This song has lived as a voice memo in many phones, passed around like folklore, and sung by my closest friends. Even now, it still makes my stomach hurt. I wrote it not just for me, but for my friends and my community. I’ve witnessed so much hate in so many different forms, sometimes disguised as the love of God. More than that, this song is about relentless love and the quiet devastation of being asked to forget what once felt holy. This song is for the people who don’t forget.
You will remember “this body”
In 2023, I read a book called “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit” by Jeanette Winterson. It beautifully explores the tension between religion and queerness. This book inspired me to write a song that I am very proud of. When I left Los Angeles, this tree in my yard was bare; now it is fruitful—a beautiful orange tree right outside my window. When we were filming the music video, I noticed an orange tree right next to the church where we were shooting. Orange tree?! Church?! Lesbians?! Idk… I really love this song and it’s been quite emotional to finally let it free.
Above shows the excerpt from Jeanette Winterson’s “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit” that inspired “This Body.”
