Paris Paloma's Labour: Lyric Analysis
⚠️Trigger Warning: Mentions of domestic abuse ⚠️
We will dissect 'Labour,' a song that has stirred a visceral reaction in women worldwide as it first rose to popularity on the social media platform TikTok. 'Labour' was released in March of 2023 with over thirty million streams on Spotify and reached the top ten Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in April.
So the question is: Why did it make such a significant impact?
'Labour' is meant to be a tribute and a cry for change for our current generation. This brings attention to our mothers and sisters and the work that they have done that has been undervalued and forgotten throughout our history. Its ability to speak to many women with various backgrounds and cultural differences is fantastic. However, the one thing that links us all is the experience of the moment we become aware of the boxes we are put in society. This song references emotional, mental, and physical labor that women have tragically performed throughout history to maintain their relationships and marriages. The labor that eventually gets passed down to their kids is generational trauma.
"Why are you hanging on so tight
To the rope that I'm hanging from?
Off this island, this was an escape plan (this was an escape plan)
Carefully timed it, so let me go
And dive into the waves below"
The language of the first verse is intended to create a narrative around this couple that lives on an island, a metaphor for their relationship. These types of abusive relationships can be very isolating and lonely, and Figure 1 captures the solitude of the island by illustrating the vastness of the ocean surrounding it. We can see a rope attached to a boat, which is safe to say her escape from the island. Another way of looking at this is that the rope is a symbolic thread that keeps the relationship from splitting or tearing apart. Women in abusive relationships tend to think about the trade-offs that come with leaving their partners; otherwise, they could put themselves and their loved ones at risk. The angry waves pictured can be viewed as the lengths she is willing to take to break away from her current situation, and it shows that ending a relationship is often the most challenging or dangerous part.
"Who tends the orchards? Who fixes up the gables?
Emotional torture from the head of your high table
Who fetches the water from the rocky mountain spring?
And walk back down again to feel your words and their sharp sting.
And I'm getting fucking tired."
Between the late fifth to the late fifteenth centuries, the Middle Ages established roles and responsibilities that women in medieval societies played to maintain a household—according to an article written by Alixe Bovey, a researcher whose focus was on illuminating medieval manuscripts and pictorial narratives, stated that biblical texts often dictated the place of women in society. The writings of the apostle Paul emphasized men's authority over women and instructed them to remain silent. Peasant women not only carried out domestic responsibilities such as caring for children, preparing food, and tending livestock, but they also joined their husbands in the field to bring in crops. Similarly, women in towns had similar responsibilities and assisted their husbands' work in various trades and crafts, as well as running shops and inns.
Fixing gables and fetching water have generally been considered men's work. This pressure of not only maintaining a household but taking on additional laborious work can feel pressuring and exhausting, especially when one's work has been dismissed and underappreciated. This patriarchal traditional view can feel like you are being looked down upon, which can be felt in the second line of the pre-chorus.
"The capillaries in my eyes are bursting.
If our love died, would that be the worst thing?
For somebody I thought was my saviour
You sure make me do a whole lot of labour."
The capillaries could be referencing two different reasons: her eyes could be bloodshot from overworking and intense labour and strain, but it could also indicate a level of strangulation. Burst capillaries, often called subconjunctival hemorrhage, can occur for various reasons, including injury and suffocation. We can interpret the first line by literal strangulations or, more figuratively, the suffocation that women endure under patriarchy. The second line indicates that she finds no joy in her life due to this relationship, and if this relationship were to end, would it indeed be a problem?
From a traditional standpoint, women are often told men are protectors or providers in relationships. Growing up with fairy tales, it is always a dashing prince coming to the rescue and saving the princess. This notion was taught at such an early age for young girls to envision their future partner as the prince charming, their savior. She begins to question how this prince charming, who is meant to be her saviour, is the cause of so much of her misery when she was promised as a young girl that a man was meant to protect and provide. She begins to reflect on how the dynamic is so quick to change to her holding everything in the relationship together.
"The calloused skin on my hands is cracking.
If our love ends, would that be a bad thing?
And the silence haunts our bed chamber.
You make me do too much labour."
The callouses on her hands are due to the excessive amount of labour her husband has forced her to do for him. The cracking of her skin can also be a metaphor for the excessive pressure and expectations she is placed under, which is causing her to break.
In line three, I interpret the silence that haunts their bed chambers as the uncomfortable disconnect and lack of love between them. When making love, it is cold and empty, with no gentle emotions being echoed between the two. In this line, it is safe to assume that she is passively submitting to their act of intimacy, feeling no pleasure and numbness when this is typically the moment to be felt and enjoyed by both partners.
