Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap ACDC

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Album: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976 Europe 1981 USA)
by AC/DC

ACDC Dirty Deeds Dixie Boy Truck Stop
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is the third studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, originally released only in Europe and Australia in 1976. The album was not released in the United States until 1981, more than one year after lead singer Bon Scott's death. This was also AC/DC's first album in its entirety to be recorded with the same lineup, rather than including at least one track recorded with a different bassist or drummer.

Lead guitarist Angus Young got the song title from the 1962 animated cartoon series Beany and Cecil. The Show first aired on ABC Television and only ran for one season until the 26 episodes shown were cast as repeats for the next five years until it was recreated in 1968. The specific inspiration for the song name was the cartoon's main villain, "Dishonest John," who would carry around a business card that said, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays, and Special Rates."

This was recorded at Alberts Studios in Sydney, Australia in 1976 soon after the sessions that produced the Australian version of their TNT album.

Regarding the lyrics, "Just ring: 3-6-2-4-3-6," this was an actual phone number in Australia at the time, and it also could describe the measurements of a very shapely woman: 36-24-36. A year later, the Commodores used the same measurements to describe a woman in their song "Brick House." Sir Mix-a-Lot, however, scoffed at these measurements in his 1992 hit "Baby Got Back," where he says: "36-24-36? Only if she's 5'3."

Norman and Marilyn White, a couple from Libertyville, Illinois, sued the band for invasion of privacy after they were inundated with calls due to this song. Apparently, many AC/DC fans in the area dialed 3-6-2-4-3-6-8 (interpreting the "hey!" as "eight"), which was their phone number. The couple claimed they received hundreds of "lewd, suggestive and threatening" phone calls, presumably asking for various dirty deeds at low, low prices. The Whites asked for $250,000 in damages and demanded that the band re-record the song, but a judge ruled against them. First Amendment, you know.

On a 2008 episode of The Simpsons where they team up on a stakeout, we learn that Homer Simpson and the pious Ned Flanders have some common ground in their musical tastes. Homer likes AC/DC, and Ned likes their Christian tribute band: AD/BC, and their version of this song, "Kindly Deeds Done For Free."

Lesley Gore, known for '60s hits like "It's My Party," recorded this for the 2002 compilation album When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear. Her version was produced by Mauro DeSantis, who worked with Cevin Soling on the track. Soling, who was executive producer of the album, told Songfacts why he chose this song for Gore: "Her stuff was fairly empowering as far as female artists and things that she was doing. So it's not like it was the complete stretch, but you still think kind of the lighter girl-group kind of music from the '60s, and here's something that's pretty hard-core aggressive. But at the same time, I certainly concede that she was doing edgy stuff in her own way, at the time."

The song about murder for hire enjoyed a sales spike following drummer Phil Rudd being charged with trying to procure a murder in November 2014. The charge was soon dropped.

The ending is one of the most famous screams in rock history. For those wondering, it's spelled: "Yaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggghhhhhh!"

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

If you got a lady and you want her gone (ah, ah, ah, ah)
But you ain't got the guts (ah, ah, ah, ah)
She keeps naggin' at you night and day (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Enough to drive you nuts (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Pick up the phone, leave her alone (ah, ah, ah, ah)
It's time you made a stand (ah, ah, ah, ah)

For a fee, I'm happy to be
Your back-door man, hey

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)
Neck ties, 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

Yaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggghhhhhh...