Songs About F***ing

January 25, 2006 7:02 PM

SEX! And music! And sexy music! Now that I have your attention....

I'm trying to put together a list of pop/rock music that by tempo, rythmn, texture evoke sex via aural means. I'm not looking for sexy/raunchy words, more specifically I'm trying to find songs that by the use of their instruments and arrangments sound like sex. I understand that this can be intangible and hard to define but bear with me. A couple I have come up with already are "Bull In The Heather" by Sonic Youth, and "I Love You" by The Dandy Warhols. The breakdown in Prince's "Lady Cab Driver does it admirably, though with some foley work. Hopefully you get the idea. I'm trying to find things that obviously convey the idea of fucking without doing so through words.

Additionally I'm trying to compile a list of songs about masturbation. I already have a great deal, but they are all 60's through 80's. I need newer ones as the most recent I have listed is "I Touch Myself" from the early 90's.

posted by sourwookie to media & arts (70 comments total)

Before I get directed to earlier threads, I'm not looking for music to have sex to. Also, the more mainstream the better.
posted by sourwookie at 7:06 PM on January 25, 2006

"#1 Crush" by Garbage sounds like sex to me. The moaning probably helps, though.
posted by Gator at 7:10 PM on January 25, 2006

"Super Bon Bon" by Soul Coughing sounds like sex to me.
posted by tristeza at 7:11 PM on January 25, 2006

Just a couple off the top of my head (no doubt you'll get massive lists real soon now):

Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Darling Nikki by Prince (and please, please, not by Foo Fighters)
posted by littleme at 7:13 PM on January 25, 2006

The end of the Beatles' "Lovely Rita" is pretty clearly a 12-bar orgasm, no?

However, much more obvious and extended (ha!) is the climax (yes!) of "Moments in Love" by Art of Noise.
posted by soyjoy at 7:22 PM on January 25, 2006

French Kiss by Lil' Louis. The Ed Rush and Optical mix is especially cool, but is a bootleg and relatively hard to find.
posted by meehawl at 7:25 PM on January 25, 2006

Please forgive the itunes links.

What You Are by Drill
Seventeen by Ladytron (although this is probably underage sex)
posted by Alison at 7:35 PM on January 25, 2006

Playmate of the Year - Zebrahead

I personally hate this song, but it's about masturbation...
posted by johnsmith415 at 7:40 PM on January 25, 2006

"Tame" by the Pixies has some heavy breathing in it.
posted by tresbizzare at 7:44 PM on January 25, 2006

Climbing up the Walls - Radiohead/Sneakerpimps
Heat Miser - Massive Attack
REV22:20- Puscifer
Orozco - Tosca
posted by idiotfactory at 7:46 PM on January 25, 2006

dig through some nina simone or early r&b/blues/rock & roll. The whole point of that stuff was simulate sex.

French Kiss by Lil Louis is pretty hot. Moments in Love by Art of Noise is similar but overplayed.

Lords of Acid does a lot of stuff that sounds like sex, espeically the Speedracer Mix.

Run, Run, Run by Velvet Underground
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:51 PM on January 25, 2006

Fleetwood Mac, "Big Love"? Is that what you're looking for re: sex sounds?
posted by socratic at 7:51 PM on January 25, 2006

There are also various excerpt from compilations such as this [amazon.com, but may be NSFW because of subject matter] floating around. For something more explicit, there's "Don't Bite the Dick" by David Allen Coe.

I had no idea I had this information ready for instant recall. I may need to create a "sexsounds" subtag in iTunes. Heh.
posted by socratic at 7:57 PM on January 25, 2006

Britney Spears- Touch of my Hand

I _think_ that's about masturbation.
posted by Flamingo at 8:05 PM on January 25, 2006

Llywbr Llaethog's album Mewn Dyb always sounds like aural sex to me.
posted by Seamus at 8:08 PM on January 25, 2006

"Son of a Preacher Man," specifically the Aretha Franklin cover (not the Dusty Springfield version that's on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack). Listen specifically to the "Hallelujahs" in the chorus.

Also, "Simply Beautiful" by Al Green. I guess it's mostly foreplay, but if all foreplay were like that...
posted by CiaoMela at 8:09 PM on January 25, 2006

How about Sex by Atari Teenage Riot. Sounds like a lazy, sexy afternoon in bed.
posted by MetaMonkey at 8:14 PM on January 25, 2006

"Hey Sexy Lady" by Shaggy. That tango rhythm . . .
posted by ykjay at 8:18 PM on January 25, 2006

"Hey" by the Pixies = sex.
posted by ND¢ at 8:24 PM on January 25, 2006

The fifth track on the first Radiohead album (i'm a creep album) is, as far as I can tell, about masturbation. It's also the only good song they ever wrote so you might want to listen to it for that reason alone.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 8:28 PM on January 25, 2006

I am an old person, but in my day no sex music collection was complete without Enigma, MCMXC A.D.
posted by Miko at 8:28 PM on January 25, 2006

Icicle by Tori Amos is about not only masturbation, but doing it to a print of Jesus.

most things on under the pink by the very same tori sound like sex. past the mission comes to mind.

also: the live version of "The Diner" by Ani Difranco on Living In Clip...specifically the free style part of it.

