# What does "I sing the body electric" mean anyway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370 "2011-06-05T04:57:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hambil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3be4f8/32.png) [@Hambil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hambil)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/1 "2011-06-05T04:57:49Z")
Seriously. There is a [Walt Whitman poem](http://www.bartleby.com/142/19.html) that makes no sense. A [short story by Ray Bradbury](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Sing_the_Body_Electric_(Bradbury)) that makes no sense. A [Twilite Zone episode](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Sing_the_Body_Electric_(The_Twilight_Zone)) based on the short story based on the poem that makes no sense. And finally, a [hit song from Fame](http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/f/famemusical4978/isingthebodyelectric215418.html) that makes no sense. That’s a lot of work for something that basically, makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/2 "2011-06-05T05:34:18Z")
Whitman used the word “electric” to mean thrilling. The first line basically means “I praise the thrilling aspects of the human body”. Bradbury borrowed the title for a story about artificial life powered by electricity. His title basically means, “I praise robots.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/3 "2011-06-05T05:37:57Z")
I loathe Whitman so I’m **not** going to read and think about that poem again, but you’re in luck because [a lot of other people already have](http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=I+Sing+the+Body+Electric+essay&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=71c6c4af87148765&biw=939&bih=454). As for the other two, well, clearly Bradbury liked the title of the poem, and he was being literal about the “body electric[al]” part. The Twilight Zone episode is based on the story, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/4 "2011-06-05T11:49:24Z")
Here are all the references available to Google Books that come from before the poem was published that contain the phrase “body electric”: [http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q="body+electric"&tbs=,cdr:1,cd\_min:Dec%2027\_2%20999,cd\_max:Dec%2031\_2%201881&num=100](http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=%22body+electric%22&tbs=,cdr:1,cd_min:Dec%2027_2%20999,cd_max:Dec%2031_2%201881&num=100) As you can see, aside from the ones where the phrase is just accidental because of “body” being the end of one phrase and “electric” being the beginning of the next phrase, the references all seem to use it as meaning “an electrical body.” ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/5 "2011-06-05T12:07:37Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I loathe Whitman… Sorry to sidetrack, but I’m generally curious as to why you loathe the Whit-Man. I was under the impression he was widely held in high regard. mmm ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/6 "2011-06-05T12:15:15Z")
Moved IMHO --\> Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/7 "2011-06-05T12:32:53Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Sorry to sidetrack, but I’m generally curious as to why you loathe the Whit-Man. I was under the impression he was widely held in high regard. Not to speak for the **elf-kin** , but for some, that’s reason enough. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/8 "2011-06-05T12:52:17Z")
It’s sure as Hell better than the ultra-literalistic title the otherwise wonderful 1980s TV movie had~ “The Electric Grandmother”. And it far surpassed the Twilight Zone version as it took it through to the actual conclusion of the story. Oh yeah, and God bless Ray Bradbury for writing it! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/9 "2011-06-05T13:15:11Z")
> [@Hambil](#): > > A [short story by Ray Bradbury](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Sing_the_Body_Electric_(Bradbury)) that makes no sense. This contains one of my favorite passages in all literature: _Don’t you hear them pass? hover? dance their language? telling where all the sweet gums are, the syrups that make bears frolic and lumber in bulked ecstasies, that make boys squirm with unpronounced juices, that make girls leap out of beds to catch from the corners of their eyes their dolphin selves naked aflash on the warm air poised forever in one eternal glass wave._ ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/10 "2011-06-05T16:12:25Z")
Don’t forget Rush’s song, [The Body Electric](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11vlmjvxxdw), though it was inspired by George Lucas’ film _THX-1138_. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/11 "2011-06-05T16:36:15Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Sorry to sidetrack, but I’m generally curious as to why you loathe the Whit-Man. I was under the impression he was widely held in high regard. I find him unbearably smug and self-important. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/12 "2011-06-05T17:31:11Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I find him unbearably smug and self-important. As do I and I think quite a few others. Really one of my least favorite “great” authors/poets. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/13 "2011-06-05T18:24:56Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I find him unbearably smug and self-important. Am I smug and self-important? Very well then, I am smug and self-important. I am epic; people tolerate that shit from me. (Freaking loves Walt Whitman.) ---
**Author:** ![Jedothek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jedothek/32/12007_2.png) [@Jedothek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jedothek)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/14 "2023-10-26T16:55:31Z")
Your characterization applies to “Song of myself,” but we should remember than many other of his poems express an ecstatic appreciation of the world around him that is not at all egocentric. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/15 "2023-10-26T17:38:09Z")
There’s also an album by Weather Report called “I Sing the Body Electric”. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-i-sing-the-body-electric-mean-anyway/584370/16 "2023-10-27T01:09:25Z")
They were all inspired by Jules Verne’s “I Sing the Body Steam”. 🙂