Exploring Cross-Gender Cover Songs of the Rolling Stones’
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COVERING THE TRACKS: EXPLORING CROSS-GENDER COVER SONGS OF THE ROLLING STONES’ “SATISFACTION” by STEPHANIE DELANE DOKTOR (Under the Direction of Susan Thomas) ABSTRACT The 1965 Rolling Stones’ hit, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” epitomizes domineering masculinity and aggressive sexuality. Saturated with unrelenting rhythms, emphatic vocal delivery, cocky and phallocentric lyrics, musical climaxes, and abrasive guitar timbres, “Satisfaction” has been regarded by many scholars and music critics as the anthem of the cock rock genre—a music representative of male power and domination. Yet despite the song’s association with a particular type of (white) male-identified, virile (hetero)sexuality, it has been covered by a variety of musicians of different races, genders, and sexualities. This thesis explores three cross-gender covers of “Satisfaction” recorded and performed by PJ Harvey and Björk (duet, 1994), Britney Spears (2000), and Cat Power (2000). Using theories of intertextuality, this project examines the ways in which all three musicians manipulate and subvert the dominant paradigms of the original song. INDEX WORDS: Cover songs, Gender, Intertextuality, Cross gender, The Rolling Stones, PJ Harvey, Björk, Britney Spears, Cat Power, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction COVERING THE TRACKS: EXPLORING CROSS-GENDER COVER SONGS OF THE ROLLING STONES’ “SATISFACTION” by STEPHANIE DELANE DOKTOR B.A., North Georgia College and State University, 2003 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA 2008 © 2008 Stephanie DeLane Doktor All Rights Reserved COVERING THE TRACKS: EXPLORING CROSS-GENDER COVERS OF THE ROLLING STONES’ “SATISFACTION” by STEPHANIE DELANE DOKTOR Major Professor: Susan Thomas Committee: Adrian Childs Jean Kidula Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2008 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members—Dr. Adrian Childs, Dr. Jean Kidula, and Dr. Susan Thomas—for enhancing this document with their insightful suggestions. I am indebted to all three individuals for their brilliant teachings and philosophies that have inspired me and effectively molded my journey as a teacher and scholar. Sincere and tremendous appreciation goes to my major professor, Dr. Thomas, who, despite becoming a mother of three, proposing a women’s center for the university, being on countless committees, and advising many other graduate students, took time out every week to give me constructive and provocative feedback that significantly shaped my analyses, theories, and writing. I would also like to thank friends and family for being so understanding of my hectic schedule and for showering me with uplifting and encouraging sentiments. A special thanks goes to Becca for helping me locate bar chimes and for always answering my anxiety-ridden phone calls! Lastly I would like to thank my partner, Kevin, for being so supportive of my graduate studies—especially since I started full-time just as we stepped off the plane from concretizing our partnership in Jamaica. Thank you, Kevin, for taking care of me when I didn’t have time to do so myself. Your patience and unfettered love is astounding. Most importantly, thank you for providing relief from the intense agony of graduate school and for bringing insurmountable joy and laughter to our relationship. No one tops you! v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................iv LIST OF TABLES.....................................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................vii INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1 CHAPTERS 1 COCK ROCK, WOMAN-HATING, AND THE ROLLING STONES’ “SATISFACTION” ................................................................................................21 2 WHAT A DRAG!: PJ HARVEY AND BJÖRK (UN)COVER GENDER AND “SATISFACTION” ................................................................................................37 3 “I’VE GOT MY OWN IDENTITY”: BRITNEY SPEARS’ STAR PERSONA IN “SATISFACTION”...........................................................................................73 4 FROM SWAGGER TO MELANCHOLIA: CAT POWER’S TRANSFORMATIONS OF “SATISFACTION” ....................................................97 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 119 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................... 121 APPENDICES A COVERS OF THE ROLLING STONES’ “SATISFACTION” ............................ 131 B TRANSCRIPTION OF THE ROLLING STONES “SATISFACTION”............... 134 C ANALYTICAL TABLE OF PJ HARVEY AND BJÖRK’S “SATISFACTION... 135 vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1.1: Lyrics, “Satisfaction,” The Rolling Stones................................................................28 Table 2.1: Lyrics, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk and The Rolling Stones.............................44 Table 3.1: Spears’ vocal tropes in “Satisfaction”.......................................................................82 Table 3.2: Lyrics, “Satisfaction,” Spears and The Rolling Stones..............................................87 Table 4.1: Cat Power albums containing cover songs ................................................................99 Table 4.2: The Covers Record (2000) Tracklist ....................................................................... 100 Table 4.3: Jukebox (2008) Tracklist ........................................................................................ 101 Table 4.4: Lyrics, “Satisfaction,” Marshall.............................................................................. 110 vii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1: Percussion rhythms, “Satisfaction,” The Rolling Stones ..........................................25 Figure 1.2: Opening chorus melody, “Satisfaction,” The Rolling Stones ...................................27 Figure 1.3: Bridge melody, “Satisfaction,” The Rolling Stones .................................................27 Figure 2.1: 3/4 metric interpretation, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk.....................................49 Figure 2.2: 3/8 metric interpretation, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk.....................................50 Figure 2.3: 4/4 metric interpretation, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk.....................................51 Figure 2.4: Instrumental introduction, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk ...................................53 Figure 2.5: Opening chorus first phrase, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk................................54 Figure 2.6: Opening chorus second phrase, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk ...........................54 Figure 2.7: Opening chorus third phrase, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk...............................55 Figure 2.8: Metrical dissonance in 3/8 interpretation, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk ............55 Figure 2.9: Metrical dissonance in 3/4 interpretation, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk ............56 Figure 2.10: Metrical dissonance in 4/4 interpretation, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk ..........57 Figure 2.11: Syncopated guitar rhythms in bridge, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk ................60 Figure 2.12: Bridge and first verse, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk .......................................60 Figure 2.13: Chorus melody, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk.................................................66 Figure 2.14: Third repeat of bridge, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk.......................................68 Figure 2.15: Coda, “Satisfaction,” Harvey and Björk ................................................................70 Figure 3.1: Album cover, Oops…I Did It Again, Spears ............................................................79 viii Figure 4.1: Guitar transcription, “Satisfaction,” Marshall ........................................................ 103 Figure 4.2: Guitar chords, “Satisfaction,” Marshall ................................................................. 105 Figure 4.3: First verse melody, “Satisfaction,” Marshall.......................................................... 106 Figure 4.4: Guitar accompaniment and vocal melody, “Satisfaction,” Marshall....................... 107 Figure 4.5: Verse three, “Satisfaction,” Marshall..................................................................... 111 Figure 4.6: Third verse repeat, “Satisfaction,” Marshall .......................................................... 112 Figure 4.7: Photos of Chan Marshall, 1996—1998.................................................................. 114 1 INTRODUCTION Cover songs often cross boundaries of race, sexuality, gender, and other categories of identity when the subject position of the cover artist differs from that of the original. These covers lie on a continuum, ranging from exact replicas, through tributes and stylistic reinterpretations, to critical inversions. In many cases, the cover artist alters the music and lyrics of the original song in order to more accurately reflect his or her identity and subjectivity. Exploring these dynamics