René Marie is a singer/songwriter/playwright/actress … Read Full Bio ↴ADDITIONAL BIO
René Marie is a singer/songwriter/playwright/actress who performs and tours as a vocalist internationally, nationally and locally. Between 2000 and 2004, René recorded four award-winning CDs on the MaxJazz label before deciding to pursue an independent path. Since 2005, she has recorded and produced several CDs on her own label.
In 2009, she premiered a one-woman show, Slut Energy Theory - U’Dean, a play about incest and domestic abuse told through original music, spoken word and monologue. The play was voted as Reader’s Choice Best One-Person Show by Denver Post and Best New Work by Westword. The soundtrack of the show was released in December, 2009. Her website is www.renemarie.com.
Four Women
Rene Marie Lyrics
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My arms are long
My hair is woolly
My back is strong
Strong enough to take the pain
inflicted again and again
What do they call me
My name is AUNT SARAH
My skin is yellow
My hair is long
Between two worlds
I do belong
My father was rich and white
He forced my mother late one night
What do they call me
My name is SAFFRONIA
My name is Saffronia
My skin is tan
My hair is fine
My hips invite you
my mouth like wine
Whose little girl am I?
Anyone who has money to buy
What do they call me
My name is SWEET THING
My name is Sweet Thing
My skin is brown
my manner is tough
I'll kill the first mother I see
my life has been too rough
I'm awfully bitter these days
because my parents were slaves
What do they call me
My name is PEACHES
In Rene Marie's song Four Women, the lyrics describe the experiences of four different women of different skin colors and histories in the United States. The first woman, Aunt Sarah, is a strong Black woman who has endured physical pain and suffering but continues to persevere. The second woman, Saffronia, is a biracial woman with a white father and a Black mother who struggles with her identity as someone who belongs to both the Black and white worlds but is not fully accepted by either.
The third woman, Sweet Thing, is a light-skinned woman who uses her body and sexuality to survive and get what she wants. The final woman, Peaches, is a bitter, tough woman whose anger comes from her history of being the child of slaves. The lyrics of Four Women are a powerful commentary on the experiences of Black women in the United States and the various struggles they face in navigating their position in society.
Overall, the song Four Women is a testament to the resilience and strength of Black women despite the immense challenges and oppression they face. The experiences of the four women in the song represent the multifaceted nature of Black womanhood and highlight the need for empathy, understanding, and solidarity among all Black women.
Line by Line Meaning
My skin is black
My complexion is dark
My arms are long
My limbs are extended
My hair is woolly
My hair is curly and coarse
My back is strong
My spine is powerful
Strong enough to take the pain
Robust enough to withstand the suffering
Inflicted again and again
Repeatedly imposed
What do they call me
By what title am I addressed
My name is AUNT SARAH
I am identified as Aunt Sarah
My skin is yellow
My complexion is light brown
My hair is long
My tresses are extended
Between two worlds
Existing in two separate realms
I do belong
But I am attached to neither
My father was rich and white
My scion was wealthy and Caucasian
He forced my mother late one night
He coerced my progenitor one evening
What do they call me
By what title am I addressed
My name is SAFFRONIA
I am identified as Saffronia
My skin is tan
My complexion is light brown
My hair is fine
My tresses are slender
My hips invite you
My pelvis allures you
My mouth like wine
My lips are intoxicating
Whose little girl am I?
Who is my caretaker
Anyone who has money to buy
Anyone who can afford me
What do they call me
By what title am I addressed
My name is SWEET THING
I am identified as Sweet Thing
My skin is brown
My complexion is dark
My manner is tough
My behavior is strong
I'll kill the first mother I see
I'll murder the initial female I perceive
My life has been too rough
My existence has been excessively challenging
I'm awfully bitter these days
I'm extremely resentful lately
Because my parents were slaves
Due to my ancestors being enslaved
What do they call me
By what title am I addressed
My name is PEACHES
I am identified as Peaches
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NINA SIMONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlie Pharis
on Shelter in your Arms
Shelter In Your Arms
René Marie
Ever since I can remember, I have been the one that’s strong;
I thought it was my duty to fix whatever was wrong.
I was Don Quixote in a dress, jousting windmills I couldn’t see.
In the midst of a raging battle, you stood and fought beside me.
And I never knew that I was hungry till your love filled me up,
And I never knew I was dying of thirst till I drank from your cup.
Let them all call me weak, if this is what weakness is.
Gonna take shelter in your arms, and dry my tears.
When my friends need comfort or advice, they always come to me,
And I can patch them up and send them on their way, happy and worry-free.
And it’s strange nobody noticed that I needed comfort, too.
I didn’t know what comfort was till I met you.
Now I’m feasting on a banquet where there were merely crumbs,
And I can let my guard down whenever danger comes.
Let them all call me weak, if this is how weakness acts.
I’m gonna take shelter in your arms, and relax.
No more fighting, I’ve put my weapons down;
Don’t mind crying, as long as you are around.
Now I’m feasting on a banquet where there were merely crumbs,
And I can let my guard down whenever danger comes.
Let them all call me weak, if weakness this must be;
I’ve got a man who’s strong and warm and keeps me safe from harm.
Gonna take shelter in your arms, and be free.