"Express Yourself" by Madonna

Information about the artist: Madonna

Brief Bio:

Madonna born in 1958 "is an American recording artist, actress, and entrepreneur". She has been active within the industry since 1979. Madonna  "followed it with a series of albums in which she found immense popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV...Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records...Considered to be one of the '25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century' by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry".

Madonna Like a Prayer album

Source: Album Cover Art

"Express Yourself" from the Like a Prayer  album

"Express Yourself" song/video info:

Released: May 9, 1989

Written and Produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray

Recognition: The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1989

Video: Directed by David Fincher

Video Premiere: May 17, 1989

Video Recognition:

- Ranked #1 of Slant Magazine's "100 Greatest Music Videos"

- Ranked #10 Rolling Stone's "The Top 100 Music Videos"

- Ranked #10 MTV's "Greatest Videos Ever Made"

-Ranked #3 MuchMusic's "Top 100 Videos of The Century"

Video Analysis:

Even from the first few seconds of the music video it is clear to the viewer that, as noted the inspiration came from the 1927 film Metropolis.

Source: "Express Yourself"

Source: Most Expensive World
Metropolis Movie Poster

A trailer for Metropolis

However, the setting could represent any classic industrialized dystopian society where humanity and feelings may not be recognized or acknowledged. Also, in Metropolis classes are separated between the planners and the workers.

Source: "Express Yourself"
Mother "Madonna" Goose

After a few scenes of an industrialized looking city we see Madonna on top of an angry looking goose and she shouts:
"Come on girls! Do you believe in love? 'Cause I got something to say about it! And it goes something like this:"


Madonna saying that preamble to her song seems like a prologue to a story. Also, with her on top of a goose, it reminded me of the classic Mother Goose Nursery rhymes that served sometimes to teach children lessons through the stories. Perhaps Madonna feels she is another form of Mother Goose for adult females, and her goal is to teach them about love. Further, with the thought of Madonna being a modernized Mother Goose character, her name also has religious meaning as Madonna, Virgin Mother of Christ. So, perhaps that was considered in this choice of the goose.

Source: askSam
Mother Goose

After her preamble the scene cuts to a factory with attractive scantily clad men working on the machinery.

Source: "Express Yourself"
A worker

The lyrics during this section are:

Don't go for second best baby
Put your love to the testYou know, you know, you've got toMake him express how he feelsAnd maybe then you'll know your love is real Source: elyrics.net 

So, judging from Madonna's chorus for "Express Yourself", it is pretty obvious that this song is about women not settling for men that do not demonstrate their love to you. Madonna encourages women to test their man's love for them in order for him to show that it is real. Just from the chorus Madonna conveys the message in this song that women need to make active and conscious choices regarding the men they date and not to settle for one who does not meet what you expect. This relates to most feminist ideologies that men and women should be seen as equals, and therefore have equal decision making within the dating process. Madonna most likely chose to focus on women's decision making and thinking within relationships because women are typically seen as more silent if they are unhappy in a relationship or let the man control it. Thus, Madonna serves the role as story-teller to teach women to have control over the direction and choices of their relationships.

Source: "Express Yourself"

We see Madonna overlooking the city from above. This shows that she has a position of control and in relation to Metropolis she could be the created by a planner.

Source: "Express Yourself"

We can also see that Madonna is holding a cat, which is generally seen more as a feminine animal, especially compared to a dog. Also, a cat is sometimes called a pussy, which is a slang term for a woman that is normally derogative.  However, with the symbolism of the cat, Madonna adds the empowering element that the "pussy" has control. The cat metaphor makes sense within the context of the music video.

Source: "Express Yourself"

The lyrics further explain why Madonna seems to be in a position of power:

You don't need diamond rings
Or eighteen karat gold
Fancy cars that go very fast
You know they never last, no, no
What you need is a big strong hand
To lift you to your higher ground
Make you feel like a queen on a throne
Make him love you till you can't come down
(You'll never come down) Source: elyrics.net

Her lyrics fit the overall message to women that they should expect more out of men and relationships. Madonna seems to hold a place of power and appears to be a queen of the society she lives in. 

