"I'm Beautiful Dammitt!" (sometimes printed without punctuation, sometimes simply titled "I'm Beautiful") was the second single released from the Uncanny Alliance

Uncanny Alliance

Uncanny Alliance was an American house music duo. They consisted of the producer, Brinsley Evans, and the female vocalist E.V. Mystique, who were both from New York.-Career:...

 LP, The Groove Won't Bite, released as a CD single and 12".

The song, which is typical of the sample-heavy house music of the early 1990s, includes mostly spoken word vocal samples performed by lead singer/vocalist E.V. Mystique. She is asserting her own beauty while encouraging the listener to embrace their own inner beauty despite what others might perceive as lesser attributes. In the chorus she lists things that the listener should never feel they are "not too", including "white," "black," "short," "tall," "short", "red," "small", etc... Because of the camp value of the song (and the general high camp attitude of the band's persona) the song became an anthem for gay pride

Gay pride

LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...

. The song's overall theme is that one can excel in life if one doesn't let others bring one down through oppression. As Mystique says, "Yes, well...I just recently discovered that I'm fierce. So...I want a job. I want to work! I want to serve! There's a lot of things I could do if you just give me a chance!" (The terms "work" and "serve" are gay slang

Gay slang

LGBT slang, LGBT speak or gay slang is a set of slang used predominantly among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It has been used in various languages, including English and Japanese since the early 1900s as a means by members of the LGBT community as a group to self-advertise as a...

, and thus serve as a double entendre.)

Bette Midler version

In 1998 singer Bette Midler

Bette Midler

Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...

 covered the song, retitled simply "I'm Beautiful", for her album "Bathhouse Betty

Bathhouse Betty

Bathhouse Betty is the ninth studio album by the American singer Bette Midler, released in 1998. Bathhouse Betty was Midler's debut album for Warner Bros...

". That album, the title of which references her time as a performer in gay bathhouse

Gay bathhouse

Gay bathhouses, also known as gay saunas or steam baths, are commercial bathhouses for men to have sex with other men. In gay slang in some regions these venues are also known colloquially as "the baths" or "the tubs," and should not be confused with public bathing.Not all men who visit gay...

s, was catered to the gay community. As such she revised the lyrics to the song to be more specifically directed towards the struggle of gay people to be accepted. In particular there is the new lyric: "'Go away little boy' all the kids say! Everybody on the block says they think you're gay!" The song was released as a single in 1999 with numerous dance remixes, one of which reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play Chart and #8 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi Singles Sales.

Track listing

12": USA (Warner Bros 0-44586)

1. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny Tenaglia Continental Club Mix)
2. "I'm Beautiful" (Brinsley Evans Back To The Scene Of The Crime Mix)
3. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Main Vocal Mix)
4. "I'm Beautiful" (Album Version)
5. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny's D-Tour Dub)
6. "I'm Beautiful" (Lil' D-Tour Groove)
7. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Dub)
8. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Drum Dub)

CDM: USA (Warner 2-44586)

1. "I'm Beautiful" (Album Version)
2. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny Tenaglia Continental Club Mix)
3. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Main Vocal Mix)
4. "I'm Beautiful" (Brinsley Evans Back To The Scene Of The Crime Mix)
5. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny's D-Tour Dub)
6. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Dub)
7. "I'm Beautiful" (Lil' D-Tour Groove)
8. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Drum Dub)

12": USA (Warner PRO-A-9587) Promo

1. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Main Vocal Mix)
2. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Dub)
3. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Drum Dub)

12": USA (Warner PRO-A-9591) Promo

1. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny Tenaglia Continental Club Mix)
2. "I'm Beautiful" (Brinsley Evans Back To The Scene Of The Crime Mix)
3. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny's D-Tour Dub)
4. "I'm Beautiful" (Lil' D-Tour Groove)

12": USA (Warner) Promo

1. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny Tenaglia Continental Club Mix)
2. "I'm Beautiful" (Danny's D-Tour Dub)
3. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Main Vocal Mix)
4. "I'm Beautiful" (Victor Calderone Dub)
5. "I'm Beautiful" (Brinsley Evans Back To The Scene Of The Crime Mix)