P is for Placenta
P Is For Placenta
"P Is for Placenta!" Brought to you from my kitchen, featuring original placenta art by Jaspar and Adelaide Lepak proudly displayed on our fridge! This song was inspired by the fascinating chapter, "An Organ as Two-Faced as Time," in the book Like a Mother by Angela Garbes. I was so captivated by this chapter, I just had to write this song—a big cheers to the placenta! When we deepen our understanding of women’s bodies, pregnancy, and reproductive health, we create better laws. Fun fact: the placenta is now used to treat burn victims with amazing results! There’s so much left to discover—and probably a few more verses of this song to write! "P Is for Placenta" is featured on my 2024 album So Strong. Check it out with three-part harmonies here: https://jasparlepak.com/track/3683200
Lyrics
We all learned once upon a time that when an egg and sperm collide
That egg becomes fertilized and eventually a baby
But there’s an unsung hero here, an afterthought we should revere
Before that egg turns embryo, it first becomes a zygote
That zygote cell divides and splits, and soon becomes a blastocyst
And that blastocyst makes two things, not just one
A brand new organ built from scratch
That feeds that fetus till it’s hatched
Now, everybody, raise a glass, a toast to the placenta!
P is for placenta, not pizza, pint or please
It’s the motherboard of human life, it’s everything you need
The placenta is a masterpiece of intricate design
A maternal fetal interface connecting space and time
Both hospital and pharmacy, a restaurant and more
It acts as kidneys, heart, and lungs until that baby’s born!
P is for placenta, not pasta or poutine
It’s a big box store, a smorgasbord It’s everything you need!
The placenta isn’t pretty, it looks like a piece of meat
It smells musky like a liver, but it’s still a wholesome treat
You can roast it in the oven, dehydrate it into pills,
You can drink placenta smoothie, it is sworn to heal your ills!
P is for placenta, not perfume or potpourri
Its abilities are amazing, we finally see your beauty!
P is for placenta, we will pass you by no more
We celebrate your gift to life….
And raise a glass once more—placenta!