Source: "Express Yourself"
The workers

As she is singing that section men appear to be below her tower overlooking the city. Having them seem below her and hard at work makes sense with the lyrics literally and symbolically. In the literal sense the men are her slaves or subjects as she is their queen. However, I don't believe that is Madonna's applicable message with this video. I think that having then men work hard below her symbolizes how Madonna causes the men to put in effort in order to be with her, and that the men below her are her possible men to date. The men are the workers in relation to Metropolis and may not be able to display the love that Madonna craves. The men below her are competing against one another for her attention to show her who is the strongest. The strongest hand can be taken in physical strength as the video shows and possibly mental and emotional strength in order to impress Madonna. The actions of the men shows that they are trying to show their love for her.

Source: "Express Yourself"

The chorus plays again but this time it seems to be broad casted  throughout the factory over the loud speaker. 

Source: "Express Yourself"
The Planner

An older male who seems to hold a position of authority over the younger worker males looks up with almost a look of displeasure, perhaps as though Madonna's message should not be heard by the workers.

Source: "Express Yourself"

One worker looks up at the speaker in wonder signifying that maybe he has never heard Madonna's voice before, was not supposed to hear her message or did not know that she existed. The older male noticed the reaction of the younger male to Madonna's message over the speaker. Because this younger male broke from his work to listen to Madonna may signify his importance in the video.

Source: "Express Yourself"

Then we see Madonna dressed in a very feminine lingerie looking outfit. 

The lyrics during this section are:

Long stem roses are the way to your heartBut he needs to start with your headSatin sheets are very romanticWhat happens when you're not in bedYou deserve the best in lifeSo if the time isn't right then move onSecond best is never enoughYou'll do much better baby on your own(Baby on your own) Source: elyrics.net

Source: "Express Yourself"

Source: "Express Yourself"

During this section Madonna is dancing sensually behind different screens that makes her appear to be naked. The cuts between her dancing and the younger male seemingly fantasizing about her. These lyrics also can be seen empowering for women, especially since when she is singing them she is dancing very sensually. Therefore, the overall message of this verse is that you can give me nice things but we will not have sex until you acknowledged my intelligence, and if you are not good enough then I will move on. So really this message to women shows that sticking around with a man who seems second best to you isn't worth it and these lyrics can be taken as words of encouragement to have the bravery to leave him even if you might be alone. These seem to be very positive lyrics to women who might feel oppressed by the man they are with, and could lack the confidence to leave him. While a song cannot automatically change a person's life most of the time, however this song could gradually help a woman gain confidence within herself to make smart decisions upon her life.

Source: "Express Yourself"

After it appears that the young man is fantasizing about Madonna, she appears in the factory dancing in a suit. This gesture could symbolize how she is equal to a man by wearing a suit but still maintains her feminity because she shows off her bra during the dance. On the other hand, it could be mocking the older men who may actually be in power, and by her wearing a suit shows that they are less important than they seem. Other artists such as Cyndi Lauper wore suits in their music videos, and it could represent establishing an equality with men by wearing a typically male outfit.

Also the chorus is sung during the suit dance:

Don't go for second best baby
Put your love to the test
You know, you know, you've got to
Make him express how he feels
And maybe then you'll know your love is real

Express yourself
(You've got to make him)
Express himself
Hey, hey, hey, hey
So if you want it right now, make him show you how
Express what he's got, oh baby ready or not


Source: elyrics.net

Source: "Express Yourself"

The young man saw her dance in the factory and watched her intently. 

Then we see the older man who is in a suit. He appears to be able to control a chamber of live musicians with a remote control. 

Source: "Express Yourself"
The Planner

After the scene of the suited man controlling the musicians we see Madonna heavily chained, especially by the neck in bed. One can believe that perhaps the suited man possesses the control, even over Madonna and her message of expressing oneself can even be sung to herself. 

Source: "Express Yourself"

Madonna has said in regards to "Express Yourself" that, "The ultimate thing behind the song is that if you don't express yourself, if you don't say what you want, then you're not going to get it. And in effect you are chained down by your inability to say what you feel or go after what you want." Therefore, when Madonna is chained it may show her inability to be with the person she want to be with.

