All the Things You Are

September 20, 2008 3:04 AM

Body parts in music: Skinny Legs - Soul Finger - Into My Arms - Fingertips - Can't Get You Out of My Head - Skinny Leg Blues - These Arms of Mine - My Pal Foot Foot - (Not Just) Knee Deep - Good Foot - Legs - Toes - Dope Nose - No Nose Job - Pick Yer Nose - Yummy Yummy Yummy (I got love in my tummy) - Lips Like Sugar - Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain - Sunshine On My Shoulder - Grandma's Hands - I Want To Hold Your Hand - Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See - Watch My Feet - Protect Ya Neck - Make Yo Backbone Slip - Baby Got Back - I Like Small Butts - Stomp 'Em in the Nuts and, of course, Punch 'Em in the Dick. [NOTE: see hoverovers for link descriptions]

And sure, there's some NSFW stuff... Booty Butt Cheeks, featuring Bill Cosby's face and, well, a butt, in what is perhaps the greatest music video ever made. And there's My Neck, but it ain't rapping about her neck that makes this number by Khia decidedly NSFW. And the hilariously over-the-top Busta Rhymes with Break Ya Neck. Then there's The Penis Song, which is really pretty dreadful, but I suppose it should be included here, in the interest of thoroughness.

And one last thing... from the ever-entertaining world of Japanese TV, it's Nose Tricks.

Needless to say, there's tons more body parts songs. Links welcomed, as always.

posted by flapjax at midnite (80 comments total)

Daddy's Hands
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 3:14 AM on September 20, 2008

How could you have forgotten the detachable penis song?

Lady Saw covers the NSFW side pretty well: she lets loose on pretty pussy, and bemoans a live without dick. Don't like what she has to say? Chat to mi back.
posted by Forktine at 3:16 AM on September 20, 2008

Searching for body parts songs turns up some unexpected things, though — I was looking for a song I vaguely remembered about ears, and found a whole set of videos explaining how to do at-home draining of cauliflower ear. Wouldn't you know it, someone even has a song about cauliflower ear.
posted by Forktine at 3:34 AM on September 20, 2008

Asshole.
posted by crossoverman at 3:44 AM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Re: I Like Small Butts. Seems that ever since the Napster days, some software designer created a GUI library where whenever you upload a comedy song, there's a dialog box somewhere that only lets you pick Weird Al or Dr. Demento. That darn GUI is in everything.
posted by crapmatic at 3:45 AM on September 20, 2008

Smell yo dick. Somehow, I don't think I'll ever forget that post.
posted by IvoShandor at 3:48 AM on September 20, 2008

Mickey Avalon - My Dick.
posted by churl at 4:02 AM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Awsome.
posted by nola at 4:26 AM on September 20, 2008

Thanks for including "My Pal Foot Foot." And am I missing "Barefootin'"? And the 1961 "She Got a Nose Job" from "Mad Twists Rock and Roll".
posted by Faze at 4:34 AM on September 20, 2008

Thanks for including "My Pal Foot Foot."

Hey, no problem. The Shaggs rule the universe.

And am I missing "Barefooti

Doh! *slaps forehead*... How in the holy F did I forget that one? It was a radio hit back in 'bama when I was a youngster. Here it is.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:43 AM on September 20, 2008

Oh, and here's the Wilson Picket cover of Barefootin'. Pickett's voice is, of course, one of the soulfullest ever, but I still prefer Robert Parker's original. Speaking of which, the one I linked to above is having problems, I think, so here's another one: Robert Parker's "Barefootin'".
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:49 AM on September 20, 2008

Dry Bones, Dry Bones, Dry Bones
Dry Bones,
Them Not So Dry Bones
posted by horsemuth at 5:04 AM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

don't forget body parts in band names: head & leg. i'm especially partial to poke you in the eye.
posted by msconduct at 5:06 AM on September 20, 2008

Paul Delay's "Beautiful Bones" is apparently too obscure (and way too cool) even for YouTube.

Great post flapjax. Can't get it out of my head.
posted by three blind mice at 5:12 AM on September 20, 2008

the holy modal rounders have an entire body of work: boobs a lot, the belly i idolize and, of course, snappin' pussy.
posted by snofoam at 5:45 AM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

total eclipse of the heart.

