Josie Long did a couple of tweets this morning that reminded me of probably my favourite ‘doing sex’ lyric, from Paul Simon’s ‘I Know What I Know’ (on the album Graceland). He talks to a woman at a party, spiky and flirting. Most of the lyrics are conversation. For me, Simon obviously pulls that night because – without saying anything else about it – he drops in:
She moved so easily all I could think of was sunlight.
(full lyrics HERE)
Yeah I’m sure you can take this to mean simply how much he likes the look of her, still chatting at the party. But for me (ever the optimist) there’s no doubt, he’s taken her home and they’re doing the barry business. So anyway, throwing it open, do you know any great lyric lines that describe sex? Not lovey dovey or peripheral stuff (and ideally not uber-seedy R&B shite unless it’s particularly good). I’m sure there’s loads…
Chris T-T's Songnostic 
November 24th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
I was going to quote some My Bloody Valentine lines here but they’re all too dirty. I blushed every time I started to type.
Anyway, the band’s avowed aim was to use really simple language to reflect the way people actually talk to each other during sex.
I’ll let you decide how successful they were.
November 24th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Perhaps not the nicest sex, but the way it’s handled in Reno by Springsteen is very well written. A stark comparison to the shite he wrote in Skin 2 Skin (lets be friends).
November 24th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
He can hear the wedding bells ringing
It feels good just to say her name
For someone to cuddle at the end of the day
He’s traded in all of his fame
Someone to Cuddle (Dave Sweeney)
Not that I am in any way big-headed or anything…. 😉
November 24th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Actually my favourite is
Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you’re the best
Explicit, without BEING explicit.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
I never bothered with MBV lyrics Sam, I’m ashamed to say – will definitely listen now.
‘Skin2Skin’ is harmless (I always said it would’ve been a smash for an S Club style pop band). But interestingly I find ‘Reno’ so uncomfortable, I almost always skip it (and I listen to D&D a lot). Springsteen wrote “Remember when I poured salt on your tongue and hung just out of reach,” and also maybe the dirty verse of ‘Spirit In The Night’ counts.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Admittedly, the lyrical content isn’t the first thing you listen for in an MBV song but it’s far from insignificant. I think it’s particularly significant that you can’t really hear all of the words – you just get fleeting glimpses of those (some would say overly) simple phrases. Sometimes it goes a bit far, though – “Slow” is one of my favourite MBV songs but it’s filthy.
And yes, “Nobody Does it Better” is as sexy as hell.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Bright Eyes – Lover I Don’t Have to Love is detached from anything sensual, but it’s devastating and filthy at the same time. Clubs and dealers and “I want a boy who’s so drunk he doesn’t talk”…
Silversun Pickups have a couple too – “Remember when you broke my halo/Remember how I tied your wings in” is a bit spine-shuddery, too.
Now, off to listen to some MBV.
November 25th, 2010 at 12:49 am
I really like Neutral Milk Hotel – King Of Carrot Flowers (Part One).
“And this is the room one afternoon I knew I could love you/ And from above you how I sank into your soul/ Into that secret place where no one dares to go”
November 25th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Chris, I find Reno to be one of the most compelling on D&D. I feel it has a connection ot Cautious Man from Tunnel Of Love. Both songs have a brilliant conclusion.
I haven’t ever thought about the “salt on your tongue” lyric being about sex. For me it seems the song is one of the more straight laced ‘story’ songs, and that line refers to a crap attempt at rescucitation before the doctors (and family) arrived at the scene.
Now, what about Red Headed Woman?
November 25th, 2010 at 11:23 am
I’ve been a bad bad girl
I’ve been careless with a delicate man
And it’s a sad sad world
When a girl will break a boy
Just because she can
Don’t you tell me to deny it
I’ve done wrong and I want to
Suffer for my sins
I’ve come to you ’cause I need
Guidance to be true
And I just don’t know where I can begin
i love these lyrics cos they portray, for me, the urgency and dependency of lust; the grotty filthiness of the moment, and the guilty aftermath
November 25th, 2010 at 11:25 am
sorry – shoulda noted that these are by Fiona Apple, in “Criminal”
November 25th, 2010 at 11:32 am
The Cat Empire – The Rhythm.
And for all of the sweet loving that
I have received
In the sun in the rain
By the moon by the sea
There is one time that I’m thinking of
One time where one woman
Did knock me off my feet
And my knees were shaking
And my jaw was dropping
And my eyes were squinting
And my smile was growing
And my pants were bulging
And my hands were sweating
And my chest was beating
So I cry ‘excuse me,
What is the secret to your soul?’
Cause when you’re walking along
When you’re walking along:
Your legs are a melody my hands
Would like to play
And your hips are a note
That does take me away
And your face and your eyes and your hair
And your waist and your smile
Drive me to distraction
She turned and she gave the evil eye
‘why thankyou’ she said
Then she sigh ‘ah there’s one thing
I think you failed to mention:’
‘What?’ I said then she said
‘It’s the rhythm you forgot’
And right then I knew what was what
And she snuck to my lips
And she kissed them
Said ‘young man
I’ll show you some rhythm’
And she’ll show you some rhythm
And since then ha
The rhythm’s been running through my veins
In my thoughts in my eyes
In my head it’s insane
It’s the thing that does drive me
To scream
On the street when I think of some
Places it’s taken me
I feel horny when I thinking of some of that rhythm in my mind
What she gave what she gives to me
All of the time
Say a little bit of sweet loving in your day
All my friends know it keeps the
Bad thoughts away
So sing with your hips my baby
When you’re dancing to this tune
And when this tune is through
We’ll sneak to some place
And continue to:
Say sing with your hips my baby
When you’re dancing to this tune
And when this tune is through
We’ll sneak to some place and
Continue to –
She said I’ll show you some rhythm
Sorry for it being so long, but I find the whole song so perfect that I couldn’t choose just a few choice lyrics.