During the chained up scene Madonna sings:

And when you're gone he might regret it
Think about the love he once had
Try to carry on, but he just won't get it
He'll be back on his knees

To express himself
(You've got to make him)
Express himself
Hey hey Source: elyircs.net

Perhaps the suited man is Madonna's past lover and she is trying to escape him. While she was in the green dress overlooking the city this could have actually been her in captivity, and that is why he seemed surprised to hear her voice over the speaker. Then when she essentially expressed herself while wearing her suit, she demonstrated to the others how one can break free of the oppression. However, she had yet to really go after what she wants and so she is still chained. She also may be chained, if she had been created by the suited man. Then he would feel he had ownership over her.

Madonna appears to be acting like a cat while crawling under the table. She even takes a lick out of a cat bowl. Perhaps in doing this she is trying to get what she wants. 

Source: "Express Yourself"

Source: "Express Yourself"

As Madonna is crawling under the table like a cat. The scene is shown briefly through a clear globe held up by 3 men statues. We see this as she sings:

"To lift you to your higher ground".  This signifies that the men are her support system.

I also thought that it reminded me of the M.C. Escher painting.

Source: New Optical Illusions

This could provide the idea that her power is actually an illusion and is trying to assert herself through her cat-like behavior. Or the whole societal structure is an illusion because the planner may believe he holds all the power, especially over Madonna, but the one with the heart has the most power. 

Source: "Express Yourself"

While Madonna is acting like a cat, we see the main young male petting her cat. This can lead one to believe that she lost her cat. We later see him returning the cat to her. The young man's gesturing of returning her cat and possibly risking his life to do so, could be an example of a man expressing his love for her. 

Source: "Express Yourself"

We can see that he wears a chain around his neck but it is broken from any longer connecting chain. This can show show he expressed and freed himself of oppression because he went after what he wanted.

Source: "Express Yourself"

While one young male is on a quest to return Madonna's cat, the other young men are fighting in the factory. This could be how the other men decide to express themselves as they realize others are doing the same, such as the cat returner. 

Source: "Express Yourself"

The suited man seems to recognize that he has lost control of the factory and that Madonna may be with another man. 

Source: "Express Yourself"

Madonna must have appreciated the young man returning her cat because she ends up very intimate with him. A scene where the couple are together the lyrics "express yourself, so you can respect yourself" are sung. This holds a great importance to the song and overall message to women during the beginning stages of the sex scene. Madonna portrays the message that women (or men) need to be clear on what he or she wants when faced with intimate situations that could lead to sex, so that by the end of it he or she can maintain their self respect. And with self respect, he or she can have self confidence to express his or her further, and it will hopefully become a positive cycle. Also, during this scene neither person is completely dominant with their movements together. The mutual fooling around together expresses equality between them.

Lyrics during the ending sections:
Express yourself
(You've got to make him)
Express himself
Hey, hey, hey, hey
So if you want it right now, make him show you how
Express what he's got, oh baby ready or not
Express yourself
(You've got to make him)
So you can respect yourself
Hey, hey
So if you want it right now, then make him show you how
Express what he's got, oh baby ready or not source: elyrics.net

Source: "Express Yourself"
The ending scene with Madonna's eyes over the city may show that she had control all along. 

Source: "Express Yourself"
The moral of the story.

This quote by Madonna, has reference to Metropolis because the workers are the hands and the planners are the minds. Madonna portrayed a dystopian society because there were very few mediators between the hands and minds. In order to achieve having a heart, one has to express themselves and tell or show what they want to others.


"Express Yourself" is a demonstration of Liberal Feminism.
"Liberal feminism asserts the equality of men and women through political and legal reform. It is an individualistic form of feminism and theory, which focuses on women’s ability to show and maintain their equality through their own actions and choices. Liberal feminism looks at the personal interactions of men and women as the starting ground from which to transform society into a more gender-equitable place."

"Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday

Info on the band: 'Til Tuesday ('til tuesday)
The band formed in 1982 and featured bassist/vocalist Aimee Mann, guitarist/vocalist Robert Holmes, keyboardist Joey Pesce, and drummer Michael Hausman.

Source: amazon.com
The album Voices Carry (1985)

"Voices Carry" Song/Video:
Lead vocals and actress in "Voices Carry", Aimee Mann.
Aimee Mann Bio: "From her work in the 80’s with MTV favorite Til Tuesday through her acclaimed solo discs “Whatever” and “I’m With Stupid” in the 90s, Aimee Mann has always been at the forefront of contemporary songwriters." 
Recognition: The video for "Voices Carry" won MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist in 1985. 
Song Writers: Aimee Mann
Video Director: D.J. Webster

Source: celebs101.com

Like Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann was known for her unconventional hair and wild clothing.


