MUSIC, ANIMATION: Dolly Parton’s “Nineteenth Amendment” Song

Listen to the song on themostperfectalbum.org

 

Intro: (Male Voice) August 18, 1920: Woman Suffrage Amendment Ratified

 

Women have been fighting for the legal right to vote since the 1840’s. In 1890 the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was established with Susan B. Anthony its leading force. But women have been fighting for their rights since the very beginning of time.

 

Verse 1

First they said we couldn’t dance,

Then said we couldn’t drink.

And unless some man allowed it,

They said we couldn’t think.

They said we shouldn’t speak ‘Til we were spoken to.

Well, there was just so much back then We weren’t allowed to do.

 

Chorus

But the first bite of that apple I guess revealed the truth.

That’s when Eve got smart

And that’s why Adam don’t like fruit.

But that ol’ tree of knowledge

Had some limbs that broke.

We had to fight for women’s rights,

They said we couldn’t vote.

 

It is the duty of the women of this country to secure for themselves the sacred right to vote.

 

Bridge

We’ve carried signs, we’ve cussed at times,

Marched up and down the streets.

We had to fight for women’s rights,

Wore blisters on our feet.

We got tired of seein’ all our dreams go up in smoke,

Burdens more than we could tote

Having lies crammed down our throats.

But that ol’ dam finally broke

When women finally got the right to vote.

Do-do, Do, Do, Do-De-De-Do, Da-Da-Da, Da-Da

 

Verse 2

They said a woman’s place

Was staying in her hut.

Washin’, cookin’, cleanin’,

Wipin’ baby’s butts.

They said she’d never see the day

We’d equal up to them.

But here we are, we’ve come so far.

I guess we sure showed them.

 

Chorus

The first bite of that apple I guess revealed the truth.

That’s when Eve got smart

And that’s why Adam don’t like fruit.

But that ol’ tree of knowledge

Had some limbs that broke.

We had to fight for women’s right

They said we couldn’t vote.

 

Bridge

We were defiant, I’ll admit;

But we all knew we couldn’t quit.

‘Cause the suffrage amendment must be passed.

We protested, we cried out,

Finally it came about

Ratified by Tennessee, we won at last.

 

Chorus

And the first bite of that apple

I guess revealed the truth.

That’s when Eve got smart

And that’s why Adam don’t like fruit.

But that ol’ tree of knowledge

Had some limbs that broke.

We had to fight for women’s rights

We won the right to vote.

 

Tag

They thought we were a joke.

They tried to dash our hopes.

With every word they spoke.

They tried to revoke

A woman’s right to vote.

 

But we made it!