4 “Dirty” Songs That Cleaned up Real Nice

The thought of wallowing around in the dirt might not be appealing to everyone. But over the course of four minutes or so, great songwriters and musicians can certainly make it much more palatable.

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These four songs all contain the word “dirt” or “dirty” in the titles. Listeners over the years have overcome any aversion they might have to grime to make them favorites.

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” by AC/DC

Many people heard this song in America for the first time in 1981, even though it had been released five years earlier in Australia on the album of the same name. After the success of Back In Black, the earlier LP earned a US release. “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” gave many casual fans their first taste of the vocal stylings of the late Bon Scott. In the song, Scott growls and scowls his way through his role as a purveyor of mayhem for hire. Of course, this wouldn’t be an AC/DC song without Angus and Malcolm Young’s guitars providing the bedrock of power and menace. Even as fans were reveling in the Brian Johnson version of the band, this track gave a good indication of what they were like when Scott was out in front.

“Dirty Laundry” by Don Henley

People often forget that “Dirty Laundry” was actually Don Henley’s second single as a solo artist. He first tried “Johnny Can’t Read”, which didn’t even hit the Top 40. Not the kind of result you would expect from a solo turn from a principal singer and writer of Eagles, one of the 70s’ biggest bands. But “Dirty Laundry”, a Top 10 smash, put him back on the right track in a hurry. Written with collaborator Danny Kortchmar, the song reflects on the sensationalism that dominates the news cycle. Henley had dealt with his share of gossip and bad press, so he had an axe to grind. However, he couldn’t possibly have imagined just how prophetic this song would become.

“Digging In The Dirt” by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel had the music world eating out of the palm of his hand following the massive success of So in 1986. Ever the iconoclast, Gabriel then made everybody wait six years for the follow-up. “Digging In The Dirt” introduced the Us album to the world and brought Gabriel back to an eager audience. Once again working with producer Daniel Lanois, Gabriel concocts a typically thrilling track. The song takes big swings throughout, including the bold pre-chorus sections. But then Gabriel surprises in the refrains, as the music becomes more hushed to allow the narrator to reveal some deep feelings. This wasn’t a big hit like some of the So songs. But it certainly reestablished Gabriel’s brilliance after some time away.

“Dirty Life And Times” by Warren Zevon

If anybody expected Warren Zevon’s final album to be all emotional farewells and deep regrets, they weren’t paying close enough attention to the work he’d done throughout his career. Certainly, The Wind, the last album he released before his death, contained some of that contemplative stuff. But Zevon stayed irreverent. “Dirty Life And Times”, the album’s opening track, features Ry Cooder on guitar, Don Henley on drums, and Billy Bob Thornton and Dwight Yoakam on backing vocals. But what’s most striking about the track is Zevon’s songwriting honesty and slyly touching performance, especially when he sings the line, “Sometimes I feel like my shadow’s casting me.”

Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns