Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse: You Don’t Have to Take It (Like I Did)

Gaye Adegbalola: You Don‘t Have to Take It (Like I Did)

[purchase]

I’m going to tell a story. It may not seem to have anything to do with our theme or this song, but bear with me. I promise, there is a connection.

When I was just entering my teenaged years, my oldest brother told me and my other brother something. He was in quite a state, and he had to tell someone. I don’t think he felt that he could talk to my parents about it. One of his best friends had had a bad trip, “flipped out on acid” as they said then. Said friend wound up being institutionalized, and as far as I know, he was never right again. My brother told all of this in more detail, and it was clear how shocked he was. I don’t know to this day if my brother had any intent, other than getting this off his chest, but the story had I powerful effect on me. When my opportunities to experiment with drugs came, I never tried anything stronger than weed. And this was why.

As I said, I don’t know if my brother had any intent. But there is certainly intent behind our theme this week. And I feel sure that many of the songwriters we are hearing this week had an intent. Gaye Adegbalola, with You Don’t Have to Take It (Like I Did), hopes that by sharing her story, she can save at least one other woman from falling into the same trap that she did. It is my fondest hope that our posts this week will serve the same purpose.

Incidentally, the other lead voice on this track is Rory Block.