(kudos for Into My Arms & Lips Like Sugar, but hey, what an oversight!)
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:55 AM on September 20, 2008

Body Parts
posted by medium format at 6:15 AM on September 20, 2008

total eclipse of the heart ... what an oversight!

No, no, Ubu, I was just saving that for my internal organs song post!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:24 AM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think Julie London understands Yummy Yummy Yummy much better than Ohio Express.
posted by Manhasset at 6:26 AM on September 20, 2008

Do the songs have to be about body parts from this universe...? Eye-Shaking King - Amon Düül II
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 6:28 AM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Don't forget Fleshmap's very awesome chart of body parts by genre [slightly NSFW]. As expected, the Eyes have it!
posted by Lemurrhea at 6:33 AM on September 20, 2008

Gut Feeling, maybe? I know the "gut" refers more to a region than a part, but I do love this song.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 6:38 AM on September 20, 2008

No, no, Ubu, I was just saving that for my internal organs song post!

you'll be needing this, then: what's inside a girl.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:49 AM on September 20, 2008

Allan Sherman, Me

Counting both feet, I have ten toes
They're not lady toes, they're men toes...

posted by moonmilk at 7:24 AM on September 20, 2008

Biting My Nails
posted by pernoctalian at 7:37 AM on September 20, 2008

what a great post, flapjax! thanks!

dancing barefoot - patti smith
in your eyes - peter gabriel
fried neckbones (& some homefries) - willie bobo
wash your face in my sink - dream warriors
cumin' in ya ear - the goats
heart of glass - blondie
let me clear my throat - dj kool
jaw gymnastics - del the funky homo sapien
i can't write left-handed - bill withers
ladyfingers - luscious jackson
in my bones - groove armada
close my eyes - matisyahu
safe in your arms - beth orton
hair - from the musical "hair"
posted by jammy at 7:48 AM on September 20, 2008

What's the Ugliest Part of your Body?
posted by stifford at 8:05 AM on September 20, 2008

Harmony in My Head – Buzzcocks
Arms Aloft – Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Eyes Without a Face – Billy Idol [2 for 1 special offer]
Fingers – Grant McLennan
Cut your hair – Pavement
The Dusty Foot Philosopher – K'naan
500 Fingernails – Why?
Rainer Maria - Ears Ring
Battery In Your Leg – Blur
Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair – Twilight Singers
Ribcage – Elbow[!]
posted by mandal at 8:06 AM on September 20, 2008

Ace post Mr. Midnite.
posted by mandal at 8:07 AM on September 20, 2008

eardrum buzz!
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:33 AM on September 20, 2008

If crapmatic didn't make it clear, that is decidedly not Weird Al. Otherwise a well-designed post.
posted by dgbellak at 8:34 AM on September 20, 2008

this is cracking me up. wonderful post, flapjax. thanks for all the additional links, mefis.
posted by ms.jones at 8:38 AM on September 20, 2008

AC/DC: Big Balls
Ramones: My Brain is Hanging Upside Down
Shakira: Hips Don't Lie
(or Huey Lewis and the News: Hip to Be Square)
Hole: Celebrity Skin
The Wiggles: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
posted by stargell at 8:40 AM on September 20, 2008

What, no My Ding-a-Ling?

No Jelly Roll Baker?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:48 AM on September 20, 2008

The Man With the 4-Way Hips
Shake Your Hips
Infant Eyes
Red Right Ankle
Crazy Arms
What's That on Your Finger?
Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
Is it My Body
Break My Body
Penis Envy (mp3)
posted by hydrophonic at 8:50 AM on September 20, 2008

No internal organs allowed? Damn. So I guess I won't post Bobby Bare Jr. and the Young Criminals Starvation League doing The Heart Bionic.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:03 AM on September 20, 2008

I accept your "Big Balls" by AC DC and raise you a "Balls to the Wall" by Accept.
posted by wittgenstein at 9:07 AM on September 20, 2008

But, BOP, you could do "Flat Chested Girl From Maynardville," "Painting Her Fingernails," or "Bullet Through My Teeth."