"Apologies from my tongue, and never yours
Busy lapping from flowing cup and stabbing with your fork."
In society, girls were brought up to be obedient and quiet. They are often conditioned at a young age to be more attuned and responsible for their behavior and how it affects others around them. It is common for women to be hyper-aware of their actions and to be mindful of their language when speaking to others, which results in constant apologies. The first line could indicate that she is made to feel as though she is the one to blame for his shortcomings.
"I know you're a smart man (I know you're a smart man), and weaponise
The false incompetence, its dominance under a guise."
This was beautifully written, and I applaud Paloma for bringing up the issue that many women face today, which is weaponized incompetence. Weaponized incompetence is a type of behavior where an individual feigns helplessness to avoid performing tasks or responsibilities which results in shifting that labor to their partner instead. This can create an imbalance in the relationship where an individual overworks, and the other underworks. Some examples of weaponized incompetence can occur when you ask your partner to wash the dishes and have them put it off until you eventually do it yourself. Another example would be asking them to dust the house, but they do not do a thorough job, leaving some surfaces dusty. It is incredibly easy to fall victim to this form of manipulation in the form of flattery, "I'm really not good at that. You do it so much better," or "Remember how bad it was the last time I tried doing it?" Over time, weaponized incompetence can erode relationships and leave individuals feeling resentment. According to research done in the past two years, gender inequality reigns true to this day, with women bearing a larger share of household chores, childcare duties, and professional responsibilities.
"If we had a daughter, I'd watch and could not save her
The emotional torture, from the head of your high table
She'd do what you taught her, she'd meet the same cruel fate
So now I've gotta run, so I can undo this mistake
At least I've gotta try."
This is when the song begins to speed up, and you can note how soft and gentle the song started and how it gradually gets louder, correlating with her anger that has been slowly building up.
Research indicates that 1.3 to 5.3 million women in the United States experience domestic abuse. She begins to worry that if she does not try to undo her mistakes and work through her trauma, the trauma is then forcefully passed on to her daughter, and the cycle continues. The possibility of her daughter replicating her mother's habits and being conditioned to serve her fruitless labor to her partner terrifies her. Historically, children of abusive parents are more likely to enter abusive relationships, according to research compiled in 2005. Because love was introduced to children in an abusive way, they begin to perceive abuse as familiar and gravitate to those who share similarities with their parents. Children who experience domestic violence are at a greater risk of repeating the same cycles as they are older by either entering abusive relationships or becoming abusers themselves.
"All day, every day, therapist, mother, maid
Nymph then a virgin, nurse then a servant
Just an appendage, live to attend him
So that he never lifts a finger
So he can live out his picket fence dreams
It's not an act of love if you make her
You make me do too much labour."
Finally, we reach the lyrics "Labour" which captivated many women's attention. The first line emphasizes the copious roles that women play for their partners to keep them satisfied and happy. I view the word "mother" in this line to indicate the act that she is expected to take on to provide and nurture their partner and play the role of a therapist to listen to his worries while pushing aside her troubles and issues to fix his alone. Not only is she playing mother and therapist for her partner, but she is also expected to clean and cook to maintain a picture-perfect household. According to the Handbook of Sociological Science: Contributions to Rigorous Sociology, published in 2022, studies showed that women, on average, spend a considerable amount of time on unpaid and domestic labor and experience a lower quality and quantity of leisure time than men. In ancient Greek folklore, nymphs are inferior female divinities that would take the form of young women and can reflect the moods of nature. However, they are also known for being sexually rapacious and taking on promiscuous roles in Greek and Roman mythology. The term' nymphomania' (nymphomania – (noun) uncontrollable or excessive sexual desire in a woman) derives from 'nymph,' which explains why Paloma specifically drew the comparison between a man seeking qualities of nymphs while simultaneously wanting to be with a virgin. Historically, men have often stated that they would prefer to be with a woman who is both sexually competent while being "pure" and "untainted.". In a patriarchal society, women are given unrealistic expectations that contradict two behaviors that are impossible to exist at the same time. Reading through a Genius annotation contributor, they stated, "In traditional gender roles, women are expected to be sexually desirable and giving, but also shamed for experiencing desire or knowing about sex."
"Nurse, then a servant" indicates her work and efforts being taken advantage of. Stereotypically, nurses are generally supportive and helpful individuals who will nurture and care you back to health, unlike being someone's servant, where the individual's purpose is to serve others and can be used by them. Nurses and servants are descriptively the same. The difference is that nurses are commonly respected and appreciated, whereas servants are abused and overlooked for their services.
