Butch Wonders
  • Blog
  • Butch Store: Genderqueer Us
  • About
  • Contact

20 Songs that Make Me Feel Butch

9/3/2014

13 Comments

 
I've been thinking a little about what it means to "feel butch"--not in general, but for moi.  What is it about feeling butch, exactly, that's different from self-confidence, or different from just feeling "masculine?"  I suspect that this varies a lot from person to person, but for me, at the core of it, there's some kind of inner strength that comes from being a little different, from being a strong, confident woman with masculine qualities--and even more importantly, who is okay with those qualities, okay with being different, and maybe even a little proud of who she is.

Certain songs give me this feeling.  Not necessarily because of the lyrics or the singer or even because I think the song is particularly fabulous.  But I thought I'd share some of those songs here, and what I'd really like is if, after reading these, you could share the names of one or two of your own songs that make you feel butch--whatever that means to you.

Here are some of mine.  I don't pretend to have sophisticated taste.  :)  I put links to these in case you don't know them and want to see if you like them. 

  • Cynical - Chris Pureka
  • I Confess - k.d. lang & the Siss Boom Bang
  • My 1st Song - Jay-Z
  • If It Isn't Her - Ani DiFranco (runner up: Swan Dive, live version)
  • The Seeker - The Who
  • Aenima - Tool
  • Travelin' Thru - Dolly Parton
  • A Different Drum - Peter Gabriel
  • Old Soul Song (For the New World Order) - Bright Eyes 
  • Troubled Mind - Catie Curtis
  • What Was I Thinkin' - Dierks Bentley
  • Everything is Everything - Lauryn Hill
  • Dear Mr. Fantasy - Traffic
  • Back to Me - Kathleen Edwards
  • Are You Out There - Dar Williams
  • Unsung - Helmet
  • Square Dance - Eminem (try not to judge... I know I'm making it hard)
  • The Distance - Cake
  • Suddenly I See - K.T. Tunstall
  • Future Crimes - Wild Flag (the whole album is incredible, BTW)

So there you go.  What are some of yours?  And what other song lists would you like to see?  Songs that make me cry?  Best breakup songs?  Best roadtrip songs with your girlfriend?  Best pride songs?


13 Comments
Lee
9/3/2014 04:32:50 am

These are great, I like about half, and the other half I'm like wtf, lol! How about a list of girl on girl makeout songs? Or songs that make u dance no matter what?

Reply
Casey
9/3/2014 04:57:00 am

Now this is an awesome post, and so much fun for musical types like me. Kind of shocked not to see Melissa Ferrick's "Drive" here... others that I would include on my list are Bob Segar's "Turn the Page", Jennifer Knapp's live version of "Undo Me" (any woman who can own a stage that much, and rock out that hard against all the norms of what a female contemporary Christian musician should be, is beautifully butch to my mind), Indigo Girls, "Starkville" (you have to appreciate the butch who gets the homecoming queen), Brandi Carlile's "I Will" (she's such a damn gentleman sometimes, and I love it), Mary Gauthier's "Falling Out of Love" (though most of the "Mercy Now" album will get it done), Ani DiFranco's "Smiling Underneath" (who else mentions the old ACL injury in a song to their lover?), and I can't leave her off this list, Melissa Etheridge's "You Can Sleep While I Drive" and "Dancing in the Fire."

Reply
BW link
9/3/2014 06:29:39 am

You know, "Drive" and "You Can Sleep While I Drive" are such great songs... and I love them as pride songs, love songs... but for whatever reason, they don't make me feel butch. I almost included a couple of Julie Wolff's hits (speaking of hawtt butches... yowza). I don't know Jennifer Knapp's live version of "Undo Me," but it sounds like I need to check it out. Also, I didn't include Joan Jett, which is perhaps a pretty serious omission...

Reply
Lindsey
9/3/2014 04:57:09 am

On the Jay-Z tip, same album even, how about "Justify My Thug"? That's my butch jam :)

Reply
BW link
9/3/2014 06:33:14 am

Also a great song! I love that album. "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" is another favorite on it. As for butch jams, I very nearly listed "30-Something" as my Jay-Z pick. But "My 1st Song" just keeps me going. Plus I love singing along with it.

Reply
Sue Ashinhurst
9/3/2014 06:21:21 am

Like A Rock, Sexual Healing

Reply
Clay
9/3/2014 09:27:03 am

Most of the songs that make me feel butch are usually from a video/movie that relates to butches. So I suppose Get Me Bodied (even though it sings about being in a dress, it's in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGBPeae4NR8) and Cool Waves (from here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/maddy-a-short-film-by-devon-kirkpatrick#home). Christmas in America by Melissa Etheridge is a favorite.

