From left: Madi Diaz, S.G. Goodman, and Joy Oladokun.
Natalie Osborne / Ryan Hartley / Sophia Matinazad
Madi Diaz, S.G. Goodman, and Joy Oladokun have shared a cover of Patty Griffin’s 2002 single “Be Careful,” with proceeds from their rendition benefitting Abortion Within Reach Coalition, whose mission is “to make abortion accessible, compassionate and affirming for all identities, and safe for everyone who needs it, free of politically motivated barriers and without cost as a barrier to care,” according to a press release. In addition to the three main singers — each of whom takes a verse, with Diaz accompanying on guitar and adding some of her own topical lyrics to the end of the song — the track features backing vocals Courtney Marie Andrews, Savana Santos, and Alex Hope (who also contributes an extremely unintrusive bass line).
The cover is a relatively faithful one, with the exception of Diaz’ final verse: “For all the parents who are losing sleep / For all the babies that will come to be / For all the reasons that are ours to know / It’s my choice and I am not alone,” she sings in the track’s final two minutes. “For every man who’s standing next to me / and queer and trans and non-binary / For everybody with their own body / I will meet you all out on the streets.” Her lines strike a sharp contrast with the Griffin’s more generalized feminist message in their forceful directness.
The song arrives on the eve of a pivotal election day in the United States — one where bodily autonomy is one of many dire issues on every ballot. Find your local polling place here.
“I’m excited and honored to be a part of this release because we’re at a moment in American politics where we have to remember and act on the truth that advocating for my neighbors’ rights is my advocating for my own rights,” Oludakon shared in a press statement.
“To be honest, having to emphasize why the message of ‘Be Careful’ is important at this very moment is tragic within itself,” Goodman added in the same release. “Unfortunately, it’s relevant. The need to plead for a vote ensuring women’s autonomy is relevant.”
Diaz had the most to say on the subject:
“When Roe v. Wade was overturned this past summer, Patty Griffin’s song ‘Be Careful’ slipped into my subconscious. It became a mantra of strength that was playing consistently in the back of my heart and mind day in and day out, gently encouraging me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It became a sort of battle cry directed toward anyone that wants to take away my rights to my own body and my reproductive freedom. You’ve awakened the beast so you better ‘Be Careful.’ This Supreme Court decision affects all of us: ‘all the girls with the washing rags,’ ‘all the girls with the shopping bags,’ any person with a uterus and everybody with their own body. This is about control over another person’s human rights and freedoms — the right of making our own choices about our health and wellbeing. When it was so hard to talk about what had just happened in our country, writing about it felt a little easier, so my best friend, Morgan Elizabeth Peirce, and I wrote our own verse, using the brilliant Patty Griffin’s song as a springboard into our present. It felt good to say and sing something that means so much to us, and I’m beyond thankful for this group of wonderful humans for coming together to put all of our voices and hearts on record, printing this moment in time, putting it out into the world, and harnessing the power that is born when we unite and work together. I hope that anyone needing to hear this song hears it and feels a little bit less alone. Vote with that in mind.”
Watch the lyric video for Diaz, Goodman, and Oladokun’s version of “Be Careful” below, and buy it here via Bandcamp.