Lyric Links

Since lyrics are the defining feature of most vagina-related songs, I offer you these silent links.

• Ani Difranco's fan-collected complete lyrics include many, many songs about women, politics, passion and relationships (i.e., vaginas and their adventures). Vaginal anthems I remember from my requisite Ani Difranco phase include My I.Q. and Blood In The Boardroom about menstruation, Lost Woman Song and Tip Toe about abortion, and Letter To A John, Gratitude, Shameless, If He Tries Anything and any number of other songs about sexual/social expectations.
• Tori Amos has several song files available on her website, but they don't include any of her well-known vagina songs. As expected, her superfans come through with lyrics for Icicle, featuring masturbation, Raspberry Swirl, about cunnilingus, Raining Blood, her menstrualized Slayer cover, Me and a Gun, about rape, Cornflake Girl, the classic indeciferable song about homosexuality, and more.

• My favorite political, vagina-related song of all time is probably The Digable Planets' laid back, pro-choice La Femme Fetale. This mediocre transcription of the lyrics has infected the entire internet. It gives you the idea. “Hey, beautiful bird,” “pro-lifers need to check themselves,” “fascists are some heavy dudes,” etc.
• Elsewhere on the reproductive front, Dr. Stephen Baird has written some rather strident songs of scientific evangelism, including the only musical mention of the post-ovulatory follicle that I'm aware of. Scroll through the lyrics PDF to find

  “Though flowers are romantic, our little embryos
  Prefer a corpus luteum to any yellow rose.”

• The Museum of the Menovulatory Lifetime, as part of their Menstrual Monday activist festivities, have put together a “Travelling Menstrual Show” featuring ultra-feminist song lyrics. As far as I know, this is not an actual performing show, but rather a statement and a resource for anyone who wants to sing feminist songs about periods.
• Now, finally, having very little to do with current politics at all, someone named Harry has kindly compiled a Blues Dictionary and a staggering collection of old blues lyrics. You can find any number of references to jellyrolls and honey drippers, read the full lyrics and find out which albums contain your favorites. Perhaps you can pinpoint the moment when jellyroll stopped referring to female genitals and started being male.

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