(I'm going to claim teeth are external when you smile. Or scream. Or when they're ripped out by a bullet.)
posted by hydrophonic at 9:13 AM on September 20, 2008

Never thought I'd say this on Metafilter, but uh, I gotta big dick.

nice post
posted by forallmankind at 9:40 AM on September 20, 2008

What about "I'm Waving My Dick in the Wind" by Ween? Two phallic references for the price of one!
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:45 AM on September 20, 2008

Hate to godwin this thread, but...
posted by stifford at 9:46 AM on September 20, 2008

All of these songs are, uh, bush league, compared to DJ Assault's Ass and Titties. Assault has a mild lisp that causes him to say "ath and tittieth" and "broke ath hoethz." Check out the Related Videos for some underaged, fully-clothed booty shakin.
posted by ben242 at 10:05 AM on September 20, 2008

Ergh, that last post makes me sound like kind of a pedophile. What I really meant was to make a comment on the postmodern nature of Youtube as a cultural mirror, highlighting the oversexualized young women in western society and the unfortunate permanence of the performance they posted. Doh.
posted by ben242 at 10:08 AM on September 20, 2008

ben242, please use your mighty powers of cultural analysis to defend my following link:

Short Dick Man
posted by hydrophonic at 10:39 AM on September 20, 2008

hyrophonic,

I'm going to have to finish my masters degree before I can come up with something to defend Short Dick Man.
posted by ben242 at 10:55 AM on September 20, 2008

What does oversexualized really mean

sometimes a girl just wants to shake her booty

got damn.
posted by sondrialiac at 11:00 AM on September 20, 2008

Does Kuntz count? Lets just say I'm spending the day contemplating The Power of Pussy while Chewin' The Apple Of Your Eye. But don't worry, we won't tell Cross-Eyed Mary because Our Lips Are Sealed.
sorry.
posted by Sailormom at 11:26 AM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Does Kuntz count?

The story behind this song that I remember reading in an interview with the Butts in some rag like MR&R was that it was a song they heard playing while dining in a Thai restaurant, and they basically "borrowed" it, took it to the studio, did something like 50 bong hits and then played with it on the mixing board.

There was a time when those wacky Texans had some imagination and a sense of adventure. Now they sound like some generic rock band from an episode of One Tree Hill.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:43 AM on September 20, 2008

Some fellas look at the eyes
Some fellas look at the nose
Some fellas look at the size
Some fellas look at the clothes
I don't care if her eyes are red
I don't care if her nose is long
I don't care if she's underfed
I don't care if her clothes are worn
First I look at the purse!
posted by fourcheesemac at 12:26 PM on September 20, 2008

Only H. sapiens body parts? Y'all are a bunch of species-ists.

Martians represent with Eight Foot Two, Solid Blue!
posted by Quietgal at 1:05 PM on September 20, 2008

Damn, borked the link. Listen here for extraterrestrial anatomy.
posted by Quietgal at 1:07 PM on September 20, 2008

this post is full of win.
posted by liza at 1:08 PM on September 20, 2008

I just came here to say that "I Like Small Butts" is in no way Wierd Al despite what the hoverover over says, but the Youtube comments said it so much better:

thingy12345678
this isnt weird al you retard
SnexyGirl
I thought soo,,
but how is it??
thingy12345678
what do you mean "how is it??"
SnexyGirl
How is singing this song??
posted by DanielDManiel at 1:18 PM on September 20, 2008

A few less obvious. Apologies in advance for dupes:

o Der Fuerher's Face -- Spike Jones (der god-winned face)

o A Pound for a Brown (on the Bus) -- Zappa/Mothers (anus)

o Mr. Skin -- Spirit (Ed Cassidy's clean dome)

o Tongue Tied -- The Cat (tongue. Bonus: includes line "I got a funny feeling in my kidneys and my liver", also mentions hands, knees, and "reproductive system, baby")

o My Humps -- Black Eye Peas (her lovely lady lumps)

o Shake Your Money Maker -- Elmore James (you tell me) Sorry, blues fans, Butter is as close as I could get to Elmore.

Fun post, Flapjax
posted by Herodios at 2:39 PM on September 20, 2008

make that:
o Shake Your Money Maker
posted by Herodios at 2:41 PM on September 20, 2008

Loose Booty
Nappy Dugout
No Head, No Backstage Pass
[ / p-funk ]

Loose Booty
[ /funk ]
posted by LinusMines at 3:31 PM on September 20, 2008

I was thinking about this thread late this afternoon while out gardening. Some, like T. F. A. by Silverfish and My Face Your Ass by Lambchop eluded me. Happily, I found some of the others.