Some say Violent Femme's "Blister In The Sun" is about touching yourself, some say it's about gay sex, some say it's about self abuse to the thoughts of gay sex.
posted by nadawi at 8:32 PM on January 25, 2006

Inertia Creeps by Massive Attack (on Mezzanine) is both about and sounds like sex.
posted by Schismatic at 8:41 PM on January 25, 2006

Honestly, Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" has a buildup, climax, and resolution just like a good self-loving session. It takes place over exactly the right amount of time, too.
posted by limeonaire at 8:41 PM on January 25, 2006

I have a mix of this sort. Its official title is "Music to Fall in Love Over".

Some of the key tracks:
"Eye" - Smashing Pumpkins
"Close to Me" - The Cure
"Singer" - Jump, Little Children
"The Zephyr Song" - RHCP
"Undress Me Now" and "World Looking In" - Morcheeba
posted by hopeless romantique at 8:42 PM on January 25, 2006

"I've Been Thinking", Handsome Boy Modeling School w/ Cat Power
"Burn That Broken Bed", by Iron & Wine and Calexico
"After I Make Love To You", by Will Oldham

YMMV.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:48 PM on January 25, 2006

>Llywbr Llaethog's album Mewn Dyb

Gesundheit.

Songs that are sexy without being explicit:
Britney Spears (shut UP!) - "Boys" and "Breathe On Me"
Coldplay - "Clocks"
The Donnas - "Take It Off" (OK, that one is pretty explicit)
Fiona Apple - anything off Tidal, esp. "The First Taste"
Luscious Jackson - "Naked Eye"
Nikka Costa - "Like a Feather"
Sarah McLachlan - "Ice Cream"
Steve Burns - "A Reason"
Rolling Stones or The Sundays - "Wild Horses"
Usher - "You Make Me Wanna"

Diddling songs:
Cyndi Lauper - "She-Bop"
Violent Femmes - "Blister In The Sun"
posted by Rock Steady at 8:59 PM on January 25, 2006

Self Loving:
"I'm turning Japanese" by The Vapors

Sex:
"Closer" by NIN (although it is explicit)
"Doin' Time" - by Sublime (especially the Mad Lion Eerie Splendor remix)
"Push it" by Salt N' Pepa
posted by stovenator at 9:35 PM on January 25, 2006

Greenday "Longview" - masturbation.
posted by tula at 9:48 PM on January 25, 2006

For slow stuff - Iron & Wine, particularly Cinder and Smoke, and On Your Wings.
posted by odinsdream at 9:50 PM on January 25, 2006

I'd also reccomend saucy Goldfrapp's "Ooh La La", and breathy Feist's "One Evening" and "When I Was a Young Girl"... and the song that's on the radio right now, Husky Rescue's "Summertime Cowboy" is also giving off teh sexay vibe.

Will Oldham also did an unfortunately live cover of R. Kelly's "Ignition". If he were to make a straight studio version, it'd be aural Spanish Fly.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:15 PM on January 25, 2006

Also the whole of Kid 606's The Action Packed Mentallist Brings You the Fucking Jams kinda feels like a session - with foreplay, action, climax and post-coital relaxation. (though this excludes the first and last tracks, not sure where they fit the sex thing)
posted by MetaMonkey at 10:41 PM on January 25, 2006

Also by Tori Amos, "Raspberry Swirl." That's hawt. The recording that underlies and is revealed in detail at the end is either real or some incredible acting.

I have to go lie down now.
posted by OneOliveShort at 11:03 PM on January 25, 2006

No one's mentioned Donna Summer or Serge Gainsbourg? Philistines.
posted by klangklangston at 11:29 PM on January 25, 2006

The Donna Summers classic Love to Love Ya, Baby must be included. She sounds like she's writhing throughout the whole tune.
posted by wsg at 11:33 PM on January 25, 2006

Masturbation:
The Vaughan Brothers: "Hillbillies from Outer Space"

