Welcome to new subscribers and regular readers! Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “I’m Beautiful, Dammit!” by Orville Brimsley Adams. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article.
✳️ Note: The level of this article is for students with a TOEIC of 550+, Eiken Pre-1, CEFR B2 (and EVERYONE’s invited to dance!). For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below.
#PrideOnThePage
(756 words)
This song was originally released in 1992 by the group Uncanny Alliance. Bette Midler made a recording of the song in 1999. That’s the version you’ll read below.
The song starts with what sounds like a clip from a movie. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it!” means don’t be afraid to show something that you are proud of or to show your good features.
That's it, baby! When you got it, flaunt it! Flaunt it!
Better Midler is “The Divine (wonderful) Miss M” to her fans. She has been a singer and an actor since the 1960s. She has toured in the U.S., Australia, and throughout Europe. In her act, she often uses flamboyant language. Here, she’s trying to say, “I want to tell you what I have learned about what makes me so great.”
This is the Divine Miss M and I'm here to share with you
Some rare and stimulating insight into my cosmic fabulosity
It's really very simple
I simply believe with all my heart:
I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, dammit!
"Go away, little girl," they used to say
"Hey, you're too fat, baby, you can't play"
“Miss Thing” is what someone might say if they think you are trying to be better than you actually are.
"Hold on, miss thing, what you trying to do?"
"You know you're too wack (worthless, stupid) to be in our school"
How many times have we all been called names or told we’re somehow not good enough?
Too wack, too smart, too fast, too fine
Too loud, too tough, too too divine
I said you don't belong
You don't belong
Too loud, too big, too much to bear
Too bold, too brash, too prone to swear
I heard that song for much too long
She stands up for herself. She tells the world that she IS good enough, and it doesn’t mater what other people think.
Ain't this my sun? Ain't this my moon?
Ain't this my world to be who I choose?
Ain't this my song? Ain't this my movie?
Ain't this my world?
I know I can do it
I'm not too short, I'm not too tall
I'm not too big, I'm not too small
Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself!
When she starts to believe in herself and her self-esteem improves, she starts to love herself. Don’t let me start loving myself implies that if I do, I will feel good and have pride in myself and my accomplishments.
I'm not too white, I'm not too black
I'm not too this, I'm not too that
Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself!
She encourages others to express themselves in the way they want.
It's time to call it what it is
Don't play the naming game
Become what you were born to be and be it unashamed
People can be cruel and push others out of their “in” or popular groups.
"Go away, little boy," I can hear them say
"Everybody on the block says they think you're gay"
"Hold on, my friend, do you think we're blind?"
"Take a look at yourself, you're not our kind"
Too black, too white, too short, too tall
Too blue, too green, too red, too small
I said you don't belong
You don't belong
Too black, too white, too short, too tall
Too blue, too green, too red, too small
I heard that song for much too long
People always ask me,
"Miss M, how did you get so far on so little?"
Shut up!
(This is a joke. To “go far” means to be successful. To “have very little” means to have no talent.)
Well, I woke up one morning
Flossed my teeth and decided
"Damn, I'm fierce!" (You look good!)
You can be just like me! (A goddess?) Yeah!
To pussy foot means to walk quietly or gently. To sit on your assets is a play on words. Your ass (not polite) is the part of your body you sit on, and assets are your strengths, the things you do well.
Don't just pussy foot around and sit on your assets
Unleash your ferocity upon an unsuspecting world
Rise up and repeat after me: "I'm beautiful!"
I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful!
Can you say that?
I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful!
I don't hear you!
I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful!
Louder!
I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful!
Hey!
That's it, baby! When you got it, flaunt it! Flaunt it!
Ahh!
…..
I'm beautiful, dammit!
Okay everybody. Get up and dance! Because YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!
Leave a comment. Tell us why YOU are beautiful!
Vocabulary
flaunt 見せびらかす
flamboyant 派手好み
stimulating 刺激的な
insight 洞察力
cosmic 宇宙的な
fabulosity 伝説上 (fabulous is the adjective. She made up the noun form!)
to bear 耐える
brash 生意気な
prone to swear 悪態をつきやすい
fierce (adj.) ferocity (n.) 獰猛 (Here, it means “I’m great/wonderful/fantastic!”素敵)
Original version by Uncanny Alliance:
Other articles for Pride Month:
Married in London https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/am-i-married-or-not
Let's Keep It Straight https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/lets-keep-it-straight
Marie https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/marie-stay-in-your-hometown-and-fight
Pride and Homophobia https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/pride-and-homophobia
Matthew Shepard https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/matthew-shepard
Wave a Flag for Harvey Milk https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/wave-a-flag-for-harvey-milk
Ally (the ballad of Lauri Carlton) https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/ally-the-ballad-of-lauri-carlton
Same Love https://louisehaynes.substack.com/p/same-love
🍕I love pizza! 🍕Please, buy me a slice of pizza. :-) 🍕
buymeacoffee.com/socialissuesinsong
#TOEIC550 #英検Pre-1 #CEFR B2
I missed the day entirely but truly believe we are all beautiful and pride belongs to all people! 🌈
Louise—
what a radiant choice for #PrideOnThePage. I smiled through the whole piece—this is the kind of unapologetic, embodied joy we need more of, especially in a month where too many still feel they must shrink or hide. You wove the context so clearly, and I loved how you made the song’s message tangible for your learners. Pride belongs exactly here—in voices rising, feet moving, barriers melting away. We are beautiful, we are enough, and no one else gets to name us smaller. Thank you for bringing this into the circle with such warmth.