☝️ Key Points
- The song is a social commentary on relationships and respect between genders
- It is aimed at women, urging them to maintain their dignity and not focus on material things
- It criticizes men who ignore their responsibility as fathers and treat women as objects
- The song calls on men to change and act more respectfully
- Hill uses her music to critique societal expectations and encourage staying true to oneself
Interpretation
'Doo Wop (That Thing)' by
Lauryn Hill is a song that highlights the problems in relationships between men and women, especially when it comes to respect and self-esteem. Lauryn Hill urges both women and men to be careful and not just focus on physical desire ('That Thing').
In the first part of the song, she primarily addresses women. She warns women against being used by men who are only interested in sex and don't want a real relationship. She criticizes women who are blinded by material things ('Remember when he told you it was about the benjamins') and who give up their self-respect ('Showin' off your ass cause your thinkin' it's a trend'). She encourages women to maintain their dignity and respect themselves ('Don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem'), instead of chasing after men who don't respect them.
In the second part, she addresses men. She criticizes men who place more value on material things ('More concerned wit his rims & his Timbs than his women') and who don't respect women. She condemns men who don't take responsibility as fathers ('Need to take care of their three and four kids men') and who mistreat women ('The sneaky silent men, the punk domestic violence men'). She calls on men to change and be real men ('stop acting like boys and be men').
So, the song is a call to both genders to treat each other with respect and not just focus on physical desire. It is a critique of the societal expectations and pressures placed on both women and men, and an encouragement to resist those expectations and stay true to oneself.