Bodies

The lyrics present abortion through disturbing, graphic language and repeated cries of “I’m not an animal.” The first part describes Pauline in harsh, dehumanizing terms; later, the voice shifts toward the imagined baby, which seems to protest being reduced to a body or medical condition. The repetition creates a furious, anguished mood rather than a calm explanation.

Several images emphasize this loss of dignity. “Dragged on a table in a factory” compares a medical procedure to impersonal production, suggesting that a person is being handled like an object. “In a packet in a lavatory” is another shocking image of disposal and secrecy. The repeated word “body” can mean a physical body, but it also seems to challenge the idea that a person is only flesh. “I’m not an animal” sounds like a plea to be recognized as human.

The lyrics are deliberately provocative, and their point of view is not entirely clear. The opening insults Pauline, while the later lines express a voice that may be imagined as the fetus; the song does not offer a balanced account of her circumstances or feelings. Its language may be read as condemning abortion, or more broadly as attacking the way bodies and lives are treated as disposable. The anger is unmistakable, but its exact target remains ambiguous.