Sex:
The Doors: "The Wasp: Texas Radio and the Big Beat"(about 3:30 there's an electric piano buildup and release), "Soul Kitchen"
The Rolling Stones: "Stray Cat Blues"
Muddy Waters: "I Just Want To Make Love To You"
Magic Sam: "Hootchie Cootchie Man", "Blues for Odie Payne"
just about anything by Lou Rawls
Iggy & The Stooges: "Now I Wanna Be Your Dog", "Penetration"
Butthole Surfers: "They Came In"
Angelo Badalamenti: "The Beast"
The Hot Spot Soundtrack (John Lee Hooker) "Bank Robbery", "End Credits"

Here are some not-as-subtle favorites:
Elvis Presley: "A Little Less Conversation"
KC and the Sunshine Band: "Get Down Tonight", "Boogieman"
Sam & Dave: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" "Soothe Me"
Trees of Mystery: "Kink-a-Thon 680"
ZZ Top: "Gimme All Your Lovin'"

and of course
Wilson Pickett: "In The Midnight Hour", "Land of 1000 Dances"
posted by fandango_matt at 11:34 PM on January 25, 2006

"sex machine" by sly and the family stone, on the stand album, this is not the same song as the James Brown song. It's insturnment and is basically a straight up imitation of sex through music, sounds like just what you want
posted by afu at 11:59 PM on January 25, 2006

Van Halen's cover of "You Really Got Me" has a lot of squealing guitar noises that are clearly meant to emulate sounds of pleasure. Also see Ry Cooder's fantastic version of "The Thirteen Question Method" for the same kind of thing.
posted by teleskiving at 1:43 AM on January 26, 2006

"Oops, Oh My" - the Ladytron cover.
posted by ed\26h at 2:25 AM on January 26, 2006

No one's mentioned Donna Summer or Serge Gainsbourg? Philistines.

Yeah, basically all of his songs are about sex. In terms of Serge, you're going to want to check out "Je t'aime, moi non plus", which is all about sex and includes lots of Jane Birkin's heavy breathing and moaning. "Lemon Incest" also comes to mind, a duet he did with his daughter. "Les Sucettes" is about oral sex. Then there's "'69 année érotique", which I suppose is pretty explanatory (and is actually less blatantly sexual than some of these). I believe "Love on the Beat" is about sex too, and may have something to do with "beat" sounding like the French word "bite" which is slang for penis.
posted by srah at 3:58 AM on January 26, 2006

As far as Serge is concerned, I think that the tunes on Histoire De Melody Nelson sound more like sex than some of his earlier stuff - lots of slinky bass and distorted guitar yelps. I guess the organ (no pun intended) in "Je t'aime" just doesn't do it for me.
posted by sluggo at 4:33 AM on January 26, 2006

Rosie - Jackson Brown

You did know that was about masturbation, didn't you?
posted by cptnrandy at 6:05 AM on January 26, 2006

Check out the Venus Envy Mixtape by CPI (third set under 'Latest Mixes' here). 32 tracks, created for play in a sex toy shop (Venus Envy in Ottawa).
posted by heatherann at 6:33 AM on January 26, 2006

Awaken by Sophie and Ives. Here is the backstory. First time I ever heard something and just dropped everything and bought the track. Its hauntingly sexy.
posted by mmascolino at 6:36 AM on January 26, 2006

Meatloaf's "Sex by the Dashboard Light" is (obviously) about sex but it very much sounds like sex as well.
posted by Mitheral at 6:40 AM on January 26, 2006

"Possession" by Sarah McLachlan
"Crash" and "Lover Lay Down" by Dave Matthews Band
"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star
"Makin' Me High" by Toni Braxton (self-love)
"That's the Way Love Goes," "Any Time, Any Place," "Go Deep," and "I Get Lonely" by Janet Jackson.
"Float" by Anthony Hamilton
"Sweet Love" by 112

I tend to prefer slow R&B for sex music, but Sarah McLachlan and Dave Matthews were popular hookup albums when I was in college (1996-2000).
posted by LouMac at 7:09 AM on January 26, 2006

Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
posted by captainscared at 7:16 AM on January 26, 2006

When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV. -- Mike Damone

Also, Roxy Music's Avalon.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:38 AM on January 26, 2006

I'd suggest 'Milkshake' by Kelis has a passing connection to your second category too...
posted by timpollard at 7:59 AM on January 26, 2006

sourwookie - I don't know about anyone else, but I'm very curious to know which of the suggestions so far match what you are looking for.
posted by UnclePlayground at 8:11 AM on January 26, 2006

Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By - the whole album is ohhhhh so sexy...I especially love "Sex (I'm A)" - sung by Jennifer Charles from Elysian Fields and Mike Patton.
posted by BubbleWrap at 8:18 AM on January 26, 2006

One of my favorites is "Come on Closer" by Jem. Both lyrically and musically, it suggests sex to me! Actually, I once asked my weblog readers to suggest sexy songs, and they created a ginormous list. Not all of them meet your criteria, but some of them do. It might be worth a look.
posted by jdroth at 8:44 AM on January 26, 2006

Funny you should ask about odes to masturbation -- just minutes ago I was just listening to "Pictures of Lily" by the Who, which is all about jacking off to sexy pics of movie stars.

