Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
If you're havin' trouble with the high school head
He's givin' you the blues
You want to graduate, but not in his bed
Here's what you gotta do
Pick up the phone, I'm always home
Call me anytime
Just ring, 3-6-2-4-3-6, hey
I lead a life of crime
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
You got problems in your life of love
You got a broken heart
He's double dealin' with your best friend
That's when the teardrops start, fella
Pick up the phone, I'm here alone
Or make a social call
Come right in, forget about him
We'll have ourselves a ball, hey
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap (oh)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Oh yeah
If you got a lady and you want her gone
But you ain't got the guts
She keeps naggin' at you night and day
Enough to drive you nuts
Pick up the phone, leave her alone
It's time you made a stand
For a fee, I'm happy to be
Your back door man, woo
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap (yeah)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Concrete shoes, cyanide, TNT
(Done dirt cheap)
Neckties, contracts, high voltage
(Done dirt cheap)
(Dirty deeds)
Do anything you want me to
(Done dirt cheap)
(Dirty deeds)
Dirty deeds, dirty deeds
(Done dirt cheap)
Yeah
He's givin' you the blues
You want to graduate, but not in his bed
Here's what you gotta do
Pick up the phone, I'm always home
Call me anytime
Just ring, 3-6-2-4-3-6, hey
I lead a life of crime
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
You got problems in your life of love
You got a broken heart
He's double dealin' with your best friend
That's when the teardrops start, fella
Pick up the phone, I'm here alone
Or make a social call
Come right in, forget about him
We'll have ourselves a ball, hey
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap (oh)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Oh yeah
If you got a lady and you want her gone
But you ain't got the guts
She keeps naggin' at you night and day
Enough to drive you nuts
Pick up the phone, leave her alone
It's time you made a stand
For a fee, I'm happy to be
Your back door man, woo
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap (yeah)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Concrete shoes, cyanide, TNT
(Done dirt cheap)
Neckties, contracts, high voltage
(Done dirt cheap)
(Dirty deeds)
Do anything you want me to
(Done dirt cheap)
(Dirty deeds)
Dirty deeds, dirty deeds
(Done dirt cheap)
Yeah
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by flexsteel, LHGL
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Lyrics as written by Malcolm Young Angus Young
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Here are the correct lyrics from AC/DC's official website:
acdc.com/us/music/dirty-deeds-done-dirt-cheap/dirty-deeds-done-dirt-cheap-edited-version
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Angus Young - Malcolm Young - Bon Scott)
well if you're having trouble with the high school head he's giving you the blues you want to graduate but not in his bed here's what you gotta do pick up the phone, I’m always home call me anytime, just ring, 362436 oh I lead a life of crime
dirty deeds done dirt cheap, dirty deeds done dirt cheap, dirty deeds done dirt cheap dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
you're got trouble in your life of love you got a broken heart he's double dealing with your best friend that's where the teardrops start pick up the phone, I’m here alone or make a social call come right in forget about him we'll have ourselves a ball
dirty deeds done dirt cheap, dirty deeds done dirt cheap, dirty deeds done dirt cheap dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
if you got a lady and you want her gone but you ain't got the guts she keeps nagging at you night and day enough to drive you nuts pick up the phone leave her alone it's time you made a stand for a fee I’m happy to be your back door man
dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap, dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap, dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
concrete shoes, cyanide, T.N.T. done dirt cheap neck ties, contracts, high voltage done dirt cheap dirty deeds, done dirt cheap, dirty deeds, done dirt cheap dirty deeds do anything you want me to done dirt cheap dirty deeds dirty deeds done dirt cheap
© 1976 J Albert & Son Pty Ltd.
First verse talking to a girl who is having sex with her principal Second verse talking to a girl whose guy is cheating on her Third verse talking to a guy whose girl is a bitch
Sex is Bon's solution to all of these. As with every AC/DC song it is about sex and it is full of double entendres to make it sound like it might not be about sex. The "back door man" thing that everyone keeps getting hung up on is he's offering to take the girl off the guy's hands by having sex with her. He will be the one exiting the back door (actual door to the house) when the other guy is entering the front door. This is also a double entendre for anal sex. Bon knew this and put it like that for a reason. The phone number is also supposed to be a double entendre. It is the standard measurements of the "perfect woman".
