Rod Stewart has never shied away from trying on different genres and styles if it means that it will keep him relevant and front of mind with his legions of fans. Perhaps his boldest gambit was his disco-fied, somewhat randy 1978 song “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?,” a runaway No. 1 hit in the U.S.
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What is the song about? What was Stewart’s intent in terms of writing and releasing the song? And how did he deal with the critics who scolded him for leaving behind the gritty rock of his earlier days? Here is the story of how Rod took a big chance and hit it big with “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
Rod’s Risk
To be fair, Rod Stewart was far from the first rocker to release a song that capitalized on the disco craze that was sweeping through music in the late ’70s. As a matter of fact, one of his big inspirations for creating the song was “Miss You,” The Rolling Stones’ hit that found the band copping disco’s four-on-the-floor rhythmic style.
Perhaps what angered some critics about “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” is that Stewart not only went disco, but he also did so with such brazen subject matter. Stewart later lamented the song was promoted with pictures of him in tight leather clothing, which seemed to suggest a kind of macho posturing that, truth be told, the song itself doesn’t really promote.
Stewart wrote “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” with Carmine Appice and Duane Hitchings. (Stewart also admitted he unconsciously borrowed the keyboard riff from a Brazilian artist named Jorge Ben, with whom Stewart reached a settlement after a lawsuit was filed.) Appice related in an interview with Songfacts the song wasn’t meant to be taken as a literal play-by-play of Stewart’s sexual exploits, but rather as a fictional tale:
“If you look at the lyrics, it was a story. Rod told stories in his songs: ‘The Killing of Georgie’ was a story, ‘Tonight’s the Night’ was a story. Any of his songs are like little mini-stories. This was a story of a guy meeting a chick in a club. At that time, that was a cool saying. If you listen to the lyrics—She sits alone, waiting for suggestions, he’s so nervous—it’s the feelings of what was going on in a dance club. The guy sees a chick he digs, she’s nervous and he’s nervous and she’s alone and doesn’t know what’s going on, then they end up at his place having sex, and then she’s gone.”
As if to strengthen that point, the lyrics are sung in the third person, as if it’s an omniscient narrator telling the story of two other people. That didn’t stop a lot of critics from lambasting Stewart. The singer’s reputation as a romancer of many beautiful women certainly played into the perception of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” as coming right from the womanizer’s playbook.
Stewart’s feelings towards the song have shifted over the years. For a time in the ’80s, he expressed regret for doing it. But as years have passed, and fan demand for the song grew, Stewart made his peace with it and once again made it a staple of his live shows.
What is the Meaning of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
It’s true that the refrain of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” pushes your mind in a certain direction when you hear the song, which can make you miss some of the subtleties. But there are indeed moments when the prevailing emotion within the song is a sweaty nervousness: His lips are dry, her heart is gently pounding.
You also have to remember the disco club scene of that era was known for the random trysts that would start under the strobe lights before ending up in some apartment. Stewart asks, Don’t you know exactly what they’re thinking? He’s asking that of the audience, suggesting perhaps that the candor of the lyrics is something to be appreciated, rather than criticized.
“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” certainly stands as one of the most polarizing of Rod Stewart’s hits. But the guy has always been a crowd-pleaser, first and foremost, and this song has achieved that mission time and again over its long, somewhat controversial existence.
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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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