Love for Sale
Green Vivian Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the only sound in the empty street
Is the heavy tread of the heavy feet
That belong to a lonesome cop
I open shop

When the moon so long has been gazing down
On the wayward ways of this wayward town
That her smile becomes a smirk

I go to work

Love for sale
Appetizing young love for sale
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Love that's only slightly soiled
Love for sale

Who will buy?
Who would like to sample my supply?
Who's prepared to pay the price
For a trip to paradise?
Love for sale

Let the poets pipe of love
In their childish way
I know every type of love
Better far than they

If you want the thrill of love
I've been through the mill of love
Old love, new love
Every love but true love

Love for sale
Appetizing young love for sale
If you want to buy my wares
Follow me and climb the stairs
Love for sale
Love for sale

Let the poets pipe of love
In their childish way
I know every type of love
Better far than they

If you want the thrill of love
I've been through the mill of love
Old love, new love
Every love but true love

Love for sale
Appetizing young love for sale
If you want to buy my wares
Follow me and climb the stairs
Love for sale

Love for sale
Love for sale

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Green Vivian's song "Love For Sale" provide a haunting portrayal of the seedy world of street prostitution, with the singer assuming the persona of a prostitute herself, seeking customers for her wares. The opening lines describe the desolate streets and the lone police officer, setting the scene for the illicit activities to come. Then, the singer announces her readiness to do business, offering "appetizing young love for sale" and promising "love that's fresh and still unspoiled" to potential buyers.

As the song goes on, the singer challenges the romanticized portrayal of love often found in poetry, claiming that she knows "every type of love" and has been "through the mill of love", but has yet to find true love. Despite the bleak picture painted by the lyrics, the song is widely regarded as a classic of the American Songbook, with its juxtaposition of dark subject matter and bright, memorable melody.

Overall, "Love For Sale" is a powerful and complex song that explores the themes of sex, love, and exploitation with subtlety and insight. Its lyrics continue to resonate with listeners today, reminding us of the struggles and complexities that lie beneath the shiny surface of modern life.

Line by Line Meaning

When the only sound in the empty street
When there is complete silence in the vacant street

Is the heavy tread of the heavy feet
Only the loud footsteps of the solitary cop echoed the empty street

That belong to a lonesome cop
The heavy footsteps are of a solitary policeman patrolling the deserted street

I open shop
That's when I start selling love

When the moon so long has been gazing down
After the moon has been watching this town for a long time

On the wayward ways of this wayward town
Observing the immoral ways of the town

That her smile becomes a smirk
The moon's smile turns into a teasing expression

I go to work
I begin selling love

Love for sale
I'm selling love

Appetizing young love for sale
Youthful, attractive love is available for purchase

Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
The love I'm selling is new and hasn't been damaged yet

Love that's only slightly soiled
Even if a little dirtied, my love is worth buying

Love for sale
I'm still selling love

Who will buy?
Who will be interested in buying?

Who would like to sample my supply?
Anyone want to test my love before purchasing?

Who's prepared to pay the price
Who's ready to pay

For a trip to paradise?
To experience the pleasures of love

Love for sale
I'm still selling love

Let the poets pipe of love
Let the poets write about love

In their childish way
Their amateurish style

I know every type of love
I'm familiar with all kinds of love

Better far than they
Better than these poets

If you want the thrill of love
If you're looking for excitement in love

I've been through the mill of love
I've experienced many types of love

Old love, new love
Experienced yet fresh love

Every love but true love
All types of love except for the real thing

Love for sale
I'm selling love, again

Appetizing young love for sale
Fresh and young love for purchase

If you want to buy my wares
If interested in buying my love

Follow me and climb the stairs
Come with me and upstairs to purchase

Love for sale
Once again, I'm selling love

Love for sale
I'm still selling love

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Unison Rights S.L., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Andy V

2y↑5

I'm still wondering why this version is not in Spotify!! She's the best. All others made it half way, she's on the top with this masterpiece! As we say in Argentina: IMPECABLE!

Healers sanctuary

44w

It’s on the de lovely soundtrack

Charles Potter

4y↑36

This gets my vote as the best version of this song.

jerzyc21

4y↑3

Totally agree. Thank you

Rick Andrew

4y↑3

YES 💃🏽. Perfect voice and arrangement for this Cole Porter masterpiece, the slower pace fits the story in the music, versus some of the hoped arrangements. And she is very pretty too 👏👌✌️

rpaul247

2y↑1

Concur

Dragon Claw

Same here.

1 More Replies...

Marilyn Chambers

7y↑32

Vivian Green is so underrated. This is amazing, thanks for sharing!

Frances Berry

7y↑10

She makes this song her own. I have not heard anyone who sings this quite like her.

Cindy Flores

2y↑3

SHE'S THE BEST. GIVES ME THE CHILLS. I SING WITH ALL MY HEART THIS VERSION. 🥂😭❤️

jennifer McDonald

3y↑5

Just beautiful! Love this version!

TheSapanone

9y↑25

In my opinian this is not only a wonderful song and a superb performance from the band and the singer, but this is also a fantastic video with extreme high quality of images and sound. Congratulations, jerzyc21, and thank you very much for this great pleasure for my eyes and ears.

jerzyc21

Thank you very much, I am glad that you like video - my pleasure.

Patricia Sims

jerzyc21 great video! Well done.

