Elizabeth
1992 | Opera
“I'm freezing, I'm burning, I live without compromise. -- I'm growing, I'm learning, -- I'm ready to pay the price. -- I know it's not easy to be free, but I belong to me."
Trivia
- André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu is a Dutch violinist and conductor known for creating the Johann Strauss Orchestra.
- Mirusia Louwerse is an Australian soprano born in Brisbane, Australia to Dutch parents.
- Andre Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra was in the top 100 tours globally from 2008-2017. It was in the top 10 in 2008 and held in the top 25 through 2016.
THE HOT TAKES
Luke Tatum
I feel like a lot of the songs on the list from female vocalists are in the context of a romantic relationship. And, perhaps that's a marketing thing more than anything else. But here again, we have a beautiful individualist message. Any secessionist could adopt these lyrics to pull their state, county, city, town, street, or house out of the legal chains that hold it. It's also a wonderful message to show how "non-interventionism" or "minding our own business" is not the same thing as being "atomistic individuals," as is sometimes alleged. It is, instead, how the end of the song portrays it: "I'm here when you need me; I live and I die with you; I'll share all your troubles; I'll laugh and I'll cry with you; You can blame me and bless me; but you cannot possess me; 'cause I belong to me!"
Sherry Voluntary
This song is quite a left turn from most of the songs on this list in style, but not in substance. I belong to me, those are words that any Voluntaryist might say. If I don’t have complete authority over my own body, then where is the line of how much another has authority over me begin. Many people claim to believe in individual rights, but seem to have a hard time keeping their government off of others. The world needs to understand personal autonomy, and we have the privilege to deliver it.
Nicky P
I'm never one to be upset at comparing the government to an abusive boyfriend. It's not surprising that when we crowd-sourced songs for this project we got so many bad romance songs...in retrospect i'm a little surprised bad romance wasn't on the list. But seriously when we start looking at how intrusive the surveillance state is and then combine that how all encompassing the welfare state has become it's no wonder people see the government this way. I'm sure there are actual relationships individuals have where the government both knows more about them and controls more of their livelihood than a partner ever has. It incentivizes this activity sadly. The most mournful part of this is that with this knowledge and control is coupled something that can't possibly care about you at all. I've said it elsewhere on here but government is by far the worst deadbeat boyfriend ever.