For breakup songs I would say all of the album Rumors by Fleetwood Mac along with a lot of blugrass (specifically Railroad Earth). Or maybe that is just the music I'm listening to now that coincides with a break up, but I feel like I listen to those when I'm thinking more about it, along with Cool Waves.

I was so excited to see Chris Pureka on this list! I saw her live and it was incredible. I have trouble listening to a song or two considering one was on a CD my girlfriend made me when we broke up so there are some awkward feelings there, but I love Burning Bridges, DEFINITELY a song that makes me feel butch (for reasons unknown to me).

Reply
Edison
9/3/2014 10:14:02 am

Melissa Ferrick's 'Drive' here, too! Also k.d.'s 'Sugar Buzz' really does it, as does Tony C. & the Truth. Alabama Shakes 'You Ain't Alone' has that whiskey'd up, languid at the end of an evening out, butch winding down feel that I just love (her voice is pure sex.) Kris Delmhorst's 'Just What I Meant' has butchtease written all over it (what? It's a thing! ;)) A lot of old blues, funk and r&b does it too (think James Brown 'Please, Please, Please' and things of that nature) when I'm getting dappered up.

Reply
TM link
9/3/2014 05:20:50 pm

Sick playlist. I don't know what it is about "The Seeker" but it's the song I want to wake up to so many mornings.

For me: Fleetwood Mac - Go your own way. So empowering.

How about a playlist for getting ready to go out? (embarrassingly, for me that involves hair wax and pushups! :P)

Reply
Zed link
9/4/2014 06:24:37 am

I haven't heard of most of those bands/singers, so I have a lot to check out, thanks BW!
As for me, what makes me CRY? KD Lang's "Salmonberries".
What always perks me way up? Garth Brooks' "Baton Rouge".
What makes me feel like dancing? English Beat "Mirror in the Bathroom" or The Specials' "Do the Dog".
What makes me think of my sweetie, what is OUR song? Black Eyed Peas "The Time (Dirty Bit)".

What do I sing in the shower? "Oklahoma" or "If I Were a Rich Man".

Dont judge. I'm old lol

Reply
KC
9/6/2014 12:34:08 pm

I've been spending all day passing youtube videos back and forth with my girlfriend; it's been a blast! A few songs on your list were new to us. Thanks, BW!!

Music definitely can give me the vibe of loving being who I am. Some songs I like to play that give me that butch swagger:

"Morris Day" by Felt

Pretty much anything by Hunter Valentine

"Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show

Soul Miner's Daughter - anything you can find is GREAT but by far their most amazing song is "Bodies". I am so grateful I got to hear Jennifer Nettles prior to her Sugarland career.

As far as what you should do for your next music list, I'm not gonna lie... I wanna read them all :)

Reply
Dre link
9/12/2014 12:40:17 pm

Devo-Girl U want
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icDszxfqXU8

Reply
Helene
1/7/2017 04:05:20 pm

The Look - Roxette

Good call on I Confess by KD Lang... I love that song.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    TWITTER
    FACEBOOK
    INSTAGRAM
    EMAIL ME
    Picture


    ​Blogs I Like

    A Butch in the Kitchen
    A Stranger in This Place
    Bookish Butch
    Butch on Tap
    Card Carrying Lesbian
    ​
    Chapstick Femme

    Effing Dykes
    Feral Librarian
    Lawyers, Dykes, and Money

    Mainely Butch
    Neutrois Nonsense
    Pretty Butch
       

    Categories (NOT up to date...  working on it)

    All
    Accessories
    Adventures
    Advice
    Bisexuality
    Blogging
    Books
    Butch Identity
    Cars
    Clothes
    Coming Out
    Community
    Dating
    Family
    Fashion
    Female Masculinity
    Fiction
    Friends
    Gaydar
    Gender
    Girlfriends
    Guest Posts
    Hair
    Health
    Humor
    Husbands
    Identity
    Interviews
    Intro
    Lgbt Community
    Lgbt Law
    Lgbt Relationships
    Lists
    Marriage
    Media
    Politics
    Polls
    Pride
    Pride Project
    Readers
    Relationships
    Religion
    Reviews
    Search Terms
    Shopping
    Silliness
    Social Change
    Ties
    Trans
    Work


    Archives

    September 2022
    May 2019
    February 2019
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    RSS Feed

 
  • Blog
  • Butch Store: Genderqueer Us
  • About
  • Contact