Joan Armatrading, who was to become famous a year later for ‘Love and Affection’, recounts her personal experience of racism: ‘I heard somebody say once I was way too black / And someone answers she's not black enough for me’. The chorus, ‘How cruel to make a young girl cry’, together with the personal sentiments of the verses, might suggest an exercise in self-pity. The music and her voice convey quite the opposite. This is not just about her.