Songs about the Oldest Profession

Cafe Society
41

No one has mentioned the best one. “Sweet Cream Ladies” by the Boxtops.

In school we had a music teacher who always treated us like little children. One day she asked us to bring the words to our favorite songs to share with the class, as a way for her to bond with our generation.

Julia brought “Sweet Cream Ladies” and read the words. The teacher never tried to bond with us again. Of all of the moments that I wish I had a video of, I wish I could go back to that moment.

We were in the 7th grade, 12 and 13 years old. I guess we were little children at the time, but not in our heads or hearts.

Here you go, from 1969:

42

That’s a cover of the original by Bobbie Gentry.

43

Movie Star is the oldest profession?

I don’t want to quibble if you’re trying to imply something profound about MM and the arc of her life, but I think the thread is really about the more straightforward practitioners.

44

“Big Spender” from Sweet Charity

45

Private Dancer - Tina Turner

46

Songs from Broadway shows about whores? What about the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas??

And Tom Paxton’s Cindy’s Crying/Hooker

47

Easy Money– Nick Cave

48

Tom Waits’ “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis”. I cry every time.

49

“Black Diamond” by Kiss

“Mama” by Genesis (or so Phil Collins says)

“Lovely Ladies” from*** Les Miserables***

“Lend Your Love to Me Tonight” by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

50

In addition to “Lovely Ladies” and “My Body”, there’s Les Mis’s sister show, Miss Saigon. One of the main characters is a pimp and about half the show is set in Saigon and Bangkok brothels. A few choice songs:

The Heat is on in Saigon
The Movie in my Mind
Why God?
What a Waste

From the musical Jeckyll & Hyde there’s “Here’s to the Night” (among other numbers).

The Life has “The Hooker’s Ball” in addition to the already mentioned “My Body”.

51

Another musicals one, from Chess: One Night in Bangkok
Tea girls, warm and sweet, warm, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham Suite
“Get Thai’d”, you’re talking to a tourist
Whose every move’s among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine

52

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves by Cher

53

Rainbow tour from Evita has Eva Person enraged because people call her a whore. The idea of whether Eva Peron was a prostitute or not has been debated ad naseum. She likely traded sex for work as an actress, or negotiated things “between the sheets,” as was popular during the time. But if she traded sex for money isn’t clear. Some claim the “rooming house” her mother ran was really a brothel, and she got the underaged Eva into the business (shades of Pretty Baby).

She should get into her head
She should not get out of bed
She should know that she’s not paid
To be loud but to be laid
Slut! Dangerous Jade

54

The musical Man of La Mancha has Aldonza and It’s All The Same.

55

Two pages and no one’s mentioned She Works Hard For the Money by Donna Summer?

ETA - Just looked at Wikipedia about the song and apparently it isn’t about prostitution. Who knew?

StG

56

These songs are about magicians?
mmm

57

Ani DiFranco-“Letter to a John”

58

Different sort of dancing.

59

I especially like the admiral trying to smooth things over:

Evita:
Did you hear that? They called me a whore!
They actually called me a whore!

[Italian admiral:]
But Signora Peron it’s an easy mistake
I’m still called an admiral
Yet I gave up the sea long ago

60

Never on Sunday