Oh Honey, You Don't Own Me

The peak of the song “You Don’t Own Me”, written by David White and John Medora, fits perfectly with the climax of “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan. The singer repeats the phrase “you don’t own me” at least twenty times throughout the song and even though Jing-Mei never expresses these exact words, anyone can understand that the child, under a lot of pressure, was suggesting that she’s tired of being forced to do things she doesn’t want to do. “‘I'm not going to play anymore,’ I said nonchalantly. ‘Why should I? I'm not a genius’... ‘Then I wish I weren't your daughter, I wish you weren't my mother’” (Tan 218-219). Throughout the story it is evident there is a lot of pressure on Jing-Mei and “You Don’t Own Me” accurately shifts the attention from Jing-Mei to her mother. The chorus “Don't tell me what to do / and don't tell me what to say / Please when I go out with you / Don't put me on display” (White & Medora), repeats twice before changing to “I don't tell you what to say / I don't tell you what to do / So just let me be myself / That's all I ask of you / I'm young / And I love to be young / I'm free / And I love to be free / To live my life the way I want / Just say and do whatever I please” (White & Medora). Jing Mei is sick of trying to become the prodigy child her mother wants her to be and confronts her, forever changing her life. The lyrics from the last chorus portray how Jing-Mei felt very well. She may not have wanted to be independent, but she wanted freedom from her mother, because she was just a child who wanted to live a normal life.