No subject has ever made such a popular subject for song as love. As long as humans have been making music, love’s far and away the top choice of lyricists to write about. Writing and discussing Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch, however, got me to thinking. Amid all that blissful romance, the darker flipside beckoned, and prostitution served as the inspiration for more than a few memorable songs. The Greeks and Romans sang about prostitutes, and minstrels in the middle-ages were more than a little bawdy. Cowboys of the American West favored songs so scandalous they could strip the needles from a cactus. It’s no wonder, then, that popular music of the modern era has produced countless songs about prostitution as well.
What follows in the coming weeks is a countdown of the top 10 songs (as compiled by yours truly) about prostitution of the modern era that were not inspired by the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel of La Grange, Texas. Between The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack and ZZ Top’s “La Grange” (not to mention works by Willis Alan Ramsey, Billy Joe Shaver, the Austin Lounge Lizards and numerous others), the Chicken Ranch would simply have an unfair advantage.
6. “Mexican Blackbird” – ZZ Top
Even though ZZ Top’s iconic “La Grange” is disqualified from this list because it’s about the Chicken Ranch, that doesn’t mean the little ol’ band from Houston is shut out of the list. That’s because the band reveled in singing about society’s seedy underbelly. “Mexican Blackbird” is as crude and politically incorrect as they come, about a popular mix-raced prostitute in Ciudad Acuña on the Texas-Mexico border. Despite her purported popularity, nobody knows her name so instead refer to her with an offensive and demeaning term. Presented from the perspective of a good ol’ boy just looking for some fun, the song highlights the dehumanizing effects of prostitution along the border.
Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse is now available from both Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. It's also available as an ebook in the following formats: Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo.
Now Playing: Vince Guaraldi Trio A Charlie Brown Christmas Chicken Ranch Central
No comments:
Post a Comment