Someimes its a Bitch
 

Just came up on my ipod hadn't heard it in a while I think it would be a good one live

I agree but I don't think we will ever hear this live. Stevie did not even do the song live to promote Timespace.

God how I wish. I know she didn't write this...but the words of this song speak to me. I truly wish she would do it live...but I don't think it will happen either. I remember when the song first came out. it was everywhere on the radio.

she will won't she said once she had an issue with the "b word " then why record it? why release it as a single ?

that's sad she let "them " get to her , but then again the Wilson sisters were in the same position too

If the song was released in 1988 or 1989, it would have smashed the top 10. Jon Bon Jovi had that kind of power. He brought Cher's music career back in the late 80's. In the fall of 1991, Bon Jovi's limelight had faded.
I get what her record company was trying to do. She was in a klonopin fog and could not write catchy pop songs anymore. IMHO the song was 3 years too late.
But the entire 1991 year was the way NOT to promote an album. Stevie toured and did not promote the album. In addition the album was not released until after the tour.

I think this song was a very bad choice.
There are artist who change constantly and always reinvent themselves, Cher could be considered to fall in this category, but there are also artist who, like Stevie, have a distinctive line of work.
Especially in Timespace that is a greatest hits, you can hear all her most distinctive pieces but there's this song, that was supposed to drive the album, is just sticks out like a sore thumb.
When Stevie sings something that's not written from her isn't very believable, Tom Petty was right when in 1994 said to her to just write her songs herself.

Well I think Sometimes its a bitch is a far superior song than an oddball lightweight Talk to Me. I do agree its always best when Stevie sings her own songs. That is why I cant stand Rock A Little. Its Stevie singing as pop star with words she would never say or write. As much as I love TOSOTM, Cry Wolf and Blue Eyes are horrible. Even worse... how about Everyday from TISRL. OUCH what a horrible song!!!
Of all the songs that she did not write but did sing, Sometimes its a bitch is my favorite ;)

You are absolutely right. If "Sometimes It's A Bitch" had been the lead single from "The Other Side of the Mirror" in 1989, I think it would have been a hit. If it had been released in '88, I think it could have revived her stalling career. Unfortunately, by 1991, Jon Bon Jovi and 80's hair bands were OVER--the music business was heading toward to dawning of grunge and back to organic rock and roll. It's amusing that, at the time, record label execs were attempting to jumpstart Stevie's career by pairing her with 80's hair bands (Bret Michaels, Jon Bon Jovi) whose careers and longevity were also waning. It was the beginning of a temporary end---as by 1993, Stevie's career was on life support.

Fortunately, these lean years only lasted until 1997, when suddenly, liking Stevie Nicks became "cool again".

It's interesting Stevie doesn't like this song, despite what she wrote in the liner notes for it on TimeSpace. Bon Jovi and Billy Falcon did a great job writing this song for her, it really captured her life up to that point, the highs and the lows. I agree it was 3 years too late in terms of being a hit, but it's still a good song and would rock live.

I also think the lyrics apply to her life pretty well. Stevie has said far worse than the word "bitch." Just ask the audience in CT in 1989 :eek:

I know .I was there.

I remember having to worry about playing that song at work.I did not want to get anybody upset with it.Now these days I probably wont have any issues playing it anywhere since nobody gives a crap anymore with the cursing.Its all on the radio and TV.

I,ve also heard demos where Stevie drops the "F" bomb, an interview with Robin Ross where she says s**t, and a few live recordings where she uses foul language. I have no problem with this, so I'm not sure why Stevie claims to have such a problem with the word being used in the title of "Sometimes It's A Bitch". I would imagine that it has less to so with the word and MORE to do with her record label's insistence the she record the song to save her stalling career.

I used to have the coolest "Sometimes Its a Bitch" promo poster. In 1991 there was a poster company that came to my college selling posters. I nearly fell over when I saw this JUMBO, OVERSIZED, HUGE: "Sometimes Its a Bitch: New Single, out now" Giant picture of Stevie too. It was so large that it took up the entire wall in my college dorm. Years later I hung it over my waterbed as my accent piece :eek:

I remember an interview where she said she didn't like that word for a song, especially in the title. I don't think she ever pretended she didn't say words like that in casual conversation.

I remember at the time Stevie mentioned in a interview that her Mom was not happy with the song because of the use of the word BITCH.

Stevie also edited out a scene in her documentary of In Your Dreams where she said the f word because she didn't want that part of her image or to role model that behavior or some such. I mean, really?

What about the horrific, Desert Angel? Did someone force her to put that terrible song on the album? Please, Bon Jovi was hot at the time and she tried to capitalize on it. Her vocal was awful. Loves A Hard Game to Play reaked too. Nightbird and After The Glitter Fades were true hits and belonged in that album.

i do not mean "sad " in a ,how terrible for her kinda way

Interesting, sounds spot on.

