Meaningful songs #25 - ARGENT

This  is the twenty-fifth in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "Hold You Head Up", released in 1971, is by a group called ARGENT.

Hear the longer (better) album version here

Hear the shorter single version here

Argent are an underrated English band who got lost in the forest of other great bands of their time, though they released this track and others to much acclaim. The track "Hold Your Head Up" is unusual for it's time (1971) in that its lyrics espouse a feminist sensibility to life: if you are a woman keep going against adversity and proudly "hold your head up". This song is as pertinent today as it ever was and contains some fine playing of the Hammond organ, a stalwart of many '70s rock track.

HOLD YOUR HEAD UP
    
And if it's bad
Don't let it get you down
You can take it
And if it hurts
Don't let them see you cry
You can make it

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head high

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head high

And if they stare

Just let them burn their eyes

On you moving

And if they shout

Don't let it change a thing

That you're doing

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head high

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold your head up, woman

Hold you head high

Hold your head up ....

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in this series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here