My Personal Possession

[MadrasT]

So I was listening to a podcast of "This American Life", and they played this between acts. It really struck me how sweet and romantic this song sounds, but the lyrics themselves are downright creepy.

How was this ever considered romantic, and not the proclamations of a deranged psychopath?

(Not casting aspersions on Cole himself -- I love his voice and I don't know the first thing about what he was like as a person -- I am just musing how messed up it is to live in a society in which this is/was somehow considered to be "romantic".)

You are my personal possession
You're mine alone
You are my personal possession
My very own

Nobody else must kiss you but me
Nobody else must miss you but me
Nobody must dream of you but me
And nobody else must love you but me

You're my personal possession
That's what you are
You're my magnificent obsession
My lucky star

I own you exclusively
Darling you belong to me
You're my personal possession
My precious love

(Nobody else must kiss you but me)
(Nobody else must miss you but me)
(Nobody must dream of you but me)
And nobody else must love you but me

You're my personal possession
That's what you are
You're my magnificent obsession
My lucky star

I own you exclusively
Darling you belong to me
You're my personal possession
My precious love

Ten years ago, I'm not sure I would have even noticed or thought about it twice.

[PDJane]

1. I remember this song, and thought there was something creepy about it then.

No, I wasn't alive in 1943, but it was in an uncle's collection. Mind you, there was a lot of music from the era that could have been written by a stalker....

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. A friend of mind said the same thing about this song

"Every Breath You Take"

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you.

Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you.

Oh can't you see
You belong to me?
How my poor heart aches with every step you take.

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you.

Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace.
I dream at night, I can only see your face.
I look around but it's you I can't replace.
I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace.
I keep crying baby, baby please...

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you.

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you...

[redqueen]

3. It's striking, the way most people hear songs like this,

or see movies with similarly awful messages, and think nothing of it - or worse, think it romantic.

We really are groomed to find it acceptable. So when women first started complaining, of course they were met with tremendous resistance. We're still breaking down those walls of resistance, but making progress all the time.

The attacks on our rights to bodily autonomy are just one form of backlash against that progress.