Analysis of the Video:
The video starts off with a young man, possibly mid 20s wearing a gold chain, blue sweater and wife beater. Even from his mannerisms one can tell that he is a cocky guy. The setting looks indoors possibly a house.

Source: "Voices Carry"
Cocky guy; note his appearance.

He says to Aimee with a half smile (somewhat in a sarcastic manner, and perhaps even more to emphasize his cocky disposition):
"I'm so happy the band is doing well"
(a little smirk on his face)
"By the way, what's with the hair," he raises his eyebrows, "is that part of the new image?"
The scene cuts to Aimee and she looks as though she could kill him with her glare.

Source: "Voices Carry"
Aimee's death glare

The role of this male is questionable at this point, he could be her boyfriend. He looks too young to be a father to Aimee. Also, the way he addressed and looked at he suggests he has control over her though, so it most likely a boyfriend opposed to just a friend or brother. The presumed boyfriend treats Aimee's decision to express her individuality as trivial and he doesn't seem pleased. Looking at him, he does seem to care about his appearance, while he has his neatly styled hair. 

Source: "Cinderella and Prince Charming"
The boyfriend has a strong resemblance with the classic Prince Charming.

He also has the classic male charming face, complete with an angular jaw and a chin dimple. He could be seen as the idealistic "tall, dark, and handsome". Aimee could represent a punk princess version of Cinderella. The overall theme of this music video could be "happily ever-after gone wrong". 

Source: Institute for Family Violence Studies

The boyfriend is displaying a form of emotional abuse towards Aimee because he put down her hair and made her feel bad about herself because she formed a new image. Also, his way of addressing the success of the band shows he is not pleased or approving of it. 

Source: "Voices Carry"
Aimee singing in her band. 

Aimee begins to sing as she sits in a band rehearsal:

I'm in the dark, I'd like to read his mind
But I'm frightened of the things I might find

Source: CSL Vintage Cartoons Woman trying to read his mind.

One can imagine the scenario in which she is lying next to her boyfriend as he is asleep, and she replays his controlling words in her head on loop. She can only help but wonder what he is really thinking and his motivation behind his ill treatment of Aimee. But would she really want to know the truth?

The next lyrics are:

Oh, there must be something he's thinking of
To tear him away (He holds up a piece of paper and then crumples it. I was unable to see what the paper says.)

Source: "Voices Carry"
The piece of paper could be a legal document or a letter from someone.

Because it is unclear what the paper says on the top, therefore it can be      interpreted in a variety of ways.The paper could be a report that Aimee filed against his abuse towards her because it does resemble a legal document out it could represent something else. However, I don't think she had spoken out about the abuse. Or the paper could be a letter from someone that is "tearing him away" from his normal life, this could be connected to his motivation to abuse Aimee. Either way the boyfriend does not want to look at the paper and seems very stressed about it. Perhaps other clues in the music video will show us what it means. 

 During the rehearsal scene Aimee sings:

"When I tell him that I'm falling in love
Why does he say"

These lyrics lead into the chorus that is played during the restaurant scene.

Chorus:

Hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry.  Hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry.

The ending two lines of the first verse and the chorus combined paint the picture that perhaps Aimee's boyfriend is not actually her boyfriend, seeing as he does not want her to talk about being in love with him. Aimee could be the girl that he is cheating with or maybe she is his girlfriend but he is trying to keep her a secret from another woman? These lyrics also could represent the other woman he is cheating on Aimee with, and she said that she is falling in love with him. The boyfriend would say to her not to say that in fear of Aimee overhearing her or that he doesn't want to become emotionally invested in the woman he is cheating with. However, it is unclear thus far in the music video if he is cheating at all. 

The video goes to a scene of an upscale restaurant, which I believe is called "Davots" judging from the door, and it is complete with a pianist in the corner.

Source: "Voices Carry"
Upscale Restaurantt

Source: "Voices Carry"
The couple appears to be happy. Also not the sophisticated clothing in Aimee.

Aimee and her boyfriend are sitting at a table. They are holding hands and seem relatively happy with mutual smiles.

