Lowe was born into a very musical family in Devon in 1990. She started playing music from a very young age (5) and this continued throughout her education in to what is now her career. Training in jazz, Rosie studied music throughout her education where she moved to London in 2007 to complete a Popular Music degree at Goldsmiths University.
After leaving Goldsmiths University, Rosie signed to Domino publishing, wrote and released her first EP entitled "Right Thing" (via 37 Adventures) in December 2013. She co-produced this with producers Dave Okumu and Kwes.
After a period away from the limelight, in November 2018 she released the single "The Light" and announced her forthcoming second album YU and some 2019 tour dates.
Critics describe Lowe's music as "Effortless R&B beats, experimental electronica, minimalism, the art of understatement."
Towards the end of 2014, she released her 1st single "Water Came Down", and 2nd single "How'd You Like It" from her debut album Control which was released in 2016.
WOMAN
Rosie Lowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't imagine how I′m feeling
I can't admit it to myself
So where would I even begin?
'Cause I′m a proud woman
I must be proud, woman
And I am strong, woman
It′s too painful to even think about
So it would kill me to say it out loud
All this time I thought I'd worked it out
So if you don′t mind, I'll leave it for now
And stay a proud woman
I must be proud, woman
′Cause I am strong, woman
I can't be a mad woman
I have analysed every single inch of my skin
And comparisons I can′t seem to break in my daily routine
I find myself obsessing imperfections that only I see (I can't break the free)
And I know it's such a waste but the pressure is getting to me
(I don′t expect you to understand)
You′d never know what it's like to be a woman
You′d never know what it's like to be a girl
You′d never know what it's like to be a woman
You′d never know what it's like to be a girl
Why should my intellect be judged by perceptions of what I should be?
And who says that it's right? We must stop looking skin deep
It′s so young that it starts, expectations are too far to reach (we lose control)
And you say that it′s fine, maybe thats because you don't want to see
(I don′t expect you to understand)
You'd never know what it′s like to be a woman
You'd never know what it′s like to be a girl
You'd never know what it's like to be a woman
You′d never know what it′s like to be a girl
(Girl, girl, girl, girl...)
The lyrics of Rosie Lowe's song WOMAN are a powerful expression of the pressure and expectations faced by women in society. The opening lines, "I don't expect you to understand, you can't imagine how I'm feeling," show the singer's sense of isolation and frustration, as she struggles to articulate her emotions to others. She wants to admit the pain she feels, but cannot bring herself to do so, as it would undermine her sense of pride and strength as a woman. Lowe acknowledges the obsessive, self-critical nature of her thoughts, as she "analyzes every single inch of [her] skin" and obsesses over "imperfections that only [she] sees." Despite these struggles, she remains determined to project an image of strength and pride, rather than indulging the "mad woman" inside her.
Throughout the song, Lowe asserts that others could never fully understand her experiences as a woman, with the repeated refrain, "You'd never know what it's like to be a woman, you'd never know what it's like to be a girl." She challenges the societal norms and expectations that judge women based on their appearances rather than their intellect, and calls for a shift in the way people view and treat women. Overall, the song is a powerful message of empowerment and solidarity for women everywhere.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't expect you to understand
I cannot explain my feelings to you because I know you won't understand.
You can't imagine how I'm feeling
The depth of my feelings is beyond your comprehension.
I can't admit it to myself
I am unable to come to terms with what I am feeling.
So where would I even begin?
I don't even know how to start dealing with this.
'Cause I'm a proud woman
I'm a woman and I'm proud of it.
I must be proud, woman
Being a proud woman is a must for me.
And I am strong, woman
Being a strong woman is part of who I am.
I must be strong, woman
Being strong is not an option for me, it's a necessity.
It's too painful to even think about
Thinking about what I'm feeling is too painful for me.
So it would kill me to say it out loud
Expressing my feelings out loud would be too much for me to handle.
All this time I thought I'd worked it out
I believed that I had dealt with my feelings.
So if you don't mind, I'll leave it for now
I'm not ready to deal with this right now.
And stay a proud woman
Despite my struggles, I will continue to be a proud woman.
I must be proud, woman
Being a proud woman is part of my identity.
'Cause I am strong, woman
Being strong is part of who I am as a person.
I can't be a mad woman
I cannot let my struggles turn me into an angry or bitter person.
I have analysed every single inch of my skin
I am hyper-aware of every detail of my physical appearance.
And comparisons I can't seem to break in my daily routine
I can't stop comparing myself to others in my daily life.
I find myself obsessing imperfections that only I see (I can't break the free)
I constantly obsess over flaws that no one else notices, and I can't seem to let them go.
And I know it's such a waste but the pressure is getting to me
I know that my fixation on my flaws is a waste of time, but the societal pressure to look a certain way is overwhelming.
You’d never know what it's like to be a woman
You cannot truly understand what it is like to be a woman.
You'd never know what it's like to be a girl
You cannot truly understand what it is like to be a girl.
Why should my intellect be judged by perceptions of what I should be?
Why do societal expectations of what a woman should be define my worth as an intelligent person?
And who says that it's right? We must stop looking skin deep
Why do we blindly accept these societal expectations as right? We must stop judging people based on their appearance.
It's so young that it starts, expectations are too far to reach (we lose control)
These societal expectations start at such a young age, and they are impossible to meet. This makes us feel like we have lost control of our own lives.
And you say that it's fine, maybe that's because you don't want to see
You may say that these expectations are fine, but maybe you don't want to acknowledge the harm they cause.
(Girl, girl, girl, girl...)
(This repeated line emphasizes the importance of the message for all girls and women.)
Writer(s): Rosie Lowe
Contributed by Callie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nancy Wang
ian
90% I said I was a hipster was to not get comments like
'You're probably a fucking hipster'
'WHY would only hipsters enjoy this song? You know nothing about music'
'I like mainstream pop and I like this too, being hipster has nothing to do with it'
I'm pretty sure I prevented a lot of those comments
So many youtube commenters are so easily hurt by meaningless things lmao
Voice in the Chaos
I came here after watching the movie "The Last Word". What a beautiful and mesmerizing song. Amazing lyrics! Amazing voice! Well done!
Love your Body
I love this. I believe she is trying to convey her feelings toward the agony of being a woman. To be a woman you must be strong and independent, you must be a certain type of beautiful to be perceived as such in today's society. "you'll never know what it's like to be a woman." There are so many pressures you must fulfill to be a woman and I am not sure we could change that view point even if we all understand it to be true. We are conditioned from birth to thrive as 'women' and that is an iron clad wall blocking our own being from freedom. Same goes to the men of this era as well.
Alain Bruno
This song deserves more views.
kokkil
+Alain Bruno agreed
silvia tiana
+Alain Bruno i love this song!!!
Plomero Andrade
+Alain Bruno I'm definitely viewing you.
Alain Bruno
Plomero Andrade :))
Sinobomi Tyhoba
It's not the kind of music most people vibe with even though it's fire
Sofia v.
I have the vinyl record of the album and I enjoy every minute of every song ❤️ so talented
inika roy
we need more music like this!