# She Bop is about what?! (Yes, I'm dense) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 27, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093 "2000-07-27T19:23:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/1 "2000-07-27T19:23:03Z")
I was just listening to Cyndi Lauper’s _She Bop_ for the first time in about 16 years (Ahh - I must be getting old!). I remember loving _She’s So Unusual_ as a pre-teen, and singing along with this song, and today I realize it is so painfully obvious that it is an ode to masturbation! (Not that I have a problem with that - just very weird that I never noticed it before.) I am reeling here - how could I be so obtuse? ---
**Author:** ![Fillet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Fillet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fillet)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/2 "2000-07-27T19:27:44Z")
Took me a long time to realize it, too. That song, and _Turning Japanese_ by The Vapors. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/3 "2000-07-27T19:28:03Z")
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Just put on some Jackson Browne and relax. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/4 "2000-07-27T19:48:26Z")
Or that oh-so-obvious “(When I Think About You) I Touch Myself”. In case someone doesn’t know the lyrics (or couldn’t figure them out): [“She Bop” lyrics](http://casi.simplenet.com/j/oldsite/music/lyrics/lyrics/l/lauper.cyndi/shes.so.unusual.html#5). ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/5 "2000-07-27T19:52:35Z")
Take it from a man who played She Bop in small clubs for about 5 years. Yes it’s about _that_. And you wouldn’t _believe_ the dances some people do to it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/6 "2000-07-27T19:57:07Z")
Masturbation: _She Bop_ _Turning Japanese_ Oral Sex: _I eat Cannibals_ Necrophelia: _Code Blue_ Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/7 "2000-07-27T19:59:35Z")
She’s conjugating the verb “to bop”. The rest has been covered. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/8 "2000-07-27T20:08:34Z")
Masturbation: “Imaginary Lovers” by Atlanta Rhythm Section “Rosie” by Jackson Browne “The Stroke” by Billy Squier ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/9 "2000-07-27T20:09:29Z")
One of my new favorites, by The Average White Band: CUT THE CAKE CUT THE CAKE- give me a little piece let me lick up the cream CUT THE CAKE- well, just a little piece baby you know what I mean CUT THE CAKE- give me a little piece a little lovin’ on the side CUT THE CAKE- I need a little piece just to keep me satisfied Chorus gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme that cake Well it tastes so good don’t pass it all around gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme that cake You got to cut it-down! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/10 "2000-07-27T20:16:07Z")
Lets not forget: {i]Dancin’ with myself\*, Billy Idol ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/11 "2000-07-27T20:17:36Z")
Lets not forget: _Dancin’ with myself_, Billy Idol ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/12 "2000-07-27T20:33:38Z")
“Heeeey, they say I better get a chaperone ‘cause I can’t stop messin’ with the danger zone …” ---
**Author:** ![Brunetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Brunetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brunetter)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/13 "2000-07-27T21:07:04Z")
Icicle, Icicle where are you going? I have a hiding place where spring marches in Will you keep watch for me? I hear them calling Gonna lay down, gonna lay down Greeting the monster in our Easter dresses Father says bow your head like the Good Book says I think the Good Book is missing some pages … Gonna lay down, gonna lay down And when my hand touches myself I can finally rest my head And when they say take of his body I think I’ll take from mine instead Getting off, getting off, While they’re all downstairs singing prayers! Sing away, he’s in my pumpkin PJs. Lay your book on my chest feel the word, feel the word, feel the word, feel it … I could have I should have I could have flown You know I could have I should have I didn’t so … ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/14 "2000-07-27T21:22:16Z")
And then there’s _ **Longview** _ by **Green Day** : Bite my lip and close my eyes Take me away to paradise I’m so damn bored I’m going blind!!! And I smell like sh\_\_\_!! ---
**Author:** ![Baglady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Baglady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baglady)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/15 "2000-07-27T21:27:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by goboy \* > **Masturbation: > “The Stroke” by Billy Squier** Actually that’s not _quite_ it. Way back in the early '80s when the song was released as a single and became a hit, I remember hearing a report about Squier, referring specifically to this song. Asked whether this song had to do with the “obvious,” (meaning masturbation), Squier had said something about how the song was about the large record companies, and how the artist is exploited when signing record contracts. “Stroke me” refers to the record company executives who get their egos stroked by the struggling artists. It also refers to the artist having to bed the devil (so to speak) to get a contract: “Put your right hand out, give a firm handshake Talk to me about that one big break Spread your ear pollution both far and wide Keep your contributions by your side and …” Yes, it COULD be interpreted as maturbation. But according to the artist it’s definitely more than just that. ---
**Author:** ![popokis5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@popokis5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/popokis5)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/16 "2000-07-27T22:04:32Z")
Yeah, Baglady, I heard the same thing about Billy Squire. And also “I touch myself” the lead singer (I don’t remember her name) said it’s about her inner feelings and that people have dirty minds. She seemed very amused by the whole thing. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/17 "2000-07-28T00:11:47Z")
How could I forget **Big Hands** by The Violent Femmes? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-bop-is-about-what-yes-im-dense/27093/18 "2000-07-28T02:04:54Z")
I remember the music video of “I Touch Myself”, and let’s just say it did nothing to discourage the obvious interpretation. 😛 Johnny L.A. - to add to your list, there’s: you and me baby we ain’t nothin’ but mammals so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel which is talking about (genital) sex where the man takes the woman from behind. Quite specifically, if you listen closely.