Entertainment

6 Awesome Songs About What Else? Periods

by Jenny Jaffe

Lily Allen's "Sheezus" video dropped yesterday, and the think pieces are already pouring in. The lyrics take direct swipes at Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lorde, and Beyonce — you know, pop stars so big that even their nicknames would have sufficed. Throwing down with the likes of the Little Monsters and the Beyhive was a ballsy decision, and whether or not it ends well for Ms. Allen remains to be seen.

But the jabs at her peers (comments about whether or not she can call them her peers aside) actually stood out less than this one particular lyric:

It makes me angry, I'm serious/ But then again, I'm about to get my period/ Periods, we all get periods/ Every month, that's what the theory is.

You guys. I don't know why periods aren't talked about more in songs. There are approximately seven bajillion songs about getting your heart broken, but how often can that really happen? Once every two years? Twice a year, if you're prolific? Women get their period every month. Why isn't it talked about in pop culture more? Not just as a punchline, I mean. Half the world deals with it 12 weeks a year, you'd think it would come up a little more often than it does, is all I'm saying.

Ms. Allen isn't the first artist to write a song that includes a musical tribute to Aunt Flo, though. Here are 6 other awesome songs to listen to while surfing the crimson wave.

"Crimson Wave" — Tacocat

Sample Lyric: "Gonna call in sick to work, I don’t care, my boss is a jerk/ Can’t believe all the pain I’m in, get me white wine and vicodin"

"Happy and Bleeding" — PJ Harvey

Sample Lyric: "This fruit was bruised/ Dropped off and blue/ Out of season/ Happy I'm bleeding/ Long overdue/ Too early and it's late too"

"Shark Week" — Hand Job Academy

Sample Lyric: "Bleeding since eleven, bitch! I ain't new to this/ Feels like a werewolf is living in my uterus/ My body never feels quite as uncute as this"

"PMS Blues" — Dolly Parton

Sample Lyric: "Head a swellin', can't stop yellin'/ Got no patience, I'm so hateful/ PMS blues, premenstrual syndrome/ Got those moods a swingin', tears a slingin'/ Nothin' fits me when it hits me"

"The Period Song" — Shane Berg

Sample Lyric: "And every month it happens yet again/ The week that seems to never end/ Just take a pill and make it go away"

Honorable Mention: "The Period Song" — Chef from South Park

Good job, everyone!

Images: giphy.com