Unimpressed with the tune initially, the group pestered songwriters Holland, Dozier, and Holland to give them something less pitiful, but in 1964 the song made them idols and role models for girls across the country. The Supremes were always a little more sophisticated than other girl groups, with songs about grown-up experiences rather than high school crushes, and like all Motown acts, they were known for the polished and inventive choreography that accompanied their singing performances. The group is equally enigmatic. It's hardly surprising that psychedelic diva Grace Slick recorded a cover version in her pre-Jefferson Airplane days, but you have to wonder why she bothered, when the original is eerie perfection. The most valuable things girls could take from these songs was learning that sometimes it's OK to feel sad like The Jaynetts and The Caravelles, tempted like The Shirelles, or angry and hurt like Lesley Gore, and on and on.
Many songs are actually very direct in their sisterly advice.
Here, Brenda Reid's raucous lead vocal ordered girls to stop waiting for boys to notice them and to take matters into their own hands. The song features a steady, chugging groove and some impressive high-pitched exclamations from the male singers, demonstrating that even Marines can have a soft and gentle side. The song has appealed to later generations through cover versions by Grand Funk Railroad, Kylie Minogue, and Atomic Kitten. In spite of all the significant upheavals that society has undergone since the 1960s, it seems that some experiences haven't really changed. The transition from childhood to womanhood is still as difficult and exciting as ever, and music is still a vital source of girl power, whether of the nostalgic variety or as inspiration to new generations.