When Love Comes Calling, Even a Stone Heart Melts
Ah, the good old days! There are some songs, aren’t there, that just instantly transport you back to a time when life seemed a little simpler, a little more boisterous, and a whole lot more fun. And few tunes capture that spirit quite like Howard Keel‘s rollicking rendition of “Sobbin’ Women”. It’s a song that, for many of us, is inextricably linked with the sheer joy and unbridled energy of the classic 1954 musical film, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”. While it might not have been a chart-topper in the conventional sense, as singles charts were a different beast back in the mid-fifties and film soundtracks often took on a life of their own, the impact of “Sobbin’ Women” as part of that iconic soundtrack was undeniable. The film itself was a box office smash, earning an impressive $6.6 million in rentals in North America alone, a testament to its enduring popularity and the widespread affection for its music.
The story behind “Sobbin’ Women” is, much like the film, a tale spun from the fabric of American folklore, albeit with a charmingly romanticized twist. The entire premise of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is built upon the Plutarchian legend of the Rape of the Sabine Women, a historical account of the founding Romans abducting women from a neighboring tribe to populate their fledgling city. Now, of course, Hollywood, in its infinite wisdom and desire to entertain, took this rather aggressive historical footnote and transformed it into a delightful, if somewhat politically incorrect by today’s standards, cinematic romp. In the film, “Sobbin’ Women” serves as the pivotal moment, the catalyst for all the ensuing romantic chaos. It’s the song where Adam Pontipee, the eldest of the seven rough-and-tumble frontier brothers, having returned from his short-lived marriage to Milly, instructs his six younger, unattached siblings on the “proper” way to acquire wives. His advice, delivered with a hearty, almost paternalistic glee, is to simply go out and take them, just as their ancestors supposedly did. It’s a concept that, even then, was played for laughs, a humorous exaggeration of masculine bravado in a untamed wilderness.
The meaning of “Sobbin’ Women” is, at its heart, about the untamed spirit of frontier life and, paradoxically, the deep-seated human desire for companionship and family, even if the methods employed to achieve it are, shall we say, unconventional. It’s a song that embodies the wild, independent nature of men living far from civilization, yet also hints at a deeper loneliness and longing for domesticity. The “sobbin’ women” aren’t truly sobbing in despair; rather, they’re depicted as putting up a feigned resistance, a performative distress that ultimately gives way to acceptance and, indeed, love. It’s a playful portrayal of the “battle of the sexes,” where the men are ostensibly in charge, but the women, with their wit and resilience, ultimately exert their own powerful influence. The song, therefore, is a comedic exploration of courtship and marriage in a bygone era, viewed through a lens of exaggeration and theatricality.
For many of us who grew up with this film, “Sobbin’ Women” evokes a powerful sense of nostalgia. It takes us back to a time when musicals were a staple of cinematic entertainment, when the sheer spectacle of song and dance could transport you to another world. Howard Keel‘s booming baritone voice, perfectly suited to the role of the confident and somewhat arrogant Adam, gives the song its unforgettable zest. You can almost see him, standing there, eyes twinkling, delivering his grand pronouncements to his eager, if slightly bewildered, brothers. The memorable choreography in the film, with the brothers’ synchronized movements and athletic leaps, only further cemented the song’s place in our collective memory. It’s more than just a song; it’s a vibrant snapshot of mid-20th century American entertainment, a cultural touchstone that continues to bring a smile to our faces and a warmth to our hearts. It reminds us of a simpler time, when a little boisterous charm and a good tune could solve almost any problem, even the problem of finding six brides for seven brothers.