Mr. Blue Veins – Carnival Art
Beauty Lies In The Eye – Sonic Youth
Hand in Glove – The Smiths
Homophobic Asshole - Senseless Things
Second Skin – The Chameleons
Severed Lips - Dinosaur Jr
Face Up – New Order
Hair – P J Harvey
posted by mandal at 5:39 PM on September 20, 2008

And Spinal Tap's Big Bottom.
posted by Neiltupper at 7:57 PM on September 20, 2008

I could think of more if I only had a brain. . .
posted by Herodios at 8:18 PM on September 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Because I saw them play this about two hours ago at the Roseland I will add: Mötorhead: Iron Fist.
posted by stargell at 9:15 PM on September 20, 2008

As my belated contribution to this excellent thread, I give you Smelly Tongues.

Is imeem kosher for linking on MeFi? never seen it before, looks handy.
posted by ghost of a past number at 10:56 PM on September 20, 2008

One thing you will discover when you get next to one another, is everybody needs some elbow room.
posted by not_on_display at 11:19 PM on September 20, 2008

Kuntz by the Butthole Surfers. [NOT ____-IST]
posted by not_on_display at 11:49 PM on September 20, 2008

Dag, missed your previous comment, Sailormom.
posted by not_on_display at 11:52 PM on September 20, 2008

One body part per song title is way too easy. Dry Bones (see Horsemuth's post) has nine body parts in one song! (At least in the classical lyrics.) Betcha can't find a song with more!
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:20 AM on September 21, 2008

No sooner said than done. I found a song with about 26 or so body parts. You can guess it if you want. I'll only give you one clue: it definitely includes "hair".
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:28 AM on September 21, 2008

One body part per song title is way too easy.

posted by twoleftfeet

*ahem
posted by mandal at 5:51 AM on September 21, 2008

You can guess it if you want. I'll only give you one clue: it definitely includes "hair".

I give up. What is it?

Your answer should complete this thread nicely!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:19 PM on September 21, 2008

Roger Waters and Ron Geesin wrote a song a while ago, Our Song, which definitely has 26 body sounds in it...
posted by not_on_display at 4:55 PM on September 21, 2008

Ah yes, body sounds... n_o_d, you've reminded me of the ol' bodymusic tag over at MeFi Music.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:25 PM on September 21, 2008

I give up. What is it?

Avoiding the metaphysical question of whether or not the soul is a body part, I Got Life, from the musical Hair, has 26 or so body parts. That's probably some kind of record, but I don't know...
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:41 PM on September 21, 2008

Before you tell me this... I know Hair is a "record". That's not what I meant.
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:43 PM on September 21, 2008

I wasn't gonna tell you that, twoleftfeet.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:59 AM on September 22, 2008

Break Ya Ankles
posted by milkrate at 10:12 AM on September 22, 2008

Pussy, by the Brazilian Girls.

Thanks to It's Raining Florence Henderson
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:33 PM on September 22, 2008

I wasn't gonna tell you that, twoleftfeet.

I know you weren't. But somebody else was just about to. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, YOU KNOW WHO!
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:49 PM on September 22, 2008

twoleftfeet, thank you! i had forgotten about that piece from Hair

what a great song!
posted by jammy at 6:56 AM on September 24, 2008

Free Your Mind (And Your Ass Will Follow)
posted by Pollomacho at 7:12 AM on September 24, 2008

John Schaefer's radio program Soundcheck covers "Body Parts in Song" in today's episode. (You'll be able to listen online in a day or two, I think.) See also today's Soundcheck Blog:

Viegas and Wattenberg analyzed the lyrics to 10,000 songs in many genres, and found that the body part we most often sing about is… the eyes. The notable exception is hip-hop, where the butt, whether funky or not, reigns supreme. When you think of it, it makes sense that the eyes are the body part we most often sing about...

That's referring to an art project called Fleshmap with some fun (and possibly a tiny bit NSFW) visuals.
posted by moonmilk at 11:59 AM on October 1, 2008

Flapjax, I can't let this thread die without mentioning Charles Mingus' All The Things You Could Be By Now If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother -- dedicated to "all mothers (muthas)".
posted by Herodios at 8:00 AM on October 2, 2008