Source: "Voices Carry"
Her boyfriend notices the out of place punk earring.

The boyfriend then stops smiling and removes a unique over the ear earring from her that was only on one side, as though he didn't approve of its punk appearance along with her new hair. Aimee's punk hair is tucked under a fancy red hat. She also has on a sophisticated red dress, which is quite the opposite of her previous punk garb. 

Source: "Voices Carry"
Amethyst earrings

The boyfriend then opens a box containing expensive looking amethyst earrings. The amethyst  gems themselves could have symbolism within this scenario. According to the website Emily Gems, which is a gem seller and provides meanings behind the stones, says  "Ancient Egyptians used the amethyst guard against guilty and fearful feelings". The idea of guarding against guilty feelings could relate to her boyfriend who is abusing her, and does not want to feel guilty and responsible for his actions. The guarding against fear can represent Aimee and the fear she has for her situation and of her boyfriend. The amethyst could serve as a mental aid in order for her to be stronger and less fearful, but it is also serve as a symbolic mask for the  boyfriend's guilt of abusing her.  

The gift giving also relates to the cycle of abuse that occurs in abusive relationships. It is an example of the "Honeymoon" phase that abusers have as an attempt to reconcile for the abuse and cause the victim to not think the situation is that bad. 

Source: DAYA
The boyfriend is exhibiting the honeymoon phase behavior.

I believe that in this video the abuser and victim are transitioning somewhere between the honeymoon phase and tension, especially with the negative comments about her hair and "new image". This displayed oppression against her self expression. 

Source: "Voices Carry"

He then places the earring in her ear and pats her chin, like she is a child. Aimee has a somewhat descending smile when he does this signifying that she had noticed the undermining gesture.

Seeing as the boyfriend is out in public with Aimee, shows intimacy and gives her gifts  leads me to believe that Aimee is the girlfriend that he is displaying publicly. So, would he really have a reason to tell Aimee that to hush after she says she is falling in love, unless the boyfriend is planning to leave her soon and this could be for a woman he is cheating on Aimee with. Those earlier lyrics will probably make more sense later in the music video. 

Source: "Voices Carry" 

Punk clothing at rehearsal
Then the scene is of her entering rehearsal with for her band. Aimee has on clothing that could be described as casual, punk and art-sy. She has her hair wild with the rat tail flowing freely. The other members of the band have a similar style of dress as her.
During the rehearsal she sings:
I try so hard not to get upset 
Because I know all the trouble I'll get
 Oh, he tells me tears are something to hide 
And something to fear
These lyrics definitely represent the oppression that she feels from her boyfriend due to the abuse and the overall way he treats her.  It also shows how she cannot say anything about the abuse because he will find out and most likely abuse her more, which is also part of the cycle. He may not want her to cry because he will doesn't want to feel guilty for his treatment towards her. Also, he may not want her to cry because he doesn't want other people to wonder why she is upset. 
When she sings these lyrics:
And I try so hard to keep it inside 
So no one can hear
Source: "Voices Carry" Aimee in window silhouetted
 She is silhouetted behind a curtain window, however one can see from her facial expression that she appears to be in pain. Aimee's head is tilted to the side and she looks like she is just allowing the pain to happen to her. Also the thin curtain can represent how she does try to hide and keep the abuse inside, but it still shows through her behaviors, such as possible forced happiness when she is with her boyfriend. Aimee also appears to be pressing herself against the curtain as a sign that she want to break through the emotional barrier she had created for herself in order to maintain silence about the abuse to please her boyfriend.


Source: "Voices Carry" Aimee heading to rehearsal


Then Aimee exits her apartment while holding her bass case. She is wearing her normal punk clothing and hairstyle, all of which are not formal or professional. One can assume that she is heading over to a rehearsal for her band.

Source: "Voices Carry" The couple kisses before things turn sour.
She runs into her boyfriend at the foot of the stairs. She smiles and they hug and kiss each other. The moment seems happy. However, that is until he appears to make a suggestion to her. She smiles and shakes her head. It is believable that he is asking her out to dinner or just to hang out. She probably declines because she has a rehearsal, which seems like a reasonable excuse. 
Source: "Voices Carry" Boyfriend grabs and yanks at bass case.  
But when she refuses, he looks upset and appears to be yelling at her. Aimee rubs the back of her head as a sign she is uncomfortable with the situation (she did this in the beginning when he insulted her
hair). The boyfriend then grabs her case that she is holding and
attempts to yank it from her hands, as though going to rehearsal
instead of being with him was not valid or important. This also is
another example of his control and abuse to her, and especially by
not letting her do the things she enjoys. The contrast of clothing in this scene is also important because he is wearing a business suit and holding a brief case, while she has her subculture punk clothing and bass case. 

