How do you hear a song?

Janet Audette

Perez

03/05/10

WST 3015

The song “Rape Me” by Nirvana gained popularity in the early 90’s. The song although rather short has a huge meaning behind it. The first verse “Rape me, Rape me My friend” allows the listener to know right off the bat that the person committing the crime is someone close to the victim. According Catalano 73% of women are raped by their partner or date. Intimate partner violence includes everything from mental to physical abuse and every year 4 million people are subjected to abuse (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey 262).

This is exemplified in the second verse “I’m not the only one”. This is saying that although she is the victim and she has been raped, she is not alone. There are countless other survivors in the world and this person is aware that there is a support group and power in numbers.

The third and fifth verse is where most of the passion in this song shines through. “Hate me, Do it again… Waste me…” At this point in the song it appears that the person being raped is essentially giving up and giving in to what is happening. As if they are aware society will do nothing for her and that as a system we will “waste” the victim as the rapists is doing by their actions (Seely 195). However, by the fifth verse the victim is starting to become aware and surer of themselves. “My favorite inside source” is referring to the strength and power they are finding within themselves that is giving them strength to overcome their rape.

The repeat of the verse “I’m not the only one” is now referring to the idea that there are thousands survivors who are also finding the light within themselves. Although this song comes across as rather forward and when looked at superficially could be assumed as condoning rape, it is actually very powerful in the movement to stop rape.

As a popular source this song could be very beneficial towards the education of sexual abuse and violence. Having the media publicize this type of positive influence can change both the view points of survivors and the perpetrators. It can allow the survivors to know that they are not alone and that there are countless other people who have experience the same cruelty. It also shows to the rapist that their victims are not broken and left for death they have a web of people who are there to support them.

Although as a society there is still a habit to blame the women for their rapes (Seely 195), hopefully with songs such as these is will become easier for women and men to understand that rape occurs because of the Rapist not because of the victims.

Works Cited

"Woman's Sexuality." Woman's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 149-60.

Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York University Press, 2007. Print.

Nirvana, . "Nirvana – Rape Me Lyrics." Lyrics007. 37 MAY 2008. Web. 3 Mar 2010.