Songfacts®:

• In the early '70s, after a stint of modeling in the UK, Betty Davis landed in Los Angeles with music on her mind. Ditching plans to record with Santana, she assembled a Bay Area dream team featuring Sly Stone's drummer Greg Errico as producer alongside Neal Schon (of Santana), Larry Graham, and several other members of Graham Central Station. This crew laid down an eclectic funk-soul album between 1972 and 1973, reflecting the richness of its players. This song is the LP's opening track.
• The songs, all written by Davis herself, are mostly built around funk grooves, driving percussion and heavy guitars. "She really had a clear image in her mind of what she wanted," Errico told Uncut magazine. "She wanted some of that Sly influence of what we were doing back then."
• "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" is an unfettered vocal attack and a bare-backed blend of funk, rock and R&B. "I thought 'If I'm In Luck' was stinkingly funky!" said Errico. "We would go through it once, maybe a couple of times, then cut it. It was effortless. You put the right rhythm section in the right chemistry and stuff just flies. We didn't wear the tracks out going over them."
• "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" reflects Davis' bold and liberated persona. The lyrics are suggestive and risqué, expressing themes of sexual empowerment and independence. She's taking control, not just waiting for a Prince Charming.
  
  According to friend and collaborator Danielle Maggio, Davis wrote "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" based on her surroundings. "She was living in the Bay Area, and she was observing her friends, herself and also the women in her community, using their desire," Maggio told Uncut. "There would be pressure to do things like make money, move their careers forward, and just enjoy life and have a good time. So the song is really for freedom of desire for pleasure, but also bodily and sexual autonomy."
• Released as the lead single from the Betty Davis album, "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" peaked at #66 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was the biggest hit of Davis' career.