In the third line, "appendage" was mentioned, followed by "live to attend him." Biologically, appendages are an external body part usually less functionally crucial than an organism's main body, such as a limb or an analogous part. Metaphorically, appendages exist as a minor and less important part of something more significant. The word 'appendage' illustrates the position that women are placed in a patriarchal society where women are not simply individuals but an extension or an addition to their male counterparts. It is a clear indication of the unequal power distribution that she is meant to live to attend to him, and it is often dehumanizing. Studies show that objectified women are viewed as less than human and are viewed as less deserving of moral treatment by others. This line was simple and straightforward but the overall message was impactful and I am sure it moved many women and shined light on something they have related to for so long.
Recent evidence published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that participants processed images of men and women differently in a series of experiments. In the study, participants were randomly presented with images of fully clothed men and women of average looks. When presented with images of men, participants relied more on "global" cognitive processing, recognizing the man as a whole, and were not reduced to their sexual body parts by perceivers. Global processing refers to processing information in a more general and big-picture way. Meanwhile, when presented with images of women, participants relied on "local" cognitive processing and recognizing isolated body parts rather than the whole. "Local processing underlies the way we think about objects: houses, cars and so on. But global processing should prevent us from that when it comes to people," Gervais said. "We don't break people down to their parts – except when it comes to women, which is really striking. Women were perceived in the same ways that objects are viewed." My take on being a "baby machine" is the conception that her body is not viewed as something to love and cherish, but it is only built to reproduce and carry offspring. The detail of adding 24/7 is an implication that her body is used to only serving her partner at all hours of the day on his terms and being subjected to objectification and sexualization.
"It's not an act of love if you make her." Oftentimes, people's hidden desires and agendas are hidden behind proclamations of love, a common form of manipulation. Women frequently feel the obligations and societal expectations placed upon them, varying from cooking, cleaning, nurturing, and even childbearing. "Making love" or the "act of lovemaking" are typically used to refer to sex. This line heavily implies themes of sexual assault and calls out the partner that if these acts are being forced on her, it is not coming from a place of love.
Fruits such as pomegranates were often symbolized in ancient religions and civilizations and took on significant meanings. Pomegranates have many different symbolic meanings depending on each religion, but they are almost always tied to femininity and fertility. While watching the music video, Paloma aggressively consumes a pomegranate with rage as juices spill from her mouth and grinning wildly, the image symbolizing blood spilling from her gratified sneer. The act of eating this symbolic fruit with ties to femininity could represent her rejection of the patriarchy and her fate that is tied to it.
The verse repeats itself, and her vice is lifted with background vocals as it gets louder and louder. Listening closely, you can hear the voices of young girls of various ages singing along and adding to her voice. This was the exact moment that captured everyone's attention and stunned women when they first heard this song; it represented the next generation of women whose fate is similar to hers, being raised with the expectation of serving and caring for a male figure in their lives.
Paris Paloma is a UK-based singer I discovered on Spotify. Specifically, I stumbled across 'Notre Dame,' a melancholic and haunting song that had me listening to it for days. Paloma has the incredible power of creating music that can evoke primal feminine rage and a sense of divine femininity that has touched many people. It is captivating to see an artist transfer strong feelings of grief, love, death, and loneliness and mold these intricate emotions into music. Music in which her songwriting can be read and felt like poetry. It is breathtaking to witness the power an artist can hold to the masses and how it can connect us. Paloma phenomenally enraptured the feminine rage that we women have silently been brewing for centuries. "Labour" brings attention to women's history and sheds light on modern-day issues that many women resonate with. "I think I want them to feel heard or held, and whether they're listening to something like 'Labour' and it's something so angry, I want them to feel like their anger is valid. If it's something else, I want them to feel comforted; if it makes them cry, I want them to feel held while they do that. I hope that my music can serve as a vehicle for a protective sphere in which to feel any emotions that need to be felt." Paloma said in an interview with NME.
It makes us feel seen and understood.
"Women are just doing more and more, and men are not doing any more than they've ever done," Paloma told The Big Issue. "There's still expectation for women to have this very traditional archaic role as a caregiver and a servant and a wife and a mother and a homemaker, but women have had enough of existing to serve other people."
I started writing this lyrical analysis paper in August of 2023. It was not until recently that I was inspired to finish writing after watching Priscilla, a biographical drama film directed, written, and produced by Sofia Coppola. It follows the life of Priscilla Presley and her experience as the wife of the infamous "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley. Watching this movie as a third party and viewing Priscilla's life unfold the way it did was engaging but uncomfortable. It was uncomfortable because many women have lived through similar experiences, and seeing our naivety and mistreatment played out on the big screen was a massive awakening. I am glad more people are vocalizing these issues.
Thank you again to Paris Paloma for such a beautiful song, and I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors.
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