11 December 2020

11 December 2020 - KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See

OK, folks!  It's time for a history lesson.  Today, we're going to learn about Queen Boudica.

In short words, Boudica was a Celtic tribal queen in what is now eastern England in the early A.D. times.  Around 60 A.D., she led an uprising against the invading Roman Empire (who had killed her husband and raped her daughters), by uniting the warring Celtic tribes for the first time in history.  That's right.  A woman led that uprising.  It was an uprising that they eventually lost and ended in her death, but it was 1) enough to make the Romans consider withdrawing and 2) enough to make her a folk hero to this day.

She did not mess around.


Why do we mention this?

This story of female empowerment was an inspiration for KT Tunstall to write this very song.  While it isn't about her (it's about a woman trying to make it on her talent in the music industry despite stereotypical treatment of women in said industry - taking inspiration from the great Patti Smith), it is certainly inspired by her legendary battle.  It has become an anthem of empowerment, and it rightly earns that.  


Somehow, I like this version, where it's just her, without production, singing the song alone to a crowd that should be showing a hell of a lot more excitement than this.  


There's another video for this song.  I am unsure why, except that it took an extra year for the song to actually catch on in the US.  This version of the video was made for the United States release.  


There's actually a third video, which is a performance video made for the UK release, but you get the point.  

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