My favorite holiday is approaching, which is a celebration that indulges in drinking and dancing all night. And no, it’s not Mardi Gras. It’s Purim! Or as I like to call it, “Jewish Carnival.” That being said, we need a soundtrack to celebrate both feminist queens: Queen Esther and Queen Vashti.
According to Times of Israel, Megillat Esther (the Book of Esther) describes how the Jewish Queen Esther used her influence in the harem to avert a slaughter of the king’s Jewish subjects. In recent years, there has been a slew of feminist interpretations, about Vashti, the tensions between Esther’s subservient role in the king’s household, and the power she asserts as his queen by saying no to his demands. Queen Esther submissiveness can also be seen as an act of radical feminism because even while she obeyed Mordechai, she fasted to acknowledge the sacrifice she was making to save her tribe. Queen Esther used her beauty to her advantage.
Esther Haram; Edwin Long, 1878, England. Bibleing.com
So, here are some tracks that will inspire you to party all night this Purim, and lyrically celebrate the femist spirit of the holiday. This is especially significant because we are now in Women’s History Month. So dance on, celebrate, and toast to Queen Esther who saved our tribe with sacrifice and ruach. It’s the one time every year that we can brush off our problems and reset our minds. That’s why it’s especially important to have a spot-on soundtrack to dance your way through the whole megillah of the night. I hope these jams add extra swag to your Purim with captions worth a tweet.
“Forgive but don’t forget, girl keep your head up
And when he tells you you ain’t nuttin’ don’t believe him
And if he can’t learn to love you, you should leave him
‘Cause sista you don’t need him”
”Try being with somebody that wanna be somebody else
I always thought she was perfect when she was being herself”
“I want to say a little something that’s long overdue
The disrespect to the women has got to be through
To all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and friends
I want to offer my love and respect to the end”
“Snatch their wig, possess their soul
A man on road, squad on go
Your neck on green, my neck on froze”
“I want to love you, and treat you right
I want to love you, every day and every night
We’ll be together, with a roof right over our heads
We’ll share the shelter, of my single bed
We’ll share the same room”
“If you pay the price
She’ll let you deep inside
But there’s a secret garden she hides…”
“My home is in my head
I’m a refugee in life
Wherever I go, it is with me”
“Shower you wit’ some poems
Shower you wit’ some songs
Remember the drawing I made?
Remember the flowers I gave?
Remember the time that we spent?
Remember the time that we missed?
Don’t let that happen again
Go find you a better man”
“And there will be mountains you won’t move
Still I’ll always be there for you”
“Hey “Bonita, glad to meet ya/For the kind of stunning newness,
I must have foreseen ya/Hey, being with you is a top priority
Ain’t no need to question the authority”
About the Author: Michele Amira is a nice Jewish girl, DC based journalist, spoken word artist, and vegan. When not writing, she might be found Israeli dancing, listening to hip-hop, and enjoying a l’chaim (toast) with her favorite drink – margaritas on the rocks.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog and on this website are solely those of the original authors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the organization GatherDC, the GatherDC staff, the GatherDC board, and/or any/all contributors to this site.
