As a woman in her early 40s, I can really relate to Four Bitchin’ Babes!
A couple of months ago, an online friend I “met” while writing book reviews on Epinions.com posted a link to music by Four Bitchin’ Babes on Facebook. I was intrigued by the band’s name, so I checked them out. I quickly recognized the name Christine Lavin, who founded the band in 1990. Christine Lavin is the genius behind the hilarious early 90s song, “Sensitive New Age Guys”… Believe it or not, I discovered that song while working as a cook at a church camp of all places!
A fairly recent live rendition of “Sensitive New Age Guys” by Christine Lavin… Skip to about three minutes into the video.
Anyway, in 1990, Christine Lavin founded the equally hilarious band Four Bitchin’ Babes. Lavin has since left the band and it now consists of Sally Fingerett, Debi Smith, Deirdre Flint, Marcy Marxer. These women write funny songs that combine excellent folk stylings with stand up comedy. Their music is about the plight of middle-aged women navigating the world as they get older.
Here’s a very funny number called “Hungarian (Hormonal) Rhapsody”…
I admire them for their wit, sublime harmonies, original lyrics, and guitar playing. But I also admire them because I relate in a big way to their songs.
Well, maybe I don’t relate to this one. The Boob Fairy definitely came to my house.
But I do definitely like “Elastic Waistbands”. The older I get, the more I appreciate them.
Many of my Facebook friends know how much I enjoy making presents for my ass on occasion… Usually, the gift is in the form of homemade macaroni and cheese, which is not so good for my body but definitely is a delight to the soul. Eat too much of it, though, and you WILL need elastic waistbands for sure.
A more serious offering… “These are the Things” (That Women Do)
These ladies are multi-talented and have the ability to be serious, too. In the above clip, Sally Fingerett, one of the Four Bitchin’ Babes sings a moving song about motherhood. As I listen to it, my eyes are filling with tears as my heart fills with emotion, even though I am not a mother.
A less serious song about motherhood.
“Don’t Mess With Me” is a song that reminds everyone how tough mothers can be in every situation. While I’m generally not one to revere motherhood, I do appreciate the cleverness of this song and what it took to come up with the story that makes up this song’s very witty and original lyrics.
The Four Bitchin’ Babes can play a variety of instruments, too. On YouTube, you can see Babe Debi Smith playing the Irish Bodhran as she sings.
Here, the Four Bitchin’ Babes sing a song about Viagra.
“Viagra” (In The Waters)
And here, they sing a great song that recognizes the plight of the less outgoing.
“The Introvert Song”
I think I would love to see these women perform live. I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for performances near us. The older I get, the more relevant the Four Bitchin’ Babes will be to my life. If you are at a similar stage in your life, I would highly recommend checking them out on YouTube or live!