December 1972 – I Am Woman by Helen Reddy

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December 1972 – a song popular in this month – I Am Woman by Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy wrote this when she couldn’t find enough songs to include on her first album, I Don’t Know How To Love Him.

Interesting facts about I Am Woman & Helen Reddy

Included on the 1971 album, Reddy didn’t like the way this version came out and neither did her producer (he thought she sounded “too butch”), but they put it on the album anyway.

Movie producer Mike Frankovitch wanted to use it in his “feminist comedy” Stand Up And Be Counted. Reddy agreed on two conditions: That she would re-record the song, and that he would donate $1000 each to Women’s Centers in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.

When this song got a makeover in 1972, the arrangement was changed, as were some lyrics (“I can face anything” became “I can do anything”), and a verse was added. These tweaks helped the song become a huge hit.

This song was a cultural touchstone in America, as it underscored the feminist movement. Like the movement, the song proved divisive, generally split along gender lines with women loving the song (or at least appreciating its message) and some men hating it.

Reddy is Australian, and this song became the first Hot 100 #1 by an Australian-born artist. Some of her other hits include “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress),” “Angie Baby,” “Ain’t No Way To Treat A Lady” and “Delta Dawn.”

Reddy won the Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for this song. In her acceptance speech, she thanked “God, because She makes everything possible.”

This information was provided by Songfacts.com

27 thoughts on “December 1972 – I Am Woman by Helen Reddy”

  3. “I am woman, hear me roar.” I remember this song well (which as Sue says…”shows my age.”)
    I didn’t know about the controversy about her not liking it. I think it was and still is…great.
    Hope you and Gary are okay.
    Sending hugs. 🙂

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  7. Love Helen Reddy! ❤ There's a song "Angie" or "Angie Baby" (can't remember the exact title) that came out when I was a angst ridden and weird young girl (about 13 or 14)..and it so described my life. I've been a fan of Helen ever since! (and yes, "I Am Woman" did define a whole generation of women and their struggles). Thanks for sharing! 😀

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    • Glad you enjoyed the post I like Helen Reddy also and it was a couple of weeks ago I was taking a walk and heard her song “Angie”, I can relate to it also. Thanks Embeecee for stopping by, have a great day. 🙂

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  8. My mum and dad had a compliation album with this song on it and my brothers and I used to sing it in the car on roadtrips. I think it drove both parents nuts — but that was probably our singing.

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    • What a great memory of this song – it is one of those tunes easy to sing to. And I bet the singing was wonderful and most likely it was the song that drove the parents nuts. Thanks Su. 🙂

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