 
   

    
   
    
Source: The Observer A photo from the 1987 movie Wall Street.
   

The boyfriend seems to come from the business world and most likely values money and status. By giving Aimee expensive earrings as a sign of reconciliation for his abuse, this is connected to him valuing money and possessions. This is an extension of the 1980s Materialism period where greed and excess were desired. Because the boyfriend is dressed in 1980s businessmen attire one can believe that he represents a power hungry and greedy businessman on Wall Street. The video perhaps serves as a contrast between the main culture of the 1980s where the businessmen thrived compared to the subculture where artists such as Aimee found themselves a part of. The boyfriend also could be fearful that her band will make more money than he does as a businessman, which would damage his ego and his need for excess. 


Source: "Voices Carry" The boyfriend angrily watches Aimee escape him.

 Also note the differences in clothing.
Aimee escapes him after he tried to stop her from leaving. He angrily watches walk down the street with his hand on his hip. Almost as a sign that he is not defeated and that this is not officially over yet, as he always has to display his control over her. One of the reasons he feels he has to be so controlling over her is because he values status and appearances over what people actually enjoy and  originality with self expression. Aimee's appearance is the antithesis of the 1980s successful socialite or young professional look, also known as a "yuppie". Aimee is a punk/new wave musician while her boyfriend is a money and status seeking businessman, which that itself can cause its own conflict. This is because it demonstrates the mainstream society within the 1980s that is more conservative opposed to the subculture, especially expressed through music at that time. 

Source: "Voices Carry" The boyfriend is angry.
His face also shows that is angry that she won the fight this time. One can see it in his eyes that he is angry that she broke from his control momentarily. He's nodding slowly and his eyes seem to narrow.
Source: "Voices Carry" He is waiting for her.
The scene then goes to inside the apartment, which judging from the inside looks upper class and well furnished. His possible Wall Street job probably paid for it. We see the boyfriend sitting by the window in the dark, appearing not to be doing anything else but waiting. This makes it seem as though he sat there for hours angry that he lost control of Aimee because she escaped him. Aimee arrives backs to the apartment and sees him waiting for her. This seems to me like role reversal in a way because when this scene is typically portrayed in the media, the woman is angry and waiting for her husband to arrive back home. This sometimes happens when a woman  suspects her husband is cheating on her, however he is aware that she went to rehearsal. He may had been fantasizing the whole time she was gone about how he wanted to abuse her.
He confronts her as she walks into the apartment with her bass case and says:
"What happen, practice run late?"
The anger starts to escalate quickly he says,"You know, this little hobby of yours has gone too far" 
Source: "Voices Carry"
He then stands up, his face looks very angry.His voice sounds angrier as he says, "Why can't you for once do something for me?"Aimee replies as her arms are cross and she seems to be calm in this situation, she says, "Like what?" 
Source: "Voices Carry" 

"Like what?"
She said that as though she knows she does everything that he wants her too and that she finds the confrontation ridiculous. 
Source: "Voices Carry"
The boyfriend then frustratingly wipes his forehead and walks towards her. 
Source:"Voices Carry" "No!" Implied rape
He lunges at her and pins her to the staircase. He looks as though he is biting her neck. Her facial expression and eye movements show that she does not want this to happen. In the song she screams "NO!"
Source: DAYA
The violence of sexual abuse has occurred.
It signifies the explosion in the abuse cycle where the act of the abuse happens. This is a form of sexual abuse but the rest of this scene is not shown, but this could represent implied rape because he had to regain his control over her.
While this is happening she sings:
"Oh, he wants me, but only part of the time
 He wants me if he can keep me in line"
Source: "Voices Carry"
 The video goes to the next scene where Aimee's boyfriend is with another woman. She has dark hair. They appear to be naked. He is smiling and seem happy to be with her. This scene definitely refers to the "he wants me, but only part of the time" lyric.  The couple is very intimate with one another. 


