Keith Harbersberger of BuzzFeed is the frontman of Lewberger, a comedic band that released "The Vagina Song" last week. Yes, it is called “The Vagina Song,” and even though it is performed by two individuals who do not have vaginas, I am obsessed with it.
First of all, Harbersberger’s Sinatra-esque voice is utterly swoon-worthy, and he harmonizes beautifully with fellow bandmate Alex Lewis. But all that aside, this is a fantastic song because it is both educational and empowering.
“The Vagina Song” makes it clear that, contrary to popular belief, the vagina is only one component in the complex female reproductive system. The song’s opens with a couple of facts that are, no doubt, eye-opening for many listeners: “The vagina is a tubular sex organ. It’s part of the female genital tract.” Take a moment to let those words sink in. Tubular. Part of. No, the vulva is not the vagina, and neither are the “labia sisters” or the clitoris. The song mentions all of these externally visible portions of the female genitalia, and it also mentions the uterus, cervix and the fallopian tubes -- the internal parts that we cannot see.
The song ends with a clever Beatles tribute (VAAA-GIII-NAA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAA) and is amusing, gutsy and tasteful: “We don’t have vaginas, so it’s weird for us to tell you what to do with yours, but either way, you gotta respect vaginas.”
Thank you, Lewberger. I am sick of women’s reproductive health being controlled by conservative male politicians who will never know what it is like to stick a tampon up or push a child out of a vagina. They do not have vaginas, so they have no authority to tell me what to do with mine.
The simple fact that Harbersberger and Lewis acknowledge that they are vagina-less is what makes this song even more great. And, unlike Rush Limbaugh, they are not trying to control the female genital tract; they are simply teaching us to understand and respect it. Sure, there is more to it than just the vagina, and this song delves into the very many parts. However, the masses love the word “vagina.” Many people mistakenly refer to the external female genitalia -- despite its very many parts -- as “the vagina,” and it is for this reason that that very word that serves as this song’s hook.
People who have vaginas -- and vulvas, labium, clitorises, uteruses, cervixes and all those other lovely parts -- should feel free to talk about them openly. These words do not belong to penis-bearing cis men; they belong to us, and as Harbersberger mentions in the song, “We all came out of ‘em [vaginas], or at least we were inspired to exist because of them.” Another great thing that is mentioned about the vagina is that “you could get rid of it,” which makes this song inclusive to non-cis individuals (yet another reason why it is so fantastic).