As for aural sex songs, I think most of Peter Murphy's Love Hysteria album fits the bill, especially "Socrates the Python." Verrrrry slow, intense, sexy build.
posted by scody at 10:37 AM on January 26, 2006

I'm so glad someone mentioned Donna Summer before I did... since she got religion the uncut version of "Love To Love You, Baby" didn't make it into at least one collection, but the original certainly makes it sound like she's having a very good time.
posted by lhauser at 11:31 AM on January 26, 2006

No one has mentioned Barry White, the love-god, the reason why many of us in our late 20's and early 30's are here. 'Love Serenade (pt1) would be a very good place to start (but there are so many others) Marvin Gaye (specifically the album 'Let's get it on') is another.
posted by ob at 11:38 AM on January 26, 2006

In fact White's entire oeuvre is dedicated to the boudoir...
posted by ob at 11:40 AM on January 26, 2006

I know that this is about songs that sound like sex and not necessarily sexy lyrics, but personally I think that Barry White and certain Marvin Gaye songs do sound like sex, albeit 70's porno sex (which may be be best kind...)
posted by ob at 11:46 AM on January 26, 2006

Marvin Gaye's Lets Get It On is entirely worthless as fucking music. It's a regrettable novelty track for white people to enjoy jungle fantasies to. If anyone I'm ever fucking puts that on, it's game over (same as with most Prince— it's too goofy for sex).
posted by klangklangston at 12:16 PM on January 26, 2006

I meant 'Let's get it on' the album. I also don't think it's a novelty track at all (if it's a novelty track then what about other Marvin Gaye alums such as "I want you"?) What exactly are 'jungle fanasies'? If you're saying what I think you're saying, that's a gross generalization...
posted by ob at 12:35 PM on January 26, 2006

sorry fantasies...
posted by ob at 12:36 PM on January 26, 2006

I also meant albums...
posted by ob at 12:42 PM on January 26, 2006

And now for something completely different. . .

In the Hall of the Mountain King
from Peer Gynt
by Grieg
posted by megatherium at 3:37 PM on January 26, 2006

In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt by Grieg

Isn't that the song that Peter Lorre whistles as he murders children in M? Possibly not so sexy to a German film buff, then.
posted by scody at 3:40 PM on January 26, 2006

According to the movie 10, Ravel's Bolero is a depiction of the sexual act. For a longer and more comprehensive depiction try Wagner's Tristan and Isolde
posted by ob at 3:51 PM on January 26, 2006

I guess the organ (no pun intended) in "Je t'aime" just doesn't do it for me.

Huh, interesting. The organ in "je t'aime" totally does it for me.
posted by desuetude at 8:53 PM on January 26, 2006

superawesome question! i'd really like to know why you're asking, as synaesthesia (hearing -> physical sensation) has made comparisons like the one in yr question a big part of my life. :)
i've found the sensation you're asking for is most common in certain electronic music, Trip-Hop, & Shoegazer. the Dandys tend to employ it frequently (or at least they used to)- have you heard all of the first 4 albums?

not sure how mainstream any of these are, but off the top of my head, tracks with a similar "current" / "momentum" / "urgency" to I Love You & Bull In The Heather:
Fluke- Atom Bomb
Failure- Stuck On You
Portishead- Strangers (Portishead is a goldmine for this sort of thing)
Mars Volta- Things' Fear
Mogwai- 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
My Bloody Valentine- Glider [Kevin Shields Remix] (MBV's Loveless album will be another goldmine for you)
UNKLE- Lonely Souls

None of these make reference to sex in the lyrics, unless you count a "push it in" or two in Lonely Souls. Lonely Souls might be exactly what you want- it has that weighted spin almost all the way through, bisected by a dramatic climax played on strings.
posted by hyperfascinated at 2:25 AM on January 27, 2006

Underworld, especially the Beaucoup Fish album. Or so my girlfriend claims.
posted by mikeh at 12:16 PM on January 27, 2006

Pulp - This is Hardcore
posted by snarkle at 3:09 PM on January 29, 2006

The entire Axes album by Electrelane is mostly instrumental and very climactic.
posted by matildaben at 8:19 AM on January 30, 2006

Big Black? (just caught title)

White Noise (the '60s pop group) has a song called My Game of Loving that fits the profile...
posted by klangklangston at 8:32 AM on January 30, 2006