Your Body Anthems Playlist

You've got a body. Now move it.

If ever there was a Sociology of… theme ripe for a playlist, it’s …the Body. Song lyrics, including those in this Body Anthems playlist, regularly invoke the body to capture every facet of life.

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There are songs about the body in love or feeling attraction and desire:

“Don’t be alarmed if I fall head over feet… That’s not lip service.” — Head Over Feet, Alanis Morissette

“What you gonna do with all that junk? / I’ma get you love drunk off my hump, my lovely little lumps.” — My Humps, Black Eyed Peas

“Her hair is Harlow gold / her lips a sweet surprise / her hands are never cold.” — Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes

“You don’t have to be beautiful to turn me on.” Kiss, Prince

“Your body is a wonder / I’ll use my hands / I’ll never speak again.” — Your Body Is a Wonderland, John Mayer

“Be wise and keep on reading the signs of my body.” — Hips Don’t Lie, Shakira

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There’s the body as a reminder to be present, of awakening to and embracing the life you’re in, not the would-be life of tomorrow:

“I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand / life is good today.” — Toes, Zac Brown Band

“Stand in the place where you live… Your feet are going to be on the ground. Your head is there to move you around.” — Stand, R.E.M.

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There’s the body as a metaphor for philosophical contemplations of how to live and what it all means:

“They ain’t got no music, no hustle, no backbone / I stand alone.” — Runnin’, David Dallas

“I walk on water. But I ain’t no Jesus.” — Walk On Water, Eminem

“My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love / but my mind holds the key.” — My Body Is a Cage, Arcade Fire

“If the sun don't shine on me today / And if the subways flood and bridges break / Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave /Or will you rail against the dying day?” — Sleep On the Floor, Lumineers

“'Til my legs give out, can't shut my mouth / I'ma rip this shit 'til my bones collapse.” — Till I Collapse, Eminem

“You can hold my hand, when you need to let go… / I want a house with a crowded table, and a place by the fire for everyone.” — Crowded Table, The Highwaywomen

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At our core, though, we’re just a bunch of animals. Some of the “realest” songs of the body, therefore, aren’t all pretty poetry and sanitized imagery. Take more explicit lyrics in songs like Khia’s My Neck, My Back (Lick It), and it’s worth reading all the lyrics to the entertaining song, Detachable Penis (a body anthem chosen by none other than Mary Roach). [General note: There are “adult” songs on this playlist. Consider yourself warned.]

For me, the best body anthems don’t just sing about the body; they make you want to move yours. Michael Jackson’s Rock With You captures this well, both lyrically and musically:

Close your eyes
Let that rhythm get into you
Don't try to fight it
There ain't nothing that you can do
Relax your mind
Lay back and groove with mine

As does Whitney Houston’s classic: “I wanna dance with somebody / I wanna feel the heat with somebody.”

If you can listen to either of those songs without moving, you might be dead. My favorite body anthems are the ones that make it impossible to sit still. They are a reminder that, while we may increasingly be living in a post-body world, there is very little that beats an escape through the body — by rocking the night away.

So while I hope this playlist will make you think and laugh, mostly, I hope it makes you groove.

As always, thanks to those of you who submitted your anthems. Chime in in the comments if you connect with one of these or if one of your favorites is missing!