Justin Timberlake's latest single has a pretty, um, interesting title.
The Take Back the Night Foundation has arranged marches and rallies since the 1970s to protest rape and sexual assault against women.
Here are some lyrics from Justin Timberlake's song.
Tonight the night's, come on surrender
I won't lead your love astray, astray, yeah
Your love's a weapon
Give your body some direction
That's my aim
Take back the night
Come on, use me up until there's nothing left
Take back the night
Dizzy, spinning, sweating, you can't catch your breath
Take back the night
Ooh, don't know when the sun is rising next
Take back the night
So if the feeling's right, then raise your glass and let's
Take back the night
Some Twitter users have questioned Timberlake's appropriation of the phrase.
"Take Back the Night" proves that artists should really google stuff before they release it.
Dan Reilly
@danreilly11
"Take Back the Night" proves that artists should really google stuff before they release it.
is jt calling his new song ‘take back the night’ a way for him to ride the controversy about ‘blurred lines’ (i will not use the ‘r’ word)
maura johnston
@maura
is jt calling his new song ‘take back the night’ a way for him to ride the controversy about ‘blurred lines’ (i will not use the ‘r’ word)
Of course I didn't know what Take Back The Night was, my parents raised me to be famous, not a guy who knows about things -Justin Timberlake
Matt Collins
@mitchberghini
Of course I didn't know what Take Back The Night was, my parents raised me to be famous, not a guy who knows about things -Justin Timberlake
Not one? Not one person in Justin Timberlake's team had heard about Take Back The Night?!! Or say, just one of the women in his life? #fail
Rock Bublitz
@WriteRock
Not one? Not one person in Justin Timberlake's team had heard about Take Back The Night?!! Or say, just one of the women in his life? #fail
Katherine Koestner, the Executive Director of the Take Back the Night Foundation, had this to say to RadarOnline.
Everyone at Take Back the Night is really shocked, because normally, we get asked when people want to use the name. Normally entities as large as Justin Timberlake do very kind and thoughtful things to support our cause...we have some big concerns. For example, all of a sudden on Wikipedia, Take Back the Night has a different definition. That's not been helpful.
Koestner went on to discuss potential legal action that the foundation may take if the issue isn't resolved.
We tried to contact him through his website and got no answer. Then we sent him a letter Friday from our legal counsel saying ,'You used our name without our permission.' His legal agent got back to us and said they're sorry. His agent said 'Justin's a good guy! He's a family man!' They claimed he'd never heard of us before he wrote that song. I don't know what country he's been in. I suppose it could have slipped off his radar screen somehow. Somebody working for him definitely messed up.
In a statement to RadarOnline, Timberlake addressed the organization's concerns.
I wanted to take this opportunity to let all know that neither my song nor its lyrics have any association with the organization. As I've learned more about The Take Back The Night Foundation, I'm moved by its efforts to stop violence against women, create safe communities and encourage respectful relationships for women — Something we all should rally around. It is my hope that this coincidence will bring more awareness to this cause.
Now the Wikipedia page for the phrase "Take Back the Night" directs to Timberlake's single, as opposed to the foundation.
