Ani DiFranco
Not a Pretty Girl
[Verse 1]
I am not a pretty girl
That is not what I do
I ain't no damsel in distress
And I don't need to be rescued
So put me down, punk
Wouldn't you prefer a maiden fair?
Isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere?
[Verse 2]
I am not an angry girl
But it seems like I've got everyone fooled
Every time I say something they find hard to hear
They chalk it up to my anger
And never to their own fear
Imagine you're a girl
Just trying to finally come clean
Knowing full well they'd prefer you were dirty
And smiling
[Refrain]
And I am sorry
But I am not a maiden fair
And I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3]
And generally, my generation
Wouldn't be caught dead working for the man
And generally I agree with them
Trouble is you’ve got to have yourself
An alternate plan
And I have earned my disillusionment
I have been working all of my life
And I am a patriot
I have been fighting the good fight
And what if there are no damsels in distress
What if I knew that and I called your bluff?
Don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down
Whether or not you ever show up?
[Outro]
I am not a pretty girl
I don't really want to be a pretty girl
No, I want to be more than a pretty girl