☝️ Key Points
- The song addresses themes of gender inequality and oppression, and calls for the liberation and empowerment of women.
- The repeated refrain 'Woman in Chains' symbolizes the oppressed position of women in society.
- The lines 'Trades her soul as skin and bone / Sells the only thing she owns' illustrate the great sacrifices women have to make in a male-dominated world.
- The 'Men of Stone' passage represents the emotional hardness often associated with masculinity.
- The line 'I will not accept the Greatness of Man' shows the frustration and rejection of the status quo, and 'So Free Her' is a call to free women from their metaphorical chains.
Interpretation
'Woman in Chains' by
Tears for Fears is a song that addresses themes such as gender inequality, oppression, and hope.
The chorus 'Woman in Chains' repeats throughout the song and symbolizes the oppressed position of women in society. 'Calls her man the Great White Hope / Says she's fine, she'll always cope' depicts a woman who, despite her difficulties, maintains appearances and accepts her oppression.
The line 'Well I fell lying and waiting is an poor man's deal / And I feel hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel' shows the despair and sense of hopelessness that, despite waiting for change, nothing happens.
'Trades her soul as skin and bone / Sells the only thing she owns' portrays the extreme lengths women have to go to survive in a male-dominated world.
'Men of Stone Men of Stone' represents the cold and emotional hardness often associated with masculinity.
'Well I feel deep in your heart there are wounds Time can't heal / And I feel somebody somewhere is trying to breathe' shows the deep emotional suffering that oppression causes.
'It's under my skin but out of my hands / I'll tear it apart but I won't understand / I will not accept the Greatness of Man' expresses the frustration and rejection of the status quo.
The song ends with 'So Free Her So Free Her', a call for the liberation of women from their metaphorical chains and empowerment. It is a declaration of gender equality and a call to action.