"You Don't Own Me" is a
pop song written by Philadelphia songwriters
John Madara and
David White and recorded by
Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore (born Lesley Sue Goldstein, May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song " It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She follow ...
in 1963, when she was 17 years old. The song was Gore's second most successful recording and her last top-ten single. Gore herself considered it to be her
signature song
A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or styliz ...
claiming, "I just can't find anything stronger to be honest with you, it's a song that just grows every time you do it."

The song was prominent at the time of its release in 1963 as it symbolized
women's empowerment
Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several method, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, equal status in society, ...
, showing the strength of a woman capable of standing up for herself against a man. Since then, the song has been hailed as an early
feminist anthem.
In 2015, singer
SayGrace took Gore's song to
No. 1 in Australia with a version featuring rapper
G-Eazy
Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper. Based in Oakland, California, he began his career in 2006 and released two independent studio albums before signing with RCA Records to releas ...
. The following year, the song was inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame
The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
.
Background
The song expresses emancipation, as the singer tells a lover that he cannot objectify her. She doesn't want to be held to his hypocritical gender standards, such as not being able to see other men, when he sees other women. The song's lyrics became an inspiration for younger women and are sometimes cited as a factor in the development of the
second wave feminist movement
Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in the early 1960s and lasted roughly two decades, ending with the feminist sex wars in the early 1980s and being replaced by third-wave feminism in the early 1990s. It occurred t ...
.
Gore said, "My take on the song was: I'm 17, what a wonderful thing, to stand up on a stage and shake your finger at people and sing you don't own me." In Gore's obituary, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' referred to "You Don't Own Me" as "indelibly defiant". American music magazine ''
CashBox'' described it as "a throbbing, multi-track, ballad-with-a-beat on which
ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...
emotionally declares her independence."
Chart performance
The song reached number two on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. It remained at number two for three consecutive weeks, beginning on February 1, 1964, unable to overcome
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' hit "
I Want to Hold Your Hand
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Recorded on 17 October 1963 and released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom, it was the first Beatles recor ...
".
It became Gore's second most successful hit after "
It's My Party
"It's My Party" is a song recorded by American singer Lesley Gore on her debut studio album '' I'll Cry If I Want To'' (1963). It was released as a single on April 5, 1963, by Mercury Records. The song was written by Herb Wiener, John Gluck Jr. ...
". The song was Gore's last top-ten single.
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Later comparative criticism
After the success of "You Don't Own Me", many of Gore's other recordings (generally written by others), including "
That's the Way Boys Are", were eventually comparatively criticized for not meeting
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
expectations. Of "That's the Way Boys Are", author Richard Aquila noted that the lyrics "voice the era's acceptance of sexual double standards," in contrast with the theme of Gore's previous single, "You Don't Own Me".
Aquila regards "That's the Way Boys Are" as one of several examples of Lesley Gore recordings that regard women as dependents or passive objects, along with her earlier singles "
It's My Party
"It's My Party" is a song recorded by American singer Lesley Gore on her debut studio album '' I'll Cry If I Want To'' (1963). It was released as a single on April 5, 1963, by Mercury Records. The song was written by Herb Wiener, John Gluck Jr. ...
" and "
Judy's Turn to Cry".
Musicologist
Walter Everett described "That's the Way Boys Are" as one of the many 1960s sexist songs that "perpetuated a boys-will-be-boys tolerance for male but not female infidelity." Music critic
Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus (né Gerstley; born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics.
Biogra ...
also mentioned how "That's the Way Boys Are" backs off from the "proto-feminist manifesto" of "You Don't Own Me" to a message of "he may treat you like garbage, but they're all like that, and we love 'em for it!"
On August 14–21, 1965,
Patty Duke
Anna Marie Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016), known professionally as Patty Duke, was an American actress. Over the course of her acting career, she was the recipient of an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ...
peaked at No. 8 on the Hot 100 with "Don't Just Stand There", which sounds very similar to "You Don't Own Me".
Impact
Lesley Gore's single "You Don't Own Me" was one of the first songs of its kind to become a
feminist anthem, speaking out against the misogynistic culture at the time the single was written in 1963. The impact of this song is evident today, as it has become a song of
women's empowerment
Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several method, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, equal status in society, ...
that is often played during many feminist rights marches, campaigns, and is often showcased on TV shows with a similar agenda.
Lesley Gore re-recorded "You Don't Own Me" for her 11th album ''
Ever Since'' in 2005, later utilizing it during the 2012 presidential campaign encouraging women to vote and protect
women's reproductive rights. The song has since been used in many different feminist rights campaigns, marches and TV shows, highlighting the significance of the powerful message the song still delivers. Gore said “After some 40 years, I still close my show with that song because I can’t find anything stronger, to be honest with you".
