Paris Paloma’s song Labour, released in March of 2023, established her career on the basis of female empowerment and eloquent criticism of the patriarchy. This is a thread that continues through much of her discography, which is at times a celebration of womanhood, and at others a recognition of the darkness of it. Two of her tracks that embody this, both released on her album Cacophony in 2024, are knitting song and as good as reason. They make an unlikely pair of ‘sister songs’ (as Paloma introduces them as) – whereas the former is a nostalgic reflection on her grandmother’s love and skill, the latter is a darker, more vindictive criticism of capitalism and the patriarchy. However, they share a similar narrative structure, following knowledge that is passed down generations of women. Both the skill of knitting and the information that enables freedom could be understood as a reflection of the power of female solidarity and love. This connection in spite of the patriarchy trying to dissolve bonds between women is ultimately our most powerful tool – a singular woman is vulnerable, but united women threaten to topple an age-old system.

Firstly, both songs share the same structure, creating a feeling of passing knowledge down from one woman to another. In knitting song, the narrator reflects on her grandmother teaching her how to knit as a young child, and then it shifts to the narrator herself teaching a friend the same skill of casting off. This draws a strong connection between the narrator and her grandmother, possibly reinforced by how the friend is the only one of the three characters given direct dialogue. By separating her from the narrator and grandmother, Paloma creates the sense that lines between the two characters are blurred. Their love and now shared position as the teacher emphasise the connection that sharing skills can bring about, but also establishes a strong familial connection. This is vital in how this song subtly and indirectly challenges patriarchal ideas, doing so in a much more nuanced way than many of Paloma’s more popular songs. Across the world and throughout history, the tradition of children being given their father’s surname is one that still persists unquestioned to this day. Because of this, so-called ‘maiden names’ end with the woman, who does not typically (although this is seeing the beginnings of change in the present day) have the opportunity to pass on her name. As a result of this, women have had to find other ways to pass a piece of themselves on to the next generation, and one of these ways is through knowledge. What knitting song truly encapsulates, is that this knowledge is not just simply information, but a physical manifestation of love being passed through generations.

In as good as reason, this passage of knowledge is less explicitly one of love, but perhaps has its own form of care connected to it. Sharing the same physical structure of knitting song with the three characters, this knowledge is instead an encouragement to live life for oneself rather than a man. The narrator “felt compelled to enquire of her [the elder woman’s] success” and did so by asking “how can you be so in love with yourself / Tell me please, ‘cause I need help.” The connection of “success” to self-love is possibly a recognition that monetary or social gain is rendered useless by dissatisfaction with oneself. Moreover, the desperation of the imperative in the final line of the verse represents how difficult a feat this is in a patriarchal society, reinforced further by how this line leads directly into the women’s advice (which makes up the chorus), providing her the relief she is so in need of. Knowledge holds its own power, especially when the narrator chooses to act upon the knowledge imparted on her by loving herself.

The sharing of knowledge between generations of women also exists on a larger scale than just the individual characters of both songs. In knitting song, there is a strong sense of timelessness and the universal possibility of this exact situation. One way this is done is by the use of clothing, with descriptions of “stockinged knees” and “undergarments” giving the feel that these events could be taking place at any point in the past few centuries. In addition, the song describes “two girls in their twenties”, giving further anonymity to the story. “Grandmother” is also referred to in the absence of a possessive pronoun, creating the impression that this is not a unique experience. This could represent the importance not just of women today learning from each other, but also looking to the past for advice. It also serves as a reminder of the sheer volumes of love that have been passed down through generations of women through the knowledge of skills still very prominent today.

This historical connection is potentially explored more directly in as good as reason, where the chorus commands women to “take that rage and bottle up / And put a drop into his cup of wine,” as well as promising “With that poison bottle, you’ll be free”. It could be understood that this is a reference to Giulia Tofana, a seventeenth century Italian woman and ‘professional poisoner’. It is believed that she was responsible for the death of hundreds of men through the Aqua Tofana poison she created and distributed to women in abusive marriages. These women were faced with few options to escape their situations, and so this poison could be interpreted as a symbol of female solidarity in the face of a male-dominated society, solidarity that is born out of sharing information.

Furthermore, knitting song challenges patriarchal ideas of women’s worth being directly connected to their youth and appearance. The narrator affectionately describes her grandmother as having “skin laced in wrinkles that made needles sing”. There is a certain delicateness and value associated with this description – instead of her age limiting her perceived value, the wisdom and history it has given her is celebrated through the eyes of a loving child. This could also reflect how the narrator’s views on women had not yet been impacted by society’s harmful views on aging, emphasising how these are constructed and learned opinions rather than ones we are naturally inclined towards, which significantly undermines the views as a whole. The personification of the needles also portrays how instead of being valued solely for her appearance, the narrator more importantly admires her skill and ability.

Similarly, as good as reason also challenges this reductive, appearance-focused view on women. The first woman declares that “When you hate the body you are in / Oh love, you’re acting just for him”, a statement the narrator later passes onto the “young girl”. The verb “acting” could reference how in many ways, living life as a woman in a patriarchal society is much like playing a part, of choosing to comply or face social condemnation. This line also envelopes much of the overarching message of the song, which Palome shared in an interview for Atwood magazine: ”loving oneself under patriarchy is a revolutionary act, when there are those who benefit from your own self-hatred and self-doubt.” She claims “our fear lines his pockets”, which could be a reference to how female subservience and self-belittlement creates a self-reinforcing cycle of masculine domination, but more specifically could be a reference to the unshakable power of the beauty industry. This has been particularly brought into question in recent years, from concern towards pre-teen girls spending their pocket money on make-up and potent anti-ageing skincare to an increased awareness and interrogation of the harmful nature of ‘diet culture’. Even in a simple google search of ‘wrinkles’, suggested questions immediately push forward inquiries like ‘How can I remove wrinkles?’. This is just a small representation of the intense power that the beauty industry has over women’s self worth. By keeping women insecure these companies are able to continually profit off of it, and this directly reinforces an imbalance of power between genders.

As good as reason also criticises women seeing each other as competition. Paloma described the song as “a love letter to the idea of women having conversations” in a 2023 interview with Nettwork Music Group, and promotes the idea that women can be successful without tearing each other down. The chorus asserts “you don’t need him, you don’t need me,” promoting both women’s independence but also their allyship with each other. By encouraging the rebellion of love for oneself and others, as good as reason, much like knitting song, explores how love, solidarity and the sharing of information are all vital tools in challenging the patriarchal structure of society.