Can you think of one word to describe Meredith Brooks? If the word is also a song title, then we weren't allowed to use that word on the air. Yes, thanks to our constant playing of that Meredith Brooks song, the Communication Department decided that to avoid any sort of conflict and ruled that the radio station would not use the word on the air – be it this song, a song by the Rolling Stones, or to identify the group the Four Bitchin' Babes.
This mandate wasn’t right away so we were able to say Bitch the first month or so we had the song in rotation. Afterwards there were a few clever ways to say the name of the song that I tried, such as recording the word backwards, but I tended to the bizarre route and gave it a new title. Meaning, for weeks I identified the song as The Sky is Blue. That is, until some listener who missed the joke called and bitched me out for not saying "Bitch." From there I just came up with names and descriptions from the top of my head: her ode to chocolate milk, that it stood for "Brooks Irritated, Time Changes Happen" or just saying the playlist was smudged and I hadn't a clue what the song was.
It was hardly my favorite song: it sounded like a cheap knock-off of other angry white women, which was all the rage at the time thanks to Alanis Morissette. But it was angry girl at its best and sounded slick and sexy coming from Meredith's mouth (not to be confused with Merril Bainbridge's Mouth) - that's what made it so much fun.
Brooks released her third album in 2002 and since has been writing and producing for Jennifer Love Hewitt. Hooray.
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Bitch
(Brooks/Peiken)
Meredith Brooks
From the album Blurring the Edges
1997
I hate the world today
You're so good to me
I know but I can't change
Tried to tell you
But you look at me like maybe
I'm an angel underneath
Innocent and sweet
Yesterday I cried
Must have been relieved to see
The softer side
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I don't envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
All rolled into one
Chorus:
I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
So take me as I am
This may mean
You'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that
When I start to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
Tomorrow I will change
And today won't mean a thing
Chorus
Just when you think, you got me figured out
The season's already changing
I think it's cool, you do what you do
And don't try to save me
Chorus
I'm a bitch, I'm a tease
I'm a goddess on my knees
When you hurt, when you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
I've been numb, I'm revived
Can't say I'm not alive
You know I wouldn't want it any other way
