Angry Young Woman
Yoko Ono Lyrics


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Angry young woman on sunrise strip,
Walking away to the new world.
She left her man, she left her children,
Cause she knows she has only one life to live.

Angry young woman with her background on her forehead,
"Three children and two abortions."
"Played a little piano ten years ago."
"And some typing from the college where she met her husband."

Angry young woman in the dark of the night,
Hears her children crying for dinner,
Hears her man shouting for his shirt
And thinks of the first sundays they spent in the park.

Angry young woman, angry young woman,
There's no way back, so just keep walking.
Leave your past in your raincoat pocket
And when you turn the corner you'll see the new world.

Angry young woman, angry young woman,
There's no way back, so just keep walking.
Leave your past in your raincoat pocket
And when you turn the corner you'll see the new world.

(Angry young woman, angry young woman,
There's no way back, so just keep walking.
Leave your past in your raincoat pocket)





(Angry young woman, angry young woman)

Overall Meaning

The song Angry Young Woman by Yoko Ono depicts the story of a woman who is walking away from her past life to start anew. The woman is characterized as being angry, perhaps at the circumstances in her life that led her to this point. On the Sunrise Strip, a well-known street in Los Angeles, she is leaving behind her man and children because she believes she has one life to live and needs to make a change. Despite the difficult decision she has made, she is determined to keep walking forward and leave her past in her raincoat pocket.


The lyrics also reveal the woman's background, including the fact that she has had three children and two abortions. She mentions having played piano and done some typing while in college, where she met her husband. These details convey the idea that the woman has struggled to find her own identity and purpose in life, perhaps feeling trapped by her roles as a wife and mother.


The final verse of the song shows the woman hearing her children crying and her man shouting, reminding her of her past life. However, she remembers the happy times they spent together and is still resolute in her decision to move forward. Ultimately, the song is about the courage and determination it takes to make a major life change, and the importance of leaving the past behind in order to embrace the new world.


Line by Line Meaning

Angry young woman on sunrise strip,
A woman is filled with fury and resentment as she walks down the Sunrise Strip (a road).


Walking away to the new world.
She is moving on and constantly on the move to a new life.


She left her man, she left her children,
She left her spouse and offspring due to knowing that she has only one lifetime.


Cause she knows she has only one life to live.
She realizes that she only has this one lifetime to live and wants to experience it in her own way without being held down.


Angry young woman with her background on her forehead,
A woman who has a difficult past and wears her troubles on her face.


"Three children and two abortions." "Played a little piano ten years ago." "And some typing from the college where she met her husband."
Information about the woman's life: she's had three children and two abortions, played piano a decade ago, and did some typing at the college where she met her spouse.


Angry young woman in the dark of the night,
A woman who's enraged walk continues through the night.


Hears her children crying for dinner, Hears her man shouting for his shirt And thinks of the first sundays they spent in the park.
She hears her offspring and spouse demand dinner and clothing, respectively, while recalling memories of the past.


Angry young woman, angry young woman, There's no way back, so just keep walking. Leave your past in your raincoat pocket And when you turn the corner you'll see the new world.
She's advised to keep walking without looking back, carrying her past with her, and that the new world will come into view when she finally turns the corner.


(Angry young woman, angry young woman, There's no way back, so just keep walking. Leave your past in your raincoat pocket)
Repetition of the same valuable advice given to her previously.


(Angry young woman, angry young woman)
Reiteration of the woman's intense emotions.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: YOKO ONO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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