Source: "Voices Carry"
As the other woman turns we see that she is played by Aimee. 
The girl looking exactly like Aimee could mean that the boyfriend just sees women somewhat like Barbie dolls. That they are just different models of one another, represented by different hairstyles. The girl with the dark hair could be be a girl that the boyfriend finds more conforming to what believes is right and normal opposed to his girlfriend is wild blond hair. 
Source: Toys 'R Us

Aimee in her boyfriend's eyes.
Source: Toys 'R Us

 The other woman in his eyes.  

Perhaps he works with the dark haired Barbie and he feels that he can have a better control over the situation because they do the same type of things their life. Also, by having the girl he is cheating with look exactly like the girlfriend could mean that he is thinking about his girlfriend as he is doing this and by having her face on the girl he is cheating with shows he is guilty.
Source: Disney Postcards and Music that Jumped the Shark.com

 Aimee is a Cinderella.
Source: Rolling Stones

 A Cinderella Story gone all wrong. 
Source: The Disney wiki 

The other woman.
Also, referring to the idea that the boyfriend looks like Prince Charming could be related to how modern representations see the classic Prince Charming, such as the graphic novel series Fables, as a misogynist and "player". In Fables it talk about how he was married to Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. However, all three of them divorced him due to his infidelity. Therefore, if this boyfriend represents prince charming, then Aimee is Cinderella and the brunette girl could be Snow White, the girl he is moving onto. 
Source: Wikipedia Carnegie Hall
After the cheating scene, the video cuts to Carnegie Hall, which is located in New York City and  "is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music". This is evidence that the boyfriend is wealthy like a Prince Charming would be and because Aimee's band seems to just be starting out it seems to be that she is not wealthy. Perhaps their levels of wealth are another divide between them and further makes them a modern day symbolism for Cinderella and Prince Charming. 

Source: "Voices Carry" Aimee and boyfriend in Carnegie Hall.
We see the couple sitting amongst the audience. The boyfriend looks at Aimee and grabs her rat tail. This could mean that he is upset she is allowing this to show during a formal event while higher class people are around. He may think that his unconventional girlfriend could cause the other people to judge him based upon her and see him as lower status. Besides the rat tail, Aimee does look very sophisticated and upper class, almost as though she belongs with her boyfriend. He might have dictated her choice of clothing for the event in order to maintain his public persona. He also might have controlled her choice of clothing in the restaurant as well. 
Aimee looks somewhat in a trance while she starts singing in Carnegie Hall
Source: "Voices Carry" Boyfriend angrily looks at Aimee.
Oh, hush, hush, shut up now, voices carry
 Oh, hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry 
Oh, hush hush, darling, she might overhear 
Oh no, voices carry
While she is singing, the boyfriend looks at her angrily as though people will notice because he fears embarrassment. Then a woman in the audience looks back as recognition that Aimee is making noise during the performance. In these moments Aimee also sings, "Oh, hush hush, darling, she might overhear". This can refer back to the cheating scene. The boyfriend may have said that to the brunette while they were fooling around in case Aimee was around while it was happening. Aimee may have overheard him saying that or heard them having sex, so then she was aware that he had been cheating. Aimee speaking out in the theater could represent two things. She could be trying to be out spoken about how her boyfriend is abusing her and that she knows he is cheating. Of course, he would not like people to know about either of those things, so he tries to stop her from speaking. While Aimee is singing aloud in Carnegie Hall, her boyfriend looks extremely embarrassed signified by him looking side to side at the people around him, because his public persona is being tarnished by her. 

Source: "Voices Carry" The boyfriend is embarrassed while she sings.
From Aimee's facial expressions it appears that she is screaming this in the theater. The people around her look in disbelief that someone is being outspoken in Carnegie Hall. They turn and look at her in disgust. This could represent people's reactions in society while other people are outspoken about an issue, and people in turn may act negatively. This could relate to how various groups are silenced because they do not fit the mainstream's focus, such as feminists and women's rights activists. 

