman" or "women" yet I have just thought of one artist who did come up with something in the 90s: Shania Twain. "Man, I feel like a Woman." Oh, wait. Another artist just came to mind - Whitney Houston (in the 80s) did do a remake of "I'm Every Woman" which was a Pop Hit for her.

There does seem to be a huge gap in our musical pop hits culture from Lennon's 1980 hit "Woman" all the way to 1997's "Man, I feel like a Woman" from Shania's album "Come on Over". Almost two decades before the Charts saw another hit containing the word or theme "Woman" ??? Maybe my memory isn't that great. That's what this woman remembers, but I could be wrong. Was it really that difficult to use the word "Woman" for a pop hit on the Billboard? I hope my memory is wrong, and I hope that I was just in some kind of strange funk from 1981 to 1996. Memories are helpful, but I wouldn't say they are always perfectly accurate. Maybe that's what Jimi Hendrix meant with his phrase "Purple Haze".

What was the question again? Focus! Focus! Oh, yeah. What does it mean to be aWOMAN?

Am I woman because of my body? My eyelashes batting flirtaciously? My lips covered in sweet smelling pink lipstick puckering? My breasts upheld righteously for some hungry wolf's pleasure like a buffet? My hips accentuated by some sexy stretchy material swaying in perfect rhythm to whatever beat is bopping? My fingernails and toenails perfectly trimmed, then body adorned with lacy Victoria Secret's lingerie? Or is it just spread your legs, make a baby, now you're a woman because you're not until you do that?

Am I a woman for a certain fishy smell or flowerly scent? Am I a woman for a certain meal that is cooked or baked? Am I woman for the high notes the vocal chords can reach or the low notes that seductively draw the man closer?

Am I a woman because I can assert my will to use Profanity or am I woman because I can self-impose restrictions and restraints for the pleasure and comfort of others?

Am I woman if I don't know how to put pantyhose on without ripping them? Am I a woman if I think make-up makes us look like ugly clowns? Am I a woman if I think that Elizabeth Taylor perfumes are overpriced?

Am I a woman if I haven't ever tasted another woman? Am I a woman if I don't crave sausage for breakfast? Am I a woman if I think about eating roaches or killing mosquitoes for fun? Am I a woman if I prefer the music of men more than the music of women?

Am I a woman if I know how to change a lightbulb? Am I a woman if I have a driver's license? Am I a woman if I don't want to babysit? Am I a woman if I like the taste of cigarettes and alcohol? Am I a woman if I don't do the dishes?

Am I a woman if I choose to masturbate? Am I a woman if I choose to abstain from sexual pleasure? Am I a woman if I prefer a man's lips?

Am I a woman if I ask or answer a question? Am I a woman if I can think, and analyze, and come up with my own?

Am I a woman? How do you define the word? Am I every woman like Whitney said in the 80s? Am I natural woman like Aretha said in the late 60s? I kinda like thinking I'm "Always a Woman" the way Billy Joel sang.