Darren Morrison

6y↑6

Beautiful voice wonderful in every way!

rpaul247

1y↑2

This is indeed the best version of this song

Gilberto Rosales

3y↑4

Cole Porter was a genius...simple...great lyrics...rythm...horny atmosphere... Imagination...inspiring music... Life is the core theme...

jerzyc21

3y↑1

Thank you Gilberto for a very pertinent comment.

Gilberto Rosales

@jerzyc21 Thank You for your kindness...Best Regards and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year...

jerzyc21

@Gilberto Rosales Thank you so much and I wish you as well very happy and successful New Year.

Renata Kosenko

7y↑6

An amazing performance!!! Thank you for the beauty and emotions! ❤️

jerzyc21

I am glad, that you like video and espacially her performance, because it really is fantastic. Thank you very much.

Howard High

2y↑1

you put the power in this song well done.

jerzyc21

Thank you so much Howard.

The Newsletter 05 Editor ARGUS STL

5y↑8

Nice whoever put this together!I loved that movie and Cole Porter's life!

BEAUTIFUL SOUL

Delovely🎶

Beauty in the Dark

4y↑1

Great movie, cast. Vivian sounds amazing. I find myself humming this melody.... Delightful 🥰😎

Lee G

8y↑4

Let's stand up and gave around cheer and applause for this melody song by a most beautiful and talented performer and to the upholder many thanks for doing so I am a new subscriber and hope to be seeing more of your work thanks

ortem000

10y↑6

this is divine.... thank you

jerzyc21

10y↑1

Thank you - my pleasure.

1234IZM

8y↑4

So mellow and smooth. Nice.

Pina Colada

8y↑7

Alluringly melancholy

April brown

4y↑4

2020 and I’m still here!

rcdqlbrchlrdlflcrrsdrslsllmnd

11y↑3

so beautiful song!! : D

Christian Sibbald

6y↑3

Love For Sale is a timeless song written by Cole Porter and don't forget Billie Holliday, especially for my Love with Sheryl Crow
So far away from Christian Sibbald in Vlissingen at Sea in The Netherlands Europe 11-9-2018

jerzyc21

11y↑2

Thank you very much, I am glad that you like it.

Gonzalo Felix Wharton Chavez

5y↑3

Viv own s Cole s best tune

percy thrillington

8y↑6

this is my tempo

Vicky G.

7y↑8

Awesome song, makes me imagine about the pain and suffer every prostitute has to hide behind a fake smile, just to make a buck by selling their bodies so they can pay their bills and put food on the table, a illegal job and unfortunately a big business here in Las Vegas, NV.

Alan Secor

Very nice.

Jon Lynch

10y↑4

Wow, beautiful

Redro1982

45w

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Lou Armagno

9y↑5

Sultry...that was definitely very sultry! TXS

Layla-Tal Medina

49w↑1

I definitely agree! :)

Benny Grenimann

3y↑1

who's that pianist? Amazing!

jerzyc21

I am sorry but I don't know. Only I know that it was filmed in the Cafe De Paris in London's Leicester Square in 2003.

Andrea Pagani Music

10y↑1

Strepitosa vivian green

luminouscali

11y↑2

great video!

Redro1982

45w

I get so mad that I can’t download thin on Apple

S Sutcliffe

Who's that on tenor sax?

jerzyc21

I am sorry. No idea. I know only that it was filmed in the Cafe De Paris in London's Leicester Square in 2003.

Squired85

To all you knows who....

Gino Moss

8y↑3

I know right

TONE TONEE

Is this Joyce Bryant song

jerzyc21

No, Vivian Green sings Cole Porter's song.

znmnky13

Nice bottom. (Notes😉)

Joseph Magdalena

Great video by jerzyc21. Hip jazz arrangement. Beautiful girl, with a nice vocal sound, but doesn't anybody else hear that amazingly horrible lisp she has with her "R"s. "Love that's FWESH and still unspoiled...". I mean, all I can think of is Life of Brian, "Welease Woderick!" That poor girl. Who made her do that song?!

jerzyc21

3y↑3

Thank you for comment. Even if you right ... I couldn't care less, because her interpretation is really great.

Joseph Magdalena

@jerzyc21 I apologize. I shouldn't pick on something you love. I stepped over the line. Peace to you.

jerzyc21

3y↑1

@Joseph Magdalena I am not offended, you can have your opinion. This is one of the best recordings of this song - read the other comments. Other great interpretations include Eartha Kitt, but only a recording from the album "Beautiful but Bad" or Pearl Bailey. Besides, there are other famous singers who have even bigger problems with pronunciation, like Minnelli, who just lisps in my opinion, but that doesn't change the fact that I like her. Best wishes to you.

Robert van Ruyssevelt

2y↑1

Never heard this singer before but she does a great job with this song which is hard to sing - sounds great to me.

NOPINION

Full of false emotion. Listen to Eartha Kitt’s version.

jessie sargent

5y↑5

Shouldn't the version about the composer's actual life and lifestyle be sang in the style he wrote it in? I love eartha kitts version. I don't think it would have made sense for this movie

Layla-Tal Medina

49w

Nope. Doesn't do it for me. The lyrics of the song are actually dark in and of itself. To me, Vivian Green gave the appropriate depth and emotion to it. No offence, but Eartha Kitt's rendition made the song's lyrics sound tawdry and cheap.