Probably my favorite song of all, because it was such a risk for me to even admit I had written it, in part because it does not hide its sexuality. But, I refuse to let years of body shame and extremely warped and sex-negative views, heaped up with racist and misogynist notions of who is allowed to do what to whom, with or without their consent, keep me down. The song itself is silly, it's got the 50s-rock stammering for effect, it's got "rhymes" that are just ridiculous. But that is the point of it really--it's not meeting the doom and gloom with a serious and calculated defense, it's being fully present in my own skin and feeling so damn good about it that I have to laugh. Like most body-positive songs, though, it's ultimately not just about me. It's written in first-person on purpose, and it is also intentionally un-specific about size/shape/color/etc.: I want you to get it stuck in your head and walk around singing about how awesome *your* body is, because every body, and I mean everybody deserves to feel awesome about being alive and in a body at all, regardless of what that body does or doesn't do. It's a gift just to take a breath.
On the real real though: anyone who does not respect that your body is YOURS and not theirs does not deserve to even look upon your skin, so sing this to yourself and dance the hell out of there as soon as you can get out safe--do no unnecessary harm and don't risk your own safety when you can, but defend yourself by any means you need from the hands that can't seem to say "please" and not just "mine." A lot of people in this world will think they own you and that they define your sexual needs, especially if your woman/-ish skin is browner than theirs and they are of the cishetero persuasion.
On the even realer though: For those of you who have done this to me, best believe I still have your face and name burned into my mind. Don't let me catch you in an ally without a damn good apology and probably your wallet and your watch, or there may be a victimless crime on the nightly news to say goodnight to you. The exact same goes for those I know have hurt any of my siblings: my sisters, not just my "cisters," or any of my bros, cis/trans/otherwise, or any of my NB niblings just trying to get from work to home. I remember every name and I remember every face--I'd advise you not to expect a smile from mine.
lyrics
Got a damn good body
I'm a hot potaty
I just might let you
Touch my body
Cuz I bet you've got a
Naughty thoughty
Or two about my hotty body
So what, so what
Have I g-g-got-y
On my super duper b-b-body
Some things you could
choose to use
And some that I could use on you
Every preposition's fine
When your body touches mine
Got a damn good body
I'm a hot potaty
I just might let you
Touch my body
Cuz I bet you've got a
Naughty thoughty
Or two about my hotty body!
The latest from Jim Lauderdale is exclusive to Bandcamp, its songs drawing on bluegrass, country, and classic American music. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 28, 2020
Hailing from Houston, Alien Eyelid make Grateful Dead-ish psychedelic alt-country with a distinctly twangy Southern rock tinge. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 13, 2023
A concept album where meteorology is a metaphor for anxiety, the new one from timing is artful indie at its finest. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 13, 2023