November 25th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Spot on with the Bright Eyes Muffy, I love ‘Take It Easy (Love Nothing)’ (on Digital Ash) – lyrics HERE
“damp cotton clouds…”
and Dave H, I suspect you’ve just completely (probably rightly) re-drawn one of my favourite songs of all time. rescucitation!
I’ll check out the Fiona Apple, not convinced that’s actual doing it, seems more about the relationship to me. Good lines though.
November 25th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Cat Empire lyrics fantastic Muh, checking the song out now.
November 25th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Not a song, but in terms of describing sex with words, Edwin Morgan’s Strawberry’s is one of my favourite.
although, perhaps more about love than just sex.
STRAWBERRIES
There were never strawberries
like the ones we had
that sultry afternoon
sitting on the step
of the open french window
facing each other
your knees held in mine
the blue plates in our laps
the strawberries glistening
in the hot sunlight
we dipped them in sugar
looking at each other
not hurrying the feast
for one to come
the empty plates
laid on the stone together
with the two forks crossed
and I bent towards you
sweet in that air
in my arms
abandoned like a child
from your eager mouth
the taste of strawberries
in my memory
lean back again
let me love you
let the sun beat
on our forgetfulness
one hour of all
the heat intense
and summer lightning
on the Kilpatrick hills
let the storm wash the plates
November 25th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Erm, well there is “Sir Psycho Sexy” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers – in fact, hell, everything by those guys is pretty much just porn…
Extract: “I won’t and I don’t hang up until I please her,
making her feel like an over achiever.
I take it away for a minute just to tease her,
then I give it back a little bit deeper”
(I suspect I’ve taken the level down a notch or three – sorry about that, guys)
November 27th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
“remember when I moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah”
is just gorgeous. John Mayer’s “Your Body Is A Wonderland” is pure and utter filth but nicely done I think…
“I love the shape you take
when crawling towards the pillowcase”
and (shameless plug of one of my own, BedSong)
“Can I imagine how we’d fit together?
Can I wonder what we’d do?”
…. I’m not supposed to tell people the original ‘working’ title of that song because it’s dirrrty 😉
December 4th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
You come awake
In a horny morning mood
And have a proper wriggle
In the naughty naked nude
Roll against my body
Get me where you want me
What happens next is private
It’s also very rude
Or simply:
I got right up between her rum and her ribena
January 6th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Somebody best mention Aerosmith……
How wax drippin’, honey what do you say
I got a brand new record that i gotta play
She says a ‘Not now boy’ but I did anyway
‘Cause I’m ready, so ready
Your lips smackin’, patty whackin’ walkin’ the street
I got a rag top Chevy, now I’m back on my feet
I get and E.M.H.O* woody when I sitin the seat
‘Cause I’m ready, so ready, yeah
I got a girlfriend with the hoochie coochie eyes
‘Cause in the pink she looks so fine
She’s got the cracker jack now
All I want’s the prize, honey
I know these hookers down on 42:nd street but a
Ill-gotten booty’s not my style
I’ll take a raincheck till i get back on my feet, honey
‘Cause I’m all right
Oh, your daddy says I’m all right
Oh, your mama says I’m all right
Oh, my old lady says I’m all right
Whip crackin’ floozy way out of control
She got a new kind of jelly in her jelly roll
I got the right key, baby, but the wrong key hole
And I’m ready, so ready
I’m a red hot pistol and I’m ready to fight
I’m a ’38 special on a Saturday night
I’m gonna kiss your boo-boo, honey make it all right
‘Cause I’m ready, so ready
I got a crusier with a bimbo on the dash
It kinda keeps my ass in line
One little French kiss, honey, thet’s my kinda trash, yeah
My brand new baby’s lookin’ F.I.N.E.* – fine
The sun is shining every day
Ain’t got no rubbers, now it’s rainin’ all the time, honey
‘Cause I’m all right
My little sister says I’m all right
Oh, my brother thinks I’m all right
And my old lady knows I’m all right
I feel like I’m hung up on the line
I’d die for you but we were partners in the crime
Everything about you is so F.I.N.E. – fine
Let’s put our clothes back on
And by the way girl, what’s your name again
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Oh yeah, yeah
‘Cause I’m all right
Oh, your daddy says I’m all right
Oh, and Tipper thinks I’m all right
Oh, Joe Perry says I’m all right
I pitch my tent in the pouring rain
I got a back-seat lover that’s a-callin’ my name
She’s gonna blow my cover, she’s as hot as a flame
But I’m ready
I shove my tongue right between your cheeks
fee I haven’t made love now, for 24 weeks
I hear that you’re so tight now your lovin’ squeaks
And I’m ready, so ready