I’m Okay – Christina Aguilera
In this powerful and beautiful ballad, global Pop superstar Christina Aguilera sings about surviving her childhood with her abusive father. Parts of this song may be triggering for some survivors of domestic violence.
Sia sings about freedom and strength to listen to your heart and obey it. This song is about an abusive relationship and deciding to leave it.
Katy’s song represents overcoming the complex struggles of an abusive relationship and championing herself. She is fighting to take her life back from her abuser and has had enough of the abuse and realises she deserves so much more
Suzanne Vega tells the story of a woman who tirelessly works to cover up the abuse she is experiencing. “Luka”, the narrator, shares her story in a form of conversation.
Dessa "Alibi"
Artful and poetic as she always writes, Dessa tells the story of an individual in an abusive and controlling situation without ever explicitly discussing violence. She tells the story from the perspective of a friend and place of support for the individual.
Tracy Chapman, “Behind The Wall”
After the first three songs of Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut album, listeners had good reason to expect that all her material would be powered by acoustic guitar, but “Behind The Wall” is delivered with no instrumentation whatsoever, to chilling effect. “Last night I heard the screaming,” Chapman begins, launching into a tale of an apartment-dweller who awakens to the sounds of a husband beating his wife on the other side of the wall. Calling the police does nothing, she quickly discovers, as “they always come late, if they come at all,” and even when they show up, “they say they can’t interfere with domestic affairs between a man and his wife.” The song ends sadly, with the screaming ending, the wife being taken away in an ambulance, and a policeman telling all the bystanders to go home, adding, “I think we all could use some sleep.”