She still believes in the song's message, stating "When you can do a song in different ways, and do it over different periods of time, and it still has its legs, there's something to be said for that".
Gore died in 2015 at the age of 68, sparking a remembrance of the hit song, "which only grew stronger as the rallying cry during the women’s marches in 2018 around the MeToo movement". Even in death, she captivated a nation with the powerful words in "You Don't Own Me".
Saygrace version
In 2015, the song was recorded by Australian singer
Grace
Grace may refer to:
Places United States
* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...
and was released as her debut single. It features American rapper
G-Eazy
Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper. Based in Oakland, California, he began his career in 2006 and released two independent studio albums before signing with RCA Records to releas ...
. Grace's version was produced by
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...
, who also produced the original recording by Lesley Gore, and
Parker Ighile. It was released on March 17, 2015, one month after Gore's death, and peaked at number one on the
ARIA Charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
, later being certified 3× platinum by the
ARIA
In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
.
The song was also a success in New Zealand, peaking at number five for two consecutive weeks, and in the United Kingdom, peaking at number four.
In an interview with
House of Fraser
House of Fraser (rebranding to Frasers) is a British department store chain with 23 locations across the United Kingdom and 2 in Ireland, part of Frasers Group. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it ...
, Grace said, "
Quincy Jones">nowiki/>Quincy Jonestold me how the song came out during the feminist movement and how it was such a strong statement. I loved the song, started researching Lesley Gore and fell in love with her as an artist.
ou Don't Own Mereally inspired me."
The song was released worldwide on August 17, 2015. It grew to prominence in the UK when it was used in the 2015 House of Fraser Christmas advert.
It was also performed by ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' contestant
Lauren Murray in 2015 and
Matt Terry
Matthew James Terry (born 20 May 1993) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2016, he was crowned as the winner of the The X Factor (British series 13), thirteenth series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor''. His debut single ...
in 2016. The increased exposure for the song helped it rise to a peak of number four on the
UK Singles Chart. The song was featured in the third trailer for the 2016 film ''
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
''
and appeared on the film's
soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...
.
The song was featured in the opening of ''
Riverdale''s eighth episode in March 2017, as well as the background music for the
2018 Ford Mustang GT commercial, with
Helen Hunt and
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
She began acting in the 1990s, a ...
.
A music video directed by Taylor Cohen was released on June 1, 2015.
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Other notable covers
*
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...
released an early cover on her 1964 album ''
A Girl Called Dusty''.
*
The Ormsby Brothers released the first male version of this song in 1973. The New Zealand group's version peaked at number 5 in Australia in that year.
*
Joan Jett covered the song in 1979 as a single, later included in her self-titled first album, which was re-released as
Bad Reputation.
*
Klaus Nomi covered the song in 1981 for his
self-titled album. This version was used by
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative political commentator who was the host of ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nati ...
on his
radio show
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production, or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio netw ...
for his "Gay Community Updates" where he would degrade LGBTQ+ people.
*
André Hazes
André Gerardus Hazes (30 June 1951 – 23 September 2004) was a Dutch singer and actor. As an accomplished levenslied singer, Hazes recorded 36 studio and live albums, and 55 singles prior to his death in 2004. His music is still well-known in ...
recorded a Dutch-language version of the song in 1981 for his album ''Gewoon André''; "Zeg Maar Niets Meer" was popular in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and reached number 2 in the Dutch charts in early 1982.
* The song was featured in the 1996 film ''
The First Wives Club'' as sung by
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...
,
Bette Midler
Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
and
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...
. It also attracted a fan following.
*
recorded a cover of this song alongside
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
, for her 2019 album ''
For the Girls''.
*The 2022 Netflix series ''
Stay Close'' used "You Don't Own Me" as the theme song, sung by
Nikki Williams.
*
The Blow Monkeys
The Blow Monkeys are a British pop band formed in 1981. Their first single, "Live Today Love Tomorrow", was released in 1982. They subsequently enjoyed a successful career with several hit singles and albums throughout the 1980s before split ...
covered the song for the soundtrack to the 1987 film ''
Dirty Dancing
''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romance film, romantic drama film, drama Dance in film, dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tel ...
''.
See also
*
List of feminist anthems
*
My body, my choice
References
{{Reflist, , liststyle=, group=, refs=
1963 songs
1963 singles
1964 singles
1960s ballads
1981 singles
2015 debut singles
Lesley Gore songs
André Hazes songs
G-Eazy songs
Mercury Records singles
RCA Records singles
Song recordings produced by Quincy Jones
Songs with feminist themes
Songs written by David White (musician)
Songs written by John Medora
Feminist anthems