With a focus on women this month, we’re offering a modern feminist anthem, “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves,” written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and featured on both Eurythmics’ Be Yourself Tonight’ and Aretha Franklin’s Who’s Zoomin’ Who?

Here’s Annie Lennox performing it at Live 8’s “Final Push” in Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on the 6th July, 2005. Organised by Sir Bob Geldof and The Band Aid Trust to raise money to fight poverty around the world, the event was viewed by around 2 billion people.

Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves
Eurythmics

Now there was a time
When they used to say
That behind every great man
There had to be a great woman

But in these times of change
You know that it’s no longer true
So we’re comin’ out of the kitchen
‘Cause there’s somethin’ we forgot to say to you, we say

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
Standin’ on their own two feet
And ringin’ on their own bells, we say
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Now this is a song
To celebrate
The conscious liberation
Of the female state

Mothers, daughters
And their daughters too
Woman to woman
We’re singin’ with you

The inferior sex, has
Got a new exterior, yeah
We got doctors
Lawyers, politicians too

Everybody take a look around
Can you see, can you see
Can you see there’s a woman
Right next to you, we say

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
Standin’ on their own two feet
And ringin’ on their own bells
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Now we ain’t makin’ stories
Oh, we ain’t layin’ plans
Don’t you know that a man still loves a woman
And a woman still loves a man
Just the same way

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
There was a time
When they used to say
That behind every great man
There had to be a great woman

But in these times of change
You know that it’s no longer true
So we’re comin’ out of the kitchen
‘Cause there’s somethin’ we forgot to say to you, we say

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
Standin’ on their own two feet
And ringin’ on their own bells
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
Sisters are doin’ it, doin’ it, doin’ it
Doin’ it, doin’ it, doin’ it
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves, yeah
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves, yeah

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
I said, ” Hey, hey, sisters are doin’ it for themselves”
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Songwriters: Stewart David Allan / Lennox Ann
Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Int. Mgb Ltd.