The Lady Is A Champ
Frank Sinatra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She likes the theatre and never comes late
She never bothers with people she'd hate
That's why the lady is a tramp

Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
That's why the lady is a tramp

She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
Life without care
She's broke and it's ok

Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
That's why the lady is a tramp

She gets too hungry to wait for dinner at eight
She loves the theatre but never comes late
She'd never bother with people she'd hate
That's why the lady is a tramp

She'll have no crap games with sharpies and frauds
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
And she won't dish the dirt with the rest of the broads
That's why the lady is a tramp

She loves the free, fresh wind in her hair
Life without care
She's broke, but it's ok

Hates California, it's so cold and so damp
That's why the lady

That's why the lady
That's why the lady is a tramp

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Frank Sinatra's "The Lady is a Tramp" paint a picture of a woman who is independent and free-spirited. She is someone who doesn't conform to societal norms and expectations of class or gender. The opening lines describe her as too hungry for dinner at eight, which suggests she doesn't follow strict schedules and has a hunger for life. She loves the theatre but never comes late, indicating she enjoys cultural pursuits but doesn't bother with keeping up appearances or being fashionable. The next set of lines talks about how she doesn't like to associate with certain types of people, indicating that she is not worried about pleasing everyone around her.


The following lines further highlight her distaste for conformity and snobbery. She doesn't like crap games with barons or earls, won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls, and won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls. She does not care about social status and prefers to live life according to her own rules. The refrain of the song emphasizes her love for the wind in her hair and her carefree spirit. In contrast, there is a reference to California being cold and damp, suggesting that she doesn't like the conformist mainstream culture of the West Coast.


Overall, the song celebrates individuality, independence, and freedom from societal norms. It's an ode to the person who chooses their own path and enjoys being themselves, rather than trying to fit into a particular mold.


Line by Line Meaning

She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She has a big appetite and can't wait until eight for dinner


She likes the theatre and never comes late
She enjoys going to the theatre and is always on time


She never bothers with people she'd hate
She avoids negative people and doesn't associate with them


That's why the lady is a tramp
These unconventional habits are why she's dubbed a tramp


Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
She doesn't enjoy playing games with wealthy or aristocratic people


Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She won't wear expensive clothes to fit in with a certain group of people


Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
She won't gossip about other women or their business


That's why the lady is a tramp
Her unconventional habits are the reason why she is considered a tramp


She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She enjoys the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair


Life without care
She lives life in a carefree way


She's broke and it's ok
She doesn't have much money but it doesn't bother her


Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
She dislikes California because of the weather


That's why the lady is a tramp
All of these characteristics lead to her being considered a tramp


She gets too hungry to wait for dinner at eight
She has a big appetite and can't wait until eight for dinner


She loves the theatre but never comes late
She enjoys the theatre and is always punctual


She'd never bother with people she'd hate
She avoids negative people and doesn't associate with them


That's why the lady is a tramp
All of these habits are why she's known as a tramp


She'll have no crap games with sharpies and frauds
She won't play games with dishonest people


And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
She won't try to fit in with a certain group of people by wearing expensive cars


And she won't dish the dirt with the rest of the broads
She won't gossip about other women or their business


That's why the lady is a tramp
All of these traits are why she's regarded as a tramp


She loves the free, fresh wind in her hair
She enjoys the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair


Life without care
She lives her life without worrying about others' opinions


She's broke, but it's okay
She doesn't have much money but doesn't mind


Hates California, it's so cold and so damp
She dislikes California because of its weather


That's why the lady
All of these traits lead to her being known as the following


That's why the lady
All of these traits lead to her being known as the following


That's why the lady is a tramp
All of these qualities are why she's labeled as a tramp




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Mike

eight

She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She can't eat late and stay up all night, because unlike society types, she has to get up in the morning.

She likes the theatre and never comes late
She cares more about seeing the play than being seen making an entrance.

She never bothers with people she'd hate
Her friends are friends, not social trophies.

Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
While barrns and earls probably don't play craps, she associates with friends, not people to be seen with.

Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She doesn't "slum", the practice of the rich in the 30's, when the song was written, of touring poor neighborhoods dressed in rich clothes to "tut, tut" about the deplorable conditions, and congratulate each other for "caring about the poor"

Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
Doesn't trade gossip for acceptance among an in-crowd


She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She cares more about how her hair feels than conforming with current hair fashions

Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
Since most of California is noticeably warmer and / or drier than New York, where the play the song was written for is set, this is probably a facetious excuse to like what she likes.


And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
Another reference to slumming, but facetious, since Lincolns and Fords were middle-class, not luxury brands when the lyric was written

Comments from YouTube:

@LPJack02

RIP Frank Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998), aged 82
And
RIP Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), aged 79
You both will be remembered as legends.

@johnmatzye6633

Mr. Sinatra shares the same birthday with another great Italian crooner - Connie Francis

@williamunsworth933

We will never see the likes of the great stars again,it’s sad what music is today all digital and auto tune❤

@pedroballadares5253

Yes , they are Legends!!😊

@Carolerivi

@@williamunsworth933 I have to agree. It is so sad because raw talent is out there (statistically speaking), but it is either not nurtured or drowned out by drivel

@tonymosquitos7418

Completamente de acuerdo

@tomlaud

No crazy sets, no wind machines, no pyrotechnics, no back up dancers….just pure talent.

@MarCapa-ed5uv

No one half naked lol

@IgnoranceOfLife

hi, you are so right tbh, i completekt agree with your train of thought on this one tbh cvhoo choo thbe train has kleft thge station and it aint cvomingn bCK BABAY AND NO WAY ITS COINGBBA CJK OBA BY TBHJ

More Comments

More Versions