A powerful, vengeful song in the same vein as Pirate Jenny by the legendary Nina Simone. Written in 1966 the song aims
to illustrate how the lives and circumstances of black women were related (even defined) by the sublte graduations in their
skin color.
The song introduces four women; Aunt Sarah (a slave), Siffronia (a mulatto who does not belong in any society), Sweet
Thing (a prostitute) and Peaches (a militant rebel).
Most of the song's power comes from its delivery: it starts out as a slow, swaying lament which builds verse-on-verse
into a throbbing march. The last lines are almost shouted.
My skin is black
My arms are long
My hair is wooly
My back is strong
Strong enough to take the pain
That's been inflicted again and again
What do they call me?
My name is Aunt Sarah
My name is Aunt Sarah
My skin is yellow
My hair is long
Between two worlds
I do belong
My father was rich and white
He forced my mother late one night
What do they call me?
My name is Siffronia
My name is Siffronia
My skin is tan
My hair's alright, it's fine
My hips invite you daddy
And my lips are like wine
Whose little girl am I?
Well yours if you have some money to buy
What do they call me?
My name is Sweet Thing
My name is Sweet Thing
My skin is brown
And my manner is tough
I'll kill the first mother I see
Cos my life has been too rough
I'm awfully bitter these days
because my parents were slaves
What do they call me?
They
call
me
PEACHES
these lyrics (with additions) are courtesy of http://www.boscarol.com/nina/html/where/fourwomen.html