Don't Change Yourself, Just Change You
Don't go changing
That's what I thought you said
Change yourself
That's what you said instead
You don't like anything about me
And want me to be somebody I'm not
Why don't you just let me be?
You've taken everything I've got
I thought you loved me for me
But I must be wrong
You want me to be someone else completely
Somebody who's passive and not strong
Am I not enough for you?
Do you not like my personality?
I listen to you because that's all I can do
But I know this isn't the best reality
How can you love someone?
But hate everything about them?
Why do you love me?
If you don't even like me?
When I ask you about what to do
You say, "Don't change yourself,
Just change you.
Or else we're through."
But if I change me,
Then I'm changing myself
And I won't be happy
To become someone else.
That's what I thought you said
Change yourself
That's what you said instead
You don't like anything about me
And want me to be somebody I'm not
Why don't you just let me be?
You've taken everything I've got
I thought you loved me for me
But I must be wrong
You want me to be someone else completely
Somebody who's passive and not strong
Am I not enough for you?
Do you not like my personality?
I listen to you because that's all I can do
But I know this isn't the best reality
How can you love someone?
But hate everything about them?
Why do you love me?
If you don't even like me?
When I ask you about what to do
You say, "Don't change yourself,
Just change you.
Or else we're through."
But if I change me,
Then I'm changing myself
And I won't be happy
To become someone else.
Barbie Doll
This
girlchild was born as usual
and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.
She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.
She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.
In the casket displayed on satin she lay
with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.
and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.
She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.
She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.
In the casket displayed on satin she lay
with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.
Marge Piercy
Trim Yourself To Fit The World lyrics
Each
time the good Lord makes a man
He always breaks the mold
So ti sure does raise a flat for that
Rebel in my soul
When some phoney carbon copy says
I'm the black sheep of the fold
Well, this is what I tell 'em
When I tell 'em where to go
Chorus:
If you trim yourself to fit the world
There won't be nothin' left
Just a little here and a little there
Till you wont' know yourself
You'll be a pile of shavings
When they put you in your grave
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
I could chnage to fit this world
But I just ain't that kind
Some sell their soul for the easy road
The devil's always buying
I can't count the ones I've known
Who fell right into line
Now they walk around with their heads hung down
They've got no piece of mind
Chorus:
If you trim yourself to fit the world
There won't be nothin' left
Just a little here and a little there
[| From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/aaron-tippin-lyrics/trim-yourself-to-fit-the-world-lyrics.html |]
Till you wont' know yourself
You'll be a pile of shavings
When they put you in your grave
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
So before you sign that dotted line
Or do something that you'd rather not
Before you compromise your stand
Friend, let me tell you what
Don't let the crowd get so loud
You can't hear your conscience speak
'Cause I'm willing to bet that you'll sonn regret
That you sold yourself so cheap
Chorus:
If you trim yourself to fit the world
There won't be nothin' left
Just a little here and a little there
Till you wont' know yourself
You'll be a pile of shavings
When they put you in your grave
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
Good Cowgirls keep their calves together *grin*
He always breaks the mold
So ti sure does raise a flat for that
Rebel in my soul
When some phoney carbon copy says
I'm the black sheep of the fold
Well, this is what I tell 'em
When I tell 'em where to go
Chorus:
If you trim yourself to fit the world
There won't be nothin' left
Just a little here and a little there
Till you wont' know yourself
You'll be a pile of shavings
When they put you in your grave
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
I could chnage to fit this world
But I just ain't that kind
Some sell their soul for the easy road
The devil's always buying
I can't count the ones I've known
Who fell right into line
Now they walk around with their heads hung down
They've got no piece of mind
Chorus:
If you trim yourself to fit the world
There won't be nothin' left
Just a little here and a little there
[| From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/aaron-tippin-lyrics/trim-yourself-to-fit-the-world-lyrics.html |]
Till you wont' know yourself
You'll be a pile of shavings
When they put you in your grave
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
So before you sign that dotted line
Or do something that you'd rather not
Before you compromise your stand
Friend, let me tell you what
Don't let the crowd get so loud
You can't hear your conscience speak
'Cause I'm willing to bet that you'll sonn regret
That you sold yourself so cheap
Chorus:
If you trim yourself to fit the world
There won't be nothin' left
Just a little here and a little there
Till you wont' know yourself
You'll be a pile of shavings
When they put you in your grave
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
If you trim yourself to fit the world
You'll whittle yourself away
Good Cowgirls keep their calves together *grin*
There is a
point in time where almost everyone is faced with the challenge of being different
and not fitting in. This is a difficult time and some people aren’t built to
handle these situations, so they change them self. They will stop at nothing to
feel that they belong. Two poems that reflect the concept of conformity are
Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy and Don’t Change Yourself, Just Change You by Pinky
Princess. One song that also can be related is Trim Yourself To Fit The World
by Aaron Tippin. The common theme is the need to belong.
The poem
Barbie Doll takes you through the feelings and emotions of a girl who doesn’t
fit in. This girl grew up playing with Barbies and dolls but when she had
become older people look at her and could only envision her fat legs and big
nose. She tried to brush it off but the pressure of society cracked her and she
conformed. “Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose
and her legs and offered them up.” (Lines 15-18) Pressure by society is tough
and resulted in this girl changing who she was because she felt insecure. The
poem Don’t Change Yourself, Just Change You also takes the perspective of
someone who is being told to change. People are constantly told what is not
liked about them and it’s sometimes too much to handle. One line from the poem
is, “You don't like
anything about me and want me to be somebody I'm not why don't you just let me
be?”(Lines 5-7) The person is feeling pressure to change but is trying to move
on and accept themselves but at the same time is looking for society to allow
this. This is show with the tone and how why don’t you just let me be is put in
to the form of a question as if it requires a response. There is this need for
society to just accept her as is.
This need to belong
causes people to lose themselves in order to belong. The song Trim Yourself to Fit the World brings
in the ideas of both poems. This song is about someone trying to fit in and in order
to do that they change who they are. This happened in Barbie Doll when the girl
cut her legs and nose off and in the poem Don’t Change Yourself, Just Change You
when she is pressure and told to be somebody she is not. The concept of conformity
is expressed in the song lyrics, “If you trim yourself to fit the world There won't be nothing'
left Just a little here and a little there Till you won’t' know yourself You'll
be a pile of shavings” (Aaron
Tippin) The person trims themselves to match what society is looking for and by
doing this they lose themselves in the process. The two poems and song all unite
under the theme of needing to belong and be accepted.
BRAVO!!!!!! WEll - Done!!!
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