Poontang

Peter has triggered a lot of interest in the origins and meaning of the word "Poontang". So much so that if you type the word on Google and click I'm Feeling Lucky, you will be immediately linked to the peterme page that the title of this post also leads you to.

When I was a young man, I took it for granted that poontang was a colorful, and colored folk reference to what Bessie Smith lyricized as her Honey Pot.

Some years later, after coming across the song by Clara Smith that Peter features on his poon page, I decided that poontang actually referred to the instrument that stirred Miss Bessie's Honey pot. So I have been on both sides this entertaining gender dispute.

But while listening to Clara' recording today of "Oh, Mister Mitchell", I feel the coded lyric finally came through to me. The vocal ecstacy expressed by Clara does not refer to a body part, per se, but rather to the performance of one body part upon another. Mister Mitchell is, apparently, a marvelous baker of many sweet confections, and Miss Lindy Lou likes them all, but nothing sets her wild like his sweet poontang. Just listen to her gush:

"But when you give me poontang I just lose control."

The origins of poontang may be lost in the twists and turns of evolving language and slang, but now I know, at least, what Mister Michell gave Miss Lindy Lou that gave her such pleasure and brought her back, and back again for more.

"Oh, oh, Mr. Mitchell, I'm crazy about your sweet poontang
Give me lots of poontang
Please don't make me plead
Can't you see you've really got just what I need?
Oh, oh, Mr. Michell, I'm wild about your sweet poontang!"

You can check out the full lyric on the linked page. And Clara Smith's recording, if you can find it, is a blast.