Were the lyrics to "Under My Thumb" meant to be ironic...

[JanMichael]

...cleverly critical, a back handed message, or just stupid and misogynistic? "the way she talks when spoken to"?

I heard it on the radio today and it made my skin crawl. Just curious.

======================================================
Under my thumb
The girl who once had me down
Under my thumb
The girl who once pushed me around

Its down to me
The difference in the clothes she wears
Down to me, the change has come,
Shes under my thumb

Aint it the truth babe?

Under my thumb
The squirmin dog whos just had her day
Under my thumb
A girl who has just changed her ways

Its down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what shes told
Down to me, the change has come
Shes under my thumb
Ah, ah, say its alright

Under my thumb
A siamese cat of a girl
Under my thumb
Shes the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world

Its down to me
The way she talks when shes spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
Shes under my thumb
Ah, take it easy babe
Yeah

Its down to me, oh yeah
The way she talks when shes spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
Shes under my thumb
Yeah, it feels alright

Under my thumb
Her eyes are just kept to herself
Under my thumb, well i
I can still look at someone else

Its down to me, oh thats what I said
The way she talks when shes spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
Shes under my thumb
Say, its alright.

Say its all...
Say its all...

Take it easy babe
Take it easy babe
Feels alright
Take it, take it easy babe

[HuskerDU]

1. No.

The Stones were a blues based band and from the very beginning of the blues there have been lyrics that are anti-woman by today's standards.

[GCP]

2. Not ironic at all to Mick and the guys

[intaglio]

3. the usual explanation for the lyric is that

it refers to foreplay, specifically clitoral stimulation

[Critters2]

4. No. A lot of the Stones' lyrics were terribly sexist. nt

[mitchum]

5. No

[Orsino]

6. Rather than being merely misogynistic, it sounds like a revenge fantasy.

But still misogynistic. The desire to dominate in this case seems specifically keyed on the singer's former humiliation, rather than denoting an urge to put all women in their place.

[supernova]

7. No, not ironic and I've always HATED that fucking song!

:grr: