Robyn Archer

That Good Old Double Standard
Song Lyrics

That good old double standard, raise it high, raise it high; 
That flag of sexist attitudes, let it fly, oh let it fly; 
This army has two sets of rules depending on your sex.
So you’d better do what the gen’ral says or else he’ll have your necks;
If a boy experiments with sex, he’s a young blood, brave and bold; 
If a young girl does exactly that she’s slut, a tramp, a moll; 
Male and female are viewed diff ‘rently by society’s ev’ry eye;
So raise the good old double standard high!

Did you ever hear of a pack of women trying to rape a man?
Did you ever see a woman pinch a man’s bum in a tram? 
No, these are male prerogatives not available to dames, 
And to make sure that it stays that way is the double standard’s aim; 
This flag’s a glorious symbol of women’s weaker need; 
Her body’s built for birth, not for voracious sexual greed; 
She’s a victim, she’s the passive, she’s the gender that’s passed by
So raise the good old double standard high!

When it comes to contraception then the male is never to blame, 
Forget to take the pill, your child’s a bastard with no name,
It’s his normal nat ‘ral needs that make him crave your body so 
And you’re called a prude or frigid if you ever dare say no; 
The double standard says that all wives crave a marital rape 
And their feeble protestations, their excuses to escape, 
Are just standard feminine come-ons to kindle his desire, 
So raise the good old double standard higher

If it’s him that’s worked so hard and he’s not feeling the best, 
Then none of your black negligees will coax him from his rest, 
There are no male brothels when a woman’s need is great 
And the double standard teaches women cannot masturbate; 
But if you’ve looked after kids all day, done his cooking, washing too, 
And he comes home with a sexual need he’ll just o’erpower you,
You’re meant to tremble with excitement as he unzips his fly, 
So keep the double standard flying high. 

That good old double standard, raise it high, raise it high; 
That flag of sexist attitudes, let it fly, oh let it fly; 
There are just two ways about it for ev’ry thing you do 
And you’ll never know what hold sexual attitude has on you;
You women never ever see the tyranny of men
Your sexual freedom is enslaved again and yet again 
In ev’rything to do with your lives are one big lie. 
So raise the good old double standard high, high, high;
So raise the good old double standard high!

Extra verse added 2022:
That bad old double standard is a thing of days of yore
That flag of sexist attitudes only raised by dinosaurs
There’s been a lot of progress, but there’s still lots more to do
‘Cos you never know what hold sexual attitudes have on you
A fluid kind of gender is acknowledged at last
As the female/male dichotomy recedes into the past
But don’t discount the powerful’s ability to conspire
So toss that Double Standard on the fire fire fire
And fight for better futures as the flames grow higher