Just in time for March, which is endometriosis awareness month, Viennese singer-songwriter Fraeulein Astrid released a song that will resonate with a lot of people. The track titled ‘sag mir du erinnerst dich’ (‘tell me you remember’) came out on the 13th of February.
‘Sag mir du erinnerist dich’ is a reminder that art is, and should be, political. Not only does the song describe the pain that comes with a disease that affects millions, but with the wilful ignorance and the gaslighting that comes from those who are not affected.
The song starts quietly with Fraeulein Astrid’s hauntingly beautiful voice taking the centre stage. So far, Fraeulein Astrid has released only English songs, but there is something very intimate and raw in singing in her mother tongue. Either way, in neither language, she’s tiptoeing around the matter – her debut EP is titled my therapist says you’re an asshole – and she’s straightforward in ‘sag mir du erinnerst dich’ too.
As she is describing the ignorance, the indifference, and the neglect she’s received when trying to get help, she’s creating a picture that everyone who’s suffering from endometriosis will be able to relate to. One particularly chilling and poignant line is “komm, stich mir in den Bauch/Sieh gut nach, hol alles Böse raus” (“Come on, stab me in the stomach/Take a good look, take everything evil out”). Throughout the song, the lyrics slowly go from desperation to frustration to rage, and her voice conveys that transition so powerfully that listeners will understand without actually understanding the language.
The track doesn’t always follow a certain rhyme scheme; it’s more of a poem, an open letter, a speech. Above all, it’s unique. There aren’t a lot of other songs drawing attention to this issue in particular, which makes this one even more important. Fraeulein Astrid speaks, or rather sings, for millions of girls whose voices aren’t heard when they talk about their pain.
Written by: Melanie Falkensteiner
Edited by: Mandy Huibregtsen
