32 Flavors
Encyclopedia
"32 Flavors" is a song, written and performed by Ani DiFranco
. The song was later covered
by Alana Davis
. The title of the song is a pun on Canton, Massachusetts
-based ice cream store Baskin-Robbins
and its well-known "31 flavors" slogan
.
, released in 1995. A variation of the song, performed by Ani DiFranco, is featured on the movie soundtrack of the 1999 Canadian
romantic comedy
Better Than Chocolate
.
In all of Ani DiFranco's works, including "32 Flavors", she makes political problems personal and more evident to her fans. Her lyrics are making a statement on appearance and actions. They ask the listener to "squint your eyes and look closer", rather than simply making assumptions. For Difranco, who has defied categorization for much of her career, but is often poorly categorized as punk because of her haircut, or folk because of her style, the song is a proud statement of her uniqueness.
The song was used in an ad campaign by the National Football League in 1999. The ad featured a number of players who have worn the number "32" on their jerseys. This surprised many of her fans, some of whom felt that she had "sold out", but is perhaps simply an excellent example of the futility of seeing people one-dimensionally.
Difranco requires not only the mainstream to see beyond their assumption to her humanity and complexity, but also her fan base. A bisexual, she has many lesbian fans who have been disappointed by her long term relationships with men, even though she has never claimed to be a lesbian. Many of her songs address her personal struggles to be accepted as she is, rather than how people would like her to be, but "32 flavors" is perhaps the most popular of these because it describes the experience broadly enough that many women, and perhaps some men, hear their own story in her words.
The song also has the charming quality of being assertive, and perhaps even a bit angry, while exuding a certain joyfulness.
of "32 Flavors" was released as the first single by Manhattan
-based singer Alana Davis
. The song appears on her debut album Blame It on Me. The CD single also included Davis' song "Lullaby". It received a 3 out of 5 star rating on Allmusic.
Alana's record label A & R representative, Josh Deutsch, suggested she cover Ani DiFranco's version to be the first single released from her new album. Davis was pleased with the finished result but was, at first, uncomfortable with covering the song as she felt she couldn't connect with all of the personal emotions that DiFranco wrote into the song.
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
. The song was later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Alana Davis
Alana Davis
Alana Davis is an American singer-songwriter. Her father, Walter Davis, Jr., was an African-American pianist who played alongside such jazz greats as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie....
. The title of the song is a pun on Canton, Massachusetts
Canton, Massachusetts
Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,561 at the 2010 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston.- History :...
-based ice cream store Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins is a global chain of ice cream parlors founded by Burt Baskin and Irvine Robbins in 1953, from the merging of their respective ice cream parlors, in Glendale, California. It claims to be the world's largest ice cream franchise, with more than 5,800 locations, 2,800 of which are...
and its well-known "31 flavors" slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
.
Ani DiFranco version
This song appears on her seventh album, Not a Pretty GirlNot a Pretty Girl
Not a Pretty Girl is the sixth studio album released by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco on her own record label, Righteous Babe Records. It was released July 18, 1995. The album extended the folk singer's early formula of acoustic guitar and drums...
, released in 1995. A variation of the song, performed by Ani DiFranco, is featured on the movie soundtrack of the 1999 Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
Better Than Chocolate
Better Than Chocolate
Better Than Chocolate is a 1999 Canadian romantic comedy movie shot in Vancouver directed by Anne Wheeler.-Plot:Maggie has recently moved out on her own, and has started a relationship with another woman, Kim...
.
In all of Ani DiFranco's works, including "32 Flavors", she makes political problems personal and more evident to her fans. Her lyrics are making a statement on appearance and actions. They ask the listener to "squint your eyes and look closer", rather than simply making assumptions. For Difranco, who has defied categorization for much of her career, but is often poorly categorized as punk because of her haircut, or folk because of her style, the song is a proud statement of her uniqueness.
The song was used in an ad campaign by the National Football League in 1999. The ad featured a number of players who have worn the number "32" on their jerseys. This surprised many of her fans, some of whom felt that she had "sold out", but is perhaps simply an excellent example of the futility of seeing people one-dimensionally.
Difranco requires not only the mainstream to see beyond their assumption to her humanity and complexity, but also her fan base. A bisexual, she has many lesbian fans who have been disappointed by her long term relationships with men, even though she has never claimed to be a lesbian. Many of her songs address her personal struggles to be accepted as she is, rather than how people would like her to be, but "32 flavors" is perhaps the most popular of these because it describes the experience broadly enough that many women, and perhaps some men, hear their own story in her words.
The song also has the charming quality of being assertive, and perhaps even a bit angry, while exuding a certain joyfulness.
Alana Davis version
A cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "32 Flavors" was released as the first single by Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-based singer Alana Davis
Alana Davis
Alana Davis is an American singer-songwriter. Her father, Walter Davis, Jr., was an African-American pianist who played alongside such jazz greats as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie....
. The song appears on her debut album Blame It on Me. The CD single also included Davis' song "Lullaby". It received a 3 out of 5 star rating on Allmusic.
Alana's record label A & R representative, Josh Deutsch, suggested she cover Ani DiFranco's version to be the first single released from her new album. Davis was pleased with the finished result but was, at first, uncomfortable with covering the song as she felt she couldn't connect with all of the personal emotions that DiFranco wrote into the song.
Charts
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
37 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 34 |
External links
- Lyrics from Ani DiFranco's website
- [ "32 Flavors" by Alana Davis] at Allmusic
- The Progressive video and short piece about Ani.