Woman (Oh Mama)

Album: Venus (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first single off Joy Williams' Venus album, the former Civil Wars songstress said of the song: "It's what it's like to experience the beauty, the spark and strength of what it is to be inside your skin. It's a song with energy and fire. I wanted to own the complexity and the three dimensional aspect of what it is to be a woman. I'm excited about being a woman. I'm excited to be where I am now, who I am now."
  • Williams (from USA Today): '"Woman (Oh Mama)' is like that first conversation you have on a first date. Everything's kind of meta, and it's the invitation to a deeper conversation."
  • Williams penned this tribal-sounding song with Matt Morris (Christina Aguilera's "Can't Hold Us Down," Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent") and Audra Mae (Miranda Lambert's "Little Red Wagon").

    It was Justin Timberlake who first introduced Joy Williams to his fellow The Mickey Mouse Club member Matt Morris. (Williams and Timberlake first met backstage at The David Letterman Show years previously and have kept in touch ever since.) She recalled: "I was describing [to Timberlake] the process of getting a certain distance on the record that I was happy about but feeling like there was another distance that I had yet to go, to push myself. He said, 'I think you need to meet Matt.' Matt and I met for coffee one day, and it was immediate kinship, with immediate creative connections. It was the breath of fresh air I really needed to find myself in the solo process."
  • Williams incorporated much of what she learned as part of the Civil Wars, when penning the songs for Venus. "I wanted to take the best parts of what I learned from being in the Civil Wars and bring it into a new space where I could infuse more of my influences," she said." I got to blend in Kate Bush, Portishead, Massive Attack and Peter Gabriel. I've brought my story with me, not tried to reject it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

Maxi Priest

Maxi PriestSongwriter Interviews

The British reggae legend tells the story of his #1 hit "Close To You," talks about his groundbreaking Shabba Ranks collaboration "Housecall," and discusses his latest project with Robin Trower.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-Outs

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-OutsSong Writing

The 10 biggest "retirement tours" that didn't take.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.