I've always thought this song would be great too but stripped down - just her and a piano. It would be a great way to showcase her vocal power - just ripping into the chorus and easing back on the verses.

I wonder if it still isn't faded/fading?? His latest song (House is not for sale) is absolutely horrendous. I heard it a few weeks ago and then again on a morning show last week and just wanted to gag.

Really? Never heard this before...

She probably feels that it's lazy songwriting to swear in songs when you could use other words to convey your message. "Bitch" sounds especially crude and bitter, as a derogatory word for a female, coming from a writer as mystical and poetic as Stevie.

And I agree with this. It is lazy and unoriginal.

You know the Seinfeld writers and producers would always talk about the creative ways they used to get around NBC censors. They couldn't say masturbation, so they suggestively said "Master of his domain" and that actually was funnier and cleverer.

When Larry David got a show on cable and he could say anything he wanted, I loved Curb, because I'm tuned in to Larry, but I actually think the show was a lot less funny than Seinfeld, because it was explicit and profane, for profanity's sake. I mean the profanity became the humor and .... that's not good writing.

That's double the case for lyrics. Stevie wasn't into creating the furor that having her say that word in a song would cause, just for the sake of it.

Michele

I actually liked "Sometimes It's A Bitch". With the inclusion of "Love's A Hard Game", she had the required two singles for "Timespace". Why she chose to include the exorcism that is "Desert Angel" is beyond me. "Desert Angel" ranks as one of her all time worst recorded songs, thus I'm unsure why it is included on a "best of" compilation.

Moreover, the audacity of comparing herself sitting in a luxurious house in Paradise Valley, Arizona to the plight of soldiers fighting in a foreign third world desert is laughable ("I know how it feels there").

For a true "best of" compilation up to 1991, why didn't those so called "sensible label execs" talk her into tossing "Desert Angel" out of the Army tank in favor of solid singles like "After The Glitter Fades" and "Nightbird"? The latter compositions represent some of Stevie's finest recorded moments.

While I agree with you. Saying Bitch is less lazy than - "ooh eee" listen to me - imho.

Originally Posted by WatchChain
I'm conflicted about "Sometimes It's A Bitch". On the one hand, it is pedestrian-rock at its worst and co-written by one of the most hideous arseholes on the planet, but it ****s all over the atrocity that is "Love's A Hard Game To Play", which in my opinion, is right down there with the likes of "Jane" and "Soldier's Angel". However, I consider "Desert Angel" to not only be the superior of the three new Timespace tracks, but one of her better compositions/recordings. I think it's well produced and features a strong vocal. The lyrics may not be her best, but they are somewhat evocative and definitely not as dire as what I consider to be her worst ("chimpanzees" and "hospitals" anyone??).

I agree that "After The Glitter Fades" and "Nightbird" warranted inclusion - on their own merits, but particularly in favour of the new cuts.
If you deleted "Sometimes It's A Bitch", "Love's A Hard Game To Play" and "Whole Lotta Trouble" from Timespace and then included the likes of "After The Glitter Fades", "Nightbird", "Whenever I Call You Friend", "Gold" and "Insider", you would have a pretty decent representation of her work up until that point.

Some of you are taking the word "bitch" out of context. The song is not calling anyone a bitch (noun). Its describing a difficult situation or heavy lift in life. Remember the sayings: Life is a beach; Life is a bitch. Bitch is used as an adjective in the song. In addition the word "Bitch" goes with the word "Breeze". IMHO, its a great line in the song. Each "b" word has the opposite meaning in extreme examples. I don't see it as lazy. Its creative.
I love the song "love is a hard game to play." I thought she sung that song from the heart. These songs are millions of times better than the other cheezy songs she has sung written by other people. Songs like Everyday, Cry Wolf, Blue Eyes, Talk To Me etc.

Sounds cool! Could you describe the picture of Stevie? Was it the picture used on the cover of the"Sometimes" single?

Yes the top part with her holding her hat. It was for a record store (gosh remember those) because it was so big. It was probably 3 times the size of a standard poster.

I still have that poster. It's huge! It is like the cover of the single but I'm pretty sure it's longer so is not cropped like the cover. I'll try and post a pic of it if no one else does. There was another similar one done for the reissue of I Can't Wait around the same time but I couldn't afford it and the next week it was gone from the poster shop I found it in. Tried to order it but no luck.

I agree. Love'a a Hard Game is a nice song. SIAB has great chords, drums although I have always wanted to change the lyrics from "sometimes it's roses, sometimes it's weeds" to "sometimes it stays, sometimes it leaves."