Eyes have it for modern songwriters
But hip hop draws inspiration from the backside
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 | 12:20 PM ET
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When it comes to song lyrics, the eyes are windows to the creative soul.
An analysis of 10,000 songs, from many different genres, found the eyes are the body part most mentioned in song lyrics.
Visual artists Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg did the count, and found the eyes, hands, arms and face all got frequent mentions.
But in hip hop, the part accorded the most weight is the ass, which makes an appearance in 23.6 per cent of songs, according to their study. Hits such as Sir Mix a Lot's Baby Got Back affirm a distinct taste for the well-formed booty.
In fact, hip hop led in mentioning numerous body parts, including the head (22.8 per cent of songs), the hand (21.7 per cent), the eye (19.3 per cent) and the face (16.9 per cent).
Gospel and blues put hands at the top of their list, with songs such as Keep Your Hands Off My Woman and Put Your Hand in the Hand.
The eyes are most mentioned in rock, in 11.8 per cent of songs, including These Eyes, Angry Eyes and Wild Eyes. Hands, the face and the head also turn up frequently in such music.
Eyes also feature prominently in jazz, folk, alternative and electronica.
Viégas and Wattenberg, who have displayed work at the New York Museum of Modern Art, have created an interactive visual representation of their findings, called Listen, part of a larger project called Fleshmap.
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