All the Single Ladies!

My kids love stories. I read to them, they listen to books on tape, and lately they've been interested in the stories behind the songs that they hear. Four-year-old Serena, especially, wants to understand the meaning of every tune on the radio.

Her new favorite is "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. It's a great song with an infectious melody, strong dance beat, and a fabulous video - just ask Kanye West (or Taylor Swift.) Bennett loves the "oh oh oh" section. Serena is fascinated by the lyrics.


She asked me to tell her the story behind the song. I explained to her that it's about a girl who loved and wanted to marry her boyfriend, but he didn't love her in the same way, so they broke up. When the girl dances with another boy, the ex-boyfriend gets mad.

I translated some of the more opaque references into G-rated preschool-speak:

"now you wanna trip" ---> the boyfriend is acting jealous
"another brother notice me" ---> another boy thinks she's pretty
"I'm up on him, he's up on me, tighter than my Dereon jeans" ---> they are dancing close

Serena put a lot of thought into this complicated situation and asked several related questions.

"What's a single lady?"
"Are you a single lady?"
"Why is the boyfriend mad?"
"Why did they break up?"

Luckily she didn't ask me why Beyonce was dancing to the song with two of her friends in a leotard and five-inch heels. (I don't know why, but I'm glad she did, especially given the silly but cute Glee Single Ladies football dance that it inspired.)

I told Serena that Beyonce is married to Jay-Z, who is mentioned in another song that she likes.* This confused the heck out of her and caused a new spate of questions.

"Is Jay-Z the boyfriend or the new boy?"
"Is Beyonce a single lady?"
"Why is Jay-Z in Miley's song?"

The song and its story continued to marinate in her little head, popping up at unexpected times. When my kids said their bedtime prayers last night, Bennett said "God bless Mommy." Colin said "God bless Bennett." Serena said "God bless the Single Ladies."

Really.

After listening to the song about sixty times, she now only asks to hear the Single Ladies story for entertainment. The facts are understood and the issues fully deconstructed. She can tell you that Beyonce is a married lady, but she used to be a Single Lady. Serena, her friends, and one of her teachers are Single Ladies, but Mommy isn't because Daddy liked it and put a ring on it.

Oh, oh, oh.




* "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Yes, my iPod has jumped the shark.