Alix Olson is an internationally touring folk poe… Read Full Bio ↴from alixolson.com
Alix Olson is an internationally touring folk poet and progressive queer artist-activist. One part peace vigil, one part protest rally, and one part joyful raucous concert, Alix ignites audiences everywhere she performs. Olson's innumerable stage, broadcast, radio and print appearances include, most recently, twice headlining HBO's "Def Poetry Jam" (Russell Simmons), and an inclusion in Utne Magazine's InRadio compilation. Utne's website calls Olson "...the spoken word diva everyone's talking about."
Alix has graced the cover of Ms. Magazine, who called Olson a "road-poet-on-a-mission," and her work has been featured in Girlfriends Magazine, The Advocate, OUT Magazine, Curve, Lesbian Review of Books, and on the covers of Lambda Book Report, Lavender Lens, and Velvet Park magazines. A recent interview with Olson for The Progressive calls her a "word warrior" and gives a comprehensive peek into just what makes her work so compelling. Alix has appeared on the nationally syndicated Air America's "Unfiltered" radio (co-hosts Rachel Maddow, Rachel Winstead, and Chuck D), as well as on Oxygen television, CNN, HBO, In the Life, and WXPN's World Cafe with David Dye, and local radio stations around the country.
Alix was voted "Best Activist", along with MoveOn, in Venus Magazine's Hott List 2004. Olson was voted 2004 OutMusician of the Year (OutMusic), and was a triple nominee for the 2002 OUTMusic Awards. In June 2003, Alix (along with Margaret Cho and Nobuko Oyabu) received the "Visionary Award" from the DC Rape Crisis Center for her "exceptional commitment to the promotion of social justice." Past honorees include Gloria Steinem, Tori Amos, Patricia Ireland and Sarah Jones. Olson has also received a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, and a Barbara Deming grant.
Howard Zinn (historian/activist) calls Alix "an ingenious poet, a brilliant performer, a funny person, a serious thinker. Quite simply, extraordinary."
Alix tours over two-hundred days a year, and has headlined national conferences for the National Organization for Women, GenderPac, and the Lesbian Summit. Most recently, Alix performed for one million people at the Washington, D.C. March for Women's Lives. She has headlined international poetry festivals in Portugal, the Netherlands, and England, and will be touring Australia in January.
Of her live performances, The Progressive Magazine calls Alix "an electrifying performer who seduces the audience with wit and energy, spinning tales of life on the road between her fiery poems. A sharpshooter with theatrical flair, Olson oozes both love and rage."
Above all, Alix Olson is undaunted by being labeled as "controversial." "I think any artist who confronts the status quo will be targeted as 'controversial'. We will also be called 'angry,' 'aggressive,' 'loud,' or at best, 'idealistic,' so that we are discounted, backed into a corner, and our power is deflated. But I have never been intimidated by words, because they've always been on my side."
Armpit Hair
Alix Olson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So i had to grab a strap
As i lifted up my arm i heard a scream "what's that?"
I took a look around,
I thought "there must be something scary".
Like a lion or a tiger or the virgin mary?
But then, i noticed they were looking at me.
I heard "oh my gawd! they're hairy!"
You turn thirteen, they put a razor in your hand
To teach you the difference between a woman and a man.
You see, chicks smooth their pits
So boys can smooth the chicks.
But i was different, i wanted to smooth the chicks,
I wanted to lick their pits!
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (i like it)
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (spike it, spike it!)
I was walking around brooklyn
When these cool guys drove by
They said "we're looking for a good time baby,
Wanna ride?"
I flashed my biggest smile,
I said "hey, sounds like fun"
Then i flash my armpit hair. they turn. they run.
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (it's a weapon)
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (use discretion)
Well, i hear that the senate is planning a convention
To pass an amendment
On body hair prevention. i'm planning on attending,
I'll be sitting in the front row.
I'll have chains on my pits screaming
"hell no, it won't go!"
I'm like inspector gadget, when i unfurl my curls
I lasso all the bad guys, then i rope in all the girls.
