Betty's Body

"Betty's Body" (also known as "Anybody but Betty" or just "Betty") is a song from The Residents' 2002 album Demons Dance Alone, specifically from the album's second section, "Denial". One of the more rock-oriented tracks on the album, it is a song about unrequited lust and has been reworked and performed by the group on various projects.

History

"Betty's Body" was initially previewed, along with "Wolverines", on the Petting Zoo compilation earlier in 2002. It was the first vocal song to be performed in the Demons Dance Alone touring show, with an extended instrumental break.

The song was first reworked in 2003 on the 12 Days of Brumalia project as "Day 10" (a.k.a. "Leaping and Lords"); this rendition uses a vocal track from a demo version of the song which had different lyrics. This demo version was released on the pREServed edition of Demons Dance Alone.

The song was later performed live on March 2005 during the Way We Were mini-tour of Australia. This version directly followed a rendition of "Mr. Wonderful" and featured a frantic spoken-word ending.

The song was performed again on the Shadowland tour of Europe in 2014, but it was cut from subsequent dates.

Shortly after his departure from the group, Charles Bobuck covered the song for his album Bobuck plays the Residents.

Lyrics

Album version

(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 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 weren't for Mother.

Demo / Brumalia version

Once I thought for hours
about the odor of flowers
emerging from the face that
was ridiculously fat.
Of course, it wasn't Betty,
but I couldn't forget the
way that it was blushing
at the baby it was touching.

A certain scent of perfume
makes me think about her room
and how I need to be there
lightly touching her bare
back and gently soaking
in the sweet unspoken;
I could be her lover
if I didn't love her.

List of releases

• Petting Zoo (2002)
• Demons Dance Alone (2002)
• Demons Dance Alone DVD (2003)
• The 12 Days of Brumalia (2004)
• The Way We Were (2005)
• Lost in a Vacant Lot (2010) (titled "Anybody but Betty")
• Demonic! The Residents Live in Oslo! (2012)
• Ten Two Times (2013) (titled "Betty")
• Shadowland (2015)
• Bobuck plays The Residents (2016)
• Demons Dance Alone pREServed (2024)
• Demons Dance for Free!

External links and references

• Demons Dance Alone at The Residents Historical
• Demons Dance Alone lyrics at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)