"He's a Whore" is a song written by

Rick Nielsen Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, including hi ...

that was first released on

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...

's 1977 debut album ''

''. It has also appeared on a number of Cheap Trick compilation albums, including '' The Essential Cheap Trick''. It has also been covered by many artists including

Big Black Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded first as a solo project by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band became a trio with an initial lineup that included guitarist Santiago Dur ...

Neon Neon is a chemical element; it has symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is the second noble gas in the periodic table. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with approximately two-thirds the density of ...

and

Vince Neil Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist of heavy metal music, heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 formation until his departure in 1992. Neil reunited with the ...

. Like many of Cheap Trick's songs, it was played in early midwest concerts starting in 1975. "He's a Whore" never became a live staple for Cheap Trick, although they began to play the song in concert occasionally in the 1990s and 2000s.

Lyrics

The genesis of the song came from Nielsen coming up with the title and liking the idea and building the song around it. He liked the fact that the phrase "he's a whore" is not as obvious as if the title was "She's a Whore," and that a song about a

gigolo A gigolo ( ) is a male escort, call boy or social companion who is supported by a person in a continuing relationship. The term ''gigolo'' usually implies a man who adopts a lifestyle consisting of a number of such relationships serially rat ...

involves a sense of role reversal. The lyrics imply that the narrator is involved with an unattractive but wealthy woman, with lyrics claiming "She's got a face that would stop a clock" but "her money's green." However, according to Nielsen, the song is not simply about sex. Nielsen has stated that "Whoring means so many different things, it doesn’t just mean having sex, but someone who does anything for money." Nielsen further noted that the song encompasses radio stations and people who would do anything for money, and indeed the lyrics include the line "I'm a Whore, I'll do anything for money," and this is further emphasized when lead singer

Robin Zander Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a ...

sings "I'm a Whore" and Nielsen sings as a reply "He'll do anything for money."

Critical reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic Greg Prato described the song as one of the "more straightforward compositions, both lyrically and musically" on Cheap Trick's debut album and as one of the band's "most punk-based and energetic" songs. The song begins with Nielsen playing a descending, single note pattern on his guitar, while

Tom Petersson Thomas John Peterson (born May 9, 1950), better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known as the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick. Career Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands ...

plays a similar pattern on

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

. Author Mike Hayes describes the opening as "aggressive,

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

-charged chords." Critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

praised the song's

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

on the phrase "any time at all." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Michael Quinn rated it Cheap Trick's 7th best song, saying that "

rummer A rummer (also known as a Römer or Roemer, among other variations) was a type of large drinking glass studded with prunts to ensure a safe grip, popular mainly in the Rhineland and the Netherlands from the 15th through the 17th century. Rumme ...

Bun E /nowiki>Carlos/nowiki> rules and his interplay with Peterson and Nielsen on this song shows you why." Nielsen's

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

licks propel the song along.

Music video

Cheap Trick filmed a promotional video of the song, directed by Chuck Lashon, in which the band performed the song while mugging for the cameras.

References

{{Authority control 1975 songs Cheap Trick songs Songs written by Rick Nielsen Big Black songs Song recordings produced by Jack Douglas (record producer) Songs about prostitutes American punk rock songs