Source: "Voices Carry" Aimee swats away her boyfriend as he tries to stop her.
The boyfriend moves quickly and angrily as he is trying to stop her from being outspoken. She the stands up from her seat, swats the boyfriend away as he physically tries to stop her from standing and being even more outspoken. As she stands up she takes off her hat to reveal her hair, which is the true representation of herself and by wearing a hat during formal occasions is the representation of the oppression that the boyfriend had imparted on her because he highly values control and status. And by having a girlfriend with a unique style and that could be from the lower class is not going to help him achieve what he values in life, which is money and status.  

Source: "Voices Carry" Passionately singing, boyfriend embarrassed.
While Aimee is standing she passionately sings:
He said shut up
 He said shut up 
Oh God, can't you keep it down, voices carry
This can be referring to what the boyfriend said when Aimee tried to tell someone about the abuse or what happened when she was being abuse or possibly raped. The couple do live in an apartment, if he had raped her then others might have heard her yells. Because he does not want to be caught, and in order to maintain complete control he told her to shut up and "Oh God, can't you keep it down, voices carry". While she is singing this, she appears to have hit her breaking point from all the stress and abuse her boyfriend had caused her. 
Source: "Voices Carry" The boyfriend hides.
Also while she is standing up and the boyfriend realizes he had lost control over the situation, he tries to hide behind the seat in front of him. This demonstrates that he is a coward and cannot face Aimee being in control of the situation. His hiding also shows that people who do abuse others, do not hold themselves accountable for it once someone is outspoken about the abuse.This shows that that the victim is the stronger person if he or she can speak out about the abuse, and the abuser can only maintain control and power until he is found out. 
Source:"Voices Carry" 

"I wish he would let me talk"
Everyone in the audience is looking at her and then she sings on of the most painful lines in the song,
"I wish he would let me talk"
This causes one to believe that she actually did not gain her confidence in the  theatre and spoke out against her abuse. Perhaps in reality she was in the theatre sitting quietly as everything she felt was boiling under the surface. She may had said something to her boyfriend to cause him to say "Hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry" in a dismissing way that a father might tell a child, but that could had struck a chord with her during the performance and so she  formed this song in her head in the Carnegie Hall based from all the oppression she had been faced with. Its actually quite sad that her triumphant out burst possibly didn't happen.
This song is mainly about the silence and pain that people go through when he or she is the victim of domestic abuse. This is a very important topic to bring awareness to with heterosexual couples, however Aimee Mann's original lyrics had her singing this song to a woman. If the domestic abuse had been show between a lesbian couple that would have brought a new aware to the public that homosexual couples do face domestic abuse in the same ways that heterosexual couples do. 
Lyrics from: Project 80s
If we replaced the gender to female in the "Voices Carry" lyrics, then the song could have different interpretations.
I'm in the dark, I'd like to read her mind
but I'm frightened of the things I might find
Oh, there must be something she's thinking of
to tear her away
when I tell her that I'm falling in love
why does she say

Hush hush
keep it down now
voices carry

I try so hard not to get upset
because I know all the trouble I'll get
oh, she tells me tears are something to hide
and something to fear
and I try so hard to keep it inside
so no one can hear

Hush hush
keep it down now
voices carry

She wants me
but only part of the time
She wants me
if she can keep me in line

Hush hush
keep it down now
voices carry

hush hush, darling, he might overhear
oh, no-voices carry
he said shut up he said shut up
oh God can't you keep it down
voices carry
I wish she would let me talk

Just by looking at the lyrics with either gender focused and not looking at the meanings in the music video, then this song could be about a person who is the one that the person in a relationship is cheating with, and the cheatee had fallen in love the person in a relationship. The song could be the struggle one faces when in that situation that they cannot show their love for another because the other person is ashamed or restricting it for some reason. Therefore, if Aimee song this song to a woman, then the person she is in love with may be married to a man and doesn't want to come out as a lesbian. This could be in risk of damaging social status, as the man in this music video is concerned with. When using a different interpretation, this song is not about rape, but about the struggle with outwardly showing one's true sexual identity and the emotional pain it causes when the one you love will not let you be with him or her. So, if Mann would have been able to keep the original lyrics for this song, rather than changing them to fit in with mainstream music, then it would have represented lesbian feminism and a message to the homosexual community. Either way this song is very power and meaningful.
Information and resources regarding lesbian feminism can be found here: Life in America: The Reagan Years, A Webography.
More information and resources about domestic abuse can be found here: Helpguide.org