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Betty's Body (Also titled 'Anybody But Betty', 'Betty', 'Day 10', or 'Leaping and Lords') is a song written & recorded by The Residents for their 2002 album "Demons Dance Alone"
History[]
The song is told from the perspective of man obsessively in love with a woman named Betty, a woman he cannot ever be with, due to his mother, and the events of her death.
Betty's Body was the first song from Demons Dance Alone to be released, appearing on the compilation album 'Petting Zoo' along with Wolverines.
It was performed live by the group from 2002 to 2003 as part of the Demons Dance Alone Live tour, after the overture, it is the first song performed in the show.
In 2003 The Residents re-recorded Betty's Body for inclusion on the internet event turned album 'The 12 Days of Brumalia', it is track 10, titled 'Leaping and Lords'
The 2003 version is spoken word, and features a new intro, and a more minimalist instrumental.
The song was performed live in 2005 as part of the Way We Were tour of Australia. This version, also features a new spoken word intro, segueing out of Life Would Be Wonderful. This live version also features a frantic spoken word outro, in which the singer yells about teeth, and how his mother gave him an obsession with teeth.
The song was performed again from 2014 to 2016 as part of the Shadowland, in a version mostly faithful to the original.
Following his departure from the group, Charles Bobuck released his cover of the song on his Residents tribute album 'Bobuck Plays The Residents'
Lyrics[]
(Anybody but Betty...)
I could be the lover Of anybody but her I could be the lover Of anybody but her
I see her every morning And watch her fingers forming Shapes that are as graceful As a baby's face full Of hope until it turns to A neediness that burns through Your heart like it was butter In the mouth of someone's mother
(Betty's body...)
A certain scent of perfume Makes me think of her room And how I'd like to be there Lightly touching her bare Back and gently soaking In the sweet unspoken I could be her lover If it... if it weren't for mother
BETTY! BETTY! If you met me, you'd forget me BETTY! BETTY!
I am so shy, every day I Secretly cry since my mom died
(Anybody but Betty...)
I could be the lover of anybody but her I could be her lover if it... if it weren't for mother
List of releases[]
- Petting Zoo (2002)[1]
- Demons Dance Alone (2002)[1]
- Demons Dance Alone (Film) (2003)[2]
- Twelve Days Of Brumalia (2004)[3]
- The Way We Were (2005)[4]
- Lost In A Vacant Lot (2010)[1]
- Demonic! The Residents Live In Oslo! (2012)[5]
- Ten Two Times (2013)[1][3]
- Shadowland (2015)[6]
- Bobuck Plays The Residents (2016)[7]