Lyric of the Day #72: Top 100 Lyricists #75 Ani DiFranco

“If folk music has a future it’s Ani DiFranco.”

The next artist on our best lyricists countdown is Ani Difranco. A beacon in both the folk and alternative scene, Difranco rose to public consciousness in Buffalo, New York, in the early 1990’s. She boldly started her own record label Righteous Babe in 1989, and ever since has remained a trailblazer, redefining the image of the modern woman. Difranco’s lyrics are reputably potent with soul and are true expressions of emotion and heartache.

Difranco has managed to release 20 albums within her career, and in this time, proved herself to be a feminist icon. She has historically turned down lucrative record contracts and the spotlight of mainstream media, valuing the artistic freedom inherent within her own label. Such integrity and craft is unfortunately a rarity in this day and age.

While fishing around through her massive catalogue, one song of Difranco’s seemed to stand out. It was the Not a Pretty Girl, released back in 2002 (Difranco has since produced music more recently as well). The opening lyrics are biting yet funny at the same time:

I am not a pretty girl
that is not what I do
I ain’t no damsel in distess
and I don’t need to be rescued
so put me down punk
maybe you’d prefer a maiden fair
isn’t there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

The song is pretty unconventional in the sense that she seems to “talk” out the lyrics.  Nonetheless, it is beaming with experience and a collective pain. She comes off jaded, dismissive of society’s popular approach towards women.

With a career based on manic touring and a college following, Difranco continues to be an unstoppable force.