Well, i figure i owe
Alix Olson's song "Armpit Hair" is all about body hair, specifically the hair that grows under our arms. The song starts with a story of the singer on a crowded subway, lifting their arm and causing people to react in horror. The singer is confused, wondering if there is something scary in the subway, until they realize that people are reacting to their armpit hair. The song then goes into a verse about societal expectations around shaving body hair, specifically how girls are expected to shave their armpits to be attractive to boys.
The chorus of the song is a celebration of armpit hair, with the singer declaring that they like it and encouraging others to "spike it." The second verse sees the singer out walking when they're approached by some men who offer them a ride. The singer flashes their armpit hair and the men quickly change their minds. The song finishes with a verse about a proposed amendment on body hair prevention, with the singer planning to attend the convention and protest.
Overall, the song is a celebration of body hair and a rejection of societal beauty standards that often pressure people to shave or wax their body hair. It's also a fun, catchy song that encourages us to embrace our natural bodies.
Line by Line Meaning
There were no seats on the subway
I boarded a crowded subway and there were no seats available.
So i had to grab a strap
I had to hold onto a strap to keep myself standing.
As i lifted up my arm i heard a scream 'what's that?'
As I raised my arm to hold onto the strap, someone saw my armpit hair and exclaimed in surprise.
I took a look around,
I looked around to see what had caused the person to scream.
I thought 'there must be something scary'.
I assumed that the person had seen something frightening or dangerous.
Like a lion or a tiger or the virgin mary?
I wondered if the person had seen a wild animal or a religious figure that caused them to scream.
But then, i noticed they were looking at me.
I realized that the person was actually looking at me and my armpit hair.
I heard 'oh my gawd! they're hairy!'
The person was surprised by my visible armpit hair and expressed their shock out loud.
You turn thirteen, they put a razor in your hand
When you become a teenager, it's seen as normal or required to start shaving your body hair.
To teach you the difference between a woman and a man.
Shaving is presented as a way to distinguish men and women and their bodies.
You see, chicks smooth their pits
It is commonly accepted that women shave their underarms.
So boys can smooth the chicks.
Men are expected to shave their own body hair in order to please or appeal to women.
But i was different, i wanted to smooth the chicks,
I wanted to be intimate with and please women in my own way, which did not involve conforming to societal norms around shaving.
I wanted to lick their pits!
I am sexually attracted to women's bodies in their natural state, and armpit hair is not a detractor for me.
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (i like it)
I am expressing my appreciation for armpit hair.
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (spike it, spike it!)
I am advocating for women to embrace their armpit hair and even style it in a rebellious or attention-grabbing way.
I was walking around brooklyn
I was out in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
When these cool guys drove by
A car drove by where a group of men were sitting.
They said 'we're looking for a good time baby, Wanna ride?'
The men propositioned me for sex or some other form of pleasure.
I flashed my biggest smile, I said 'hey, sounds like fun'
I tried to act agreeable and flirtatious in response to their advances.
Then i flash my armpit hair. they turn. they run.
When I lifted my arm to wave goodbye, revealing my armpit hair, the men were so put off that they immediately left.
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (it's a weapon)
I am highlighting how my armpit hair can be used as a way to repel unwanted advances or attention from men.
Armpit hair! armpit hair! (use discretion)
I am cautioning other women to be careful about expressing their armpit hair in certain situations or around certain people, as it could result in negative or dangerous consequences.
Well, i hear that the senate is planning a convention
I have heard that there is a political gathering happening soon.
To pass an amendment On body hair prevention.
This gathering is focused on passing a law that would prevent people from keeping their body hair.
i'm planning on attending, I'll be sitting in the front row.
I am planning on going to this gathering and positioning myself at the front of the room to be heard.
I'll have chains on my pits screaming 'hell no, it won't go!'
I am planning a protest to express my strong disagreement with the idea of preventing people from keeping their body hair.
I'm like inspector gadget, when i unfurl my curls
I am comparing myself to a fictional character who has gadgets and mechanisms that they can whip out at a moment's notice.
I lasso all the bad guys, then i rope in all the girls.
I am saying that I have the ability to subvert authority and recruit other people to my cause.
Well, i figure i owe
I believe that I have a debt to pay or a responsibility to act based on my beliefs.
Contributed by Liam G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.