“You Don’t Own Me” (Lesley Gore)

Your ’60s girl singer song of the day is “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore. This little piece of pre-British invasion pop brilliance was released in late 1963 and hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 early the following year. It is a powerful song and an equally powerful performance.

“You Don’t Own Me” was written by John Madara and Dave White and produced by some guy named Quincy Jones. Madara and White were pro songwriters from Philadelphia, with songs like “At the Hop” and “Rock and Roll is Here to Stay” (for Danny and the Juniors) and “1-2-3” (for Len Berry) in their portfolio. (White was also a member of Danny and the Juniors, for what it’s worth.) That Jones guy went on a to produce a few records in his time; you may have heard one or two.

Many then and now praised “You Don’t Own Me” as a feminist anthem, with the young protagonist forcefully standing up to her overbearing boyfriend. It certainly sounds anthemic the way that Ms. Gore performs it, providing a raw emotionalism that erases any doubt that this young woman is fully in charge of her life and doesn’t need any male telling her what to do. The song was so influential that it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.

Lesley Gore had a string of hits as a teenager in the ’60s, all before she turned 20 years old. The biggest of those hits included “It’s My Party” (#1, 1963), “Judy’s Turn to Cry” (#5, 1963), “She’s a Fool” (#5, 1963), “That’s the Way Boys Are” (#12, 1964), “Maybe I Know” (#14, 1964), “Look of Love” (#27, 1964), “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” (#13, 1965), and “California Nights” (#16, 1966). “You Don’t Own Me” was her second-biggest hit, sandwiched between “She’s a Fool” and “That’s the Way Boys Are.” (She also showed up in Ski Party, one of American International Pictures’ beach party movies, singing “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows.”)

Ms. Gore was a surprisingly dynamic performer. At the legendary 1964 T.A.M.I. Show, justifiably famous for powerful performances by James Brown, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, and others, its was the diminutive Ms. Gore who stole the show, as witnessed by her performance of “You Don’t Own Me” (backed by Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew). Not only wasn’t she owned, she owned the stage and the love of the audience. It’s something to watch.

In later years Ms. Gore became an outspoken LGBTQ rights activist. She said she’d known she was a lesbian since she was 20 and never had to pretend she was straight even though the music industry back then was somewhat homophobic. “I just kind of lived my life naturally and did what I wanted to do,” she told an interviewer.

Lesley Gore continued performing and recording throughout her entire life. She died of lung cancer on February 16, 2015, aged 68. No one ever owned her.