The song is clearly about a guy who does nasty things for pay. Not necessarily a hitman, but someone who does dirty deeds (roughing-up, adultery, murder) for cheap. AC/DC is one of the most straight-forward bands on Earth. Aside from a liberal use of double entendres, what you hear is pretty much what you get with them.
The first verse is about a girl whose high school principle (high school head) is banging her for the grades she needs to graduate. Bon's offering to take care of the situation for her (beat him up or kill him). The phone number is an Australian number (AC/DC are from Australia, duh). It's not a woman's measurements.
The second verse is about a woman whose man is cheating on her. Bon's offering to sleep with her for revenge. Essentially a gigolo or male prostitute job.
The third verse is about a guy who wants to kill his wife but does not have the guts to do it. Bon is offering to kill her for him, plain and simple. The "back door man" line always confused me, but I think it's safe to say Bon was using the wrong term and it was not some sort of offer for gay sex.
The outro is just a list of ways to kill people, with nods to other AC/DC titles (TNT, High Voltage). A "necktie" is when you slit someone's throat and pull their tongue out through the hole.
@bbzzdd Pretty sure the phone # is intentional meant to be the ideal female measurements...I took it to mean he only wants these type of women to call him or at least this would be his pay for doing the dirty deeds<br /> I think "it's safe to say Bon was" not using the wrong term, though it may make you uncomfortable he really would do dirty needs, for a fee
@bbzzdd AC/DC were known for their "double entendres", as we all know from the song "Big Balls". Sydney Australian phone numbers were 6 digits back then, but the numbers chosen are the alleged ideal woman's measurements.
To start off with, this is from what I hear and deem to make sense. I could be wrong with some of the lyrics and their interpretations.
The first verse is about a girl who might be forced to sleep with the Principal (but hasn't done so yet) to get her required grades. The narrator offers a phone number (36-24-36, can't hear the last 4 at all) and his services, which will be to 'negotiate' her graduation. Killing the guy would not be likely to help her, as she wouldn't pass or have anyone to sleep with to get the grades.
The second verse is about a different girl who is being cheated on. It sounds like "He's double dealing" and "We'll [forget/get round] him", and with the assumption that the narrator is straight, he's offering to cheer up and/or get back at the cheating boyfriend - all in all talking to a girl.
The third, as has been said by Sonofagunzel in his brackets, is likely to give him an easy way (or "back door") out of the relationship with his nagging woman.
The narrator is obviously happy to do a number of "dirty deeds", which might include murder (through the methods mentioned) but nothing in the first three verses necessarily involve it.
this song is bad ass
lol, oops...sorry...:-/
what'd he say tahtw as cursing?
im pretty sure this song is about a homosexual male prostitute
um no its not.... go read their book.
They got sue for this song apparently the phone no. was actually someones real number
36 24 36 its not a phone number but 36 inch bust, 24 inch waist, 36 inch hips. More generally, big tits, skinny waist, big hips.
@antmann actually, that's why they say ohh! Then it works in the states, 362-4360. Just need to add an area code.
@antmann Yeah, I mean back in the 70's telephone numbers were much simpler and fewer - eg. in Australia (where AC/DC is from) you could just dial locally with the six digit number and no 'area code': 362 436 oh! (nice of them to keep in mind OTHER possible fans with DIFFERENT fon # formats) <br /> <br /> Add to which, the number HAPPENING to match a common 'default' for body measurements, gee that particular set of digits in JUST that order must have been a complete coincidence; it's not like the lads were known for using euphemisms or double entendres or putting MULTIPLE meanings into their lyrics or anything... ;)<br /> <br /> tl;dr? it's BOTH, quit arguing.
pretty cool song, really like a motto for a cheap hitman company. I like how they played it during Dirty Work, kinda fit the mood.
"They got sue for this song apparently the phone no. was actually someones real number"
Yep, it was the phone number for a house in Detroit I think, and they sued the band, lol.
The Number is actuall 36-24-36 OH! Thats the Lyric its a number from another country. Maybe Australia?
@Dangerous_Dave @Damnondestroyer - the ORIGINAL recording has Bon singing "three-six-two four-three-six HEY!" which people apparently interpreted as 'eight', and that led to a couple in Illinois suing Atlantic Records for $250k because of hundreds of prank calls.<br /> <br /> I'm sure da boys changed that lyric to 'Oh!' as a result (I just listened to the track off the '81 UK single)...which apparently went to something ineffectual that wouldn't care about outside calls, I guess?
love this song...no its not about a male hooker...its about him being the badass he is!!