Lead singer of the band CHVRCHES, Lauren Mayberry, takes her stand as what it is like to be a female in a heterosexual relationship in the song “Good Girls”. The definition she lays out seems to be a nod towards how the expectation of female identity and behavior can be destructive to women of all ages.
“maybe if you’d just get some guts, we’d kill ’em with a thousand cuts, and say we did it out of love, so save your breath, give a little of what you have left. Is it easier…when you don’t have to pretend? I want to know that feeling. Is it easier when you don’t have to start again? I want to know that feeling.
The pre-chorus give the audience clear image of the differences Lauren experiences between her male partner. To her, because of the expectations of women in a heterosexual relationship, it is easier for the man to get what he wants, act the way he pleases. She goes on to sing:
“Good girls don’t cry, and good girls don’t lie, and good girls justify but I don’t. Good girls don’t die, and good girls stay alive, and good girls satisfy but I won’t.
In the chorus, Lauren adds another layer to the meaning of the song, distinguishing her from other women. To her, she doesn’t fit in with other women, or “girls” because of her expression and behavior. All the things she lists set her apart from feeling as feminine as other girls, especially as it pertains to her relationship, and therefore she must be identifiably different by other females and even males she looks for a romantic relationship with because of these defining traits.
Her attention to these traits in this song highlights her bravery and independence as recognizing the sometimes restraining traits women (and men) enforce upon themselves. Like the Bem Sex Role Theory says, female traits tend to be specific to passiveness, weakness, and sensitivity. But like Lauren says “Good girls justify, but I won’t” she creates a separator between her feminine identity and the female identify that has become so culturally expected.
Taking to the official Instagram of CHVRCHES, the band tends to post more video and TikTok related content than actual photos. However, the outward expression of Lauren Mayberry seems up to par with typical femininity. She can be seen wearing almost exclusively dresses and skirts, as well as lots of makeup that highlight her feminine features such as her lashes and lips. She almost only can be seen wearing her long hair down, and parted with the highly feminine “curtain bangs” that define her “dainty” feminine face.
Overall, “Good Girls” by CHVRCHES is an interesting glimpse into the perspective of a female singer in the alternative rock scene who sheds more light upon the, sometimes ridiculous, standards that are set for women.
Shared by: Em von der Ruhr
Image Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTfUZHRJ-1j/