Presley attended a variety of schools, mostly boarding schools, a few in Los Angeles County (among them the John Thomas Dye School), and also in Ojai, Ventura County, California, She was briefly a student at a Church of Scientology school in Los Angeles.
A close friend of her father's ex-girlfriend Linda Thompson, in 2003, after advice from Thompson's record producer and then-husband David Foster, Presley launched a career as a singer. Her debut album, To Whom It May Concern, reached #5 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart and was certified gold. To promote it she presented a concert in the UK, something that her father never did but wanted. Presley released her second album, Now What, in 2005 and it reached #9 on the US Billboard 200. It was certified gold in November 2005. Unlike her first album, Now What included a Parental Advisory sticker.
Her third album, Storm & Grace, was released on May 15, 2012.
Dirty Laundry
Lisa Marie Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry
Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around
We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
Comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam
In her eye
It's interesting when people die-
Give us dirty laundry
Can we film the operation?
Is the heir dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a running bet
Get the widow on the set!
We need dirty laundry
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're stiff
Kick 'em all around
Dirty little secrets
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pie
We love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry
We can do "The Innuendo"
We can dance and sing
When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing
We all know that Crap is King
Give us dirty laundry!
In her song "Dirty Laundry," Lisa Marie Presley discusses the idea of the media exploiting people's tragedies and secrets to gain fame and success. She begins the song by stating she makes her living off of the evening news and asks for something to use, indicating that the media thrives off negative news stories. She mentions how people love it when others lose, revealing society's fascination with publicized scandals. She speaks about how she could have pursued acting but landed up reporting news, as she doesn't need to be clear and only has to look the part. She then sings about the media's obsession with tragedy and the lack of humanity when it comes to reporting it.
The chorus "kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down" emphasizes the media's role in broadcasting stories of people's failures and the difficult times in their lives. They jump on opportunities to depict others negatively, regardless of their circumstances.
Lisa then sings about a bleach blonde news presenter who broadcasts stories as if she's excited about tragedy and death. She questions if they should film the operation and if the heir died yet, referencing the insensitivity and inhumanity of the media. She also notes how the media has its "dirty little fingers" in everyone's business and thrives on cutting others down to size.
In the final verse, Presley emphasizes how the media can use "innuendo" and the art of dancing and singing around a subject without really saying anything to maintain their hold on the public's attention while exploiting human suffering. She ends the song with the repeated plea for "dirty laundry," capturing the essence of the media's insatiable thirst for scandal and negative news stories.
Line by Line Meaning
I make my living off the Evening News
My job as a reporter is to deliver sensational news stories that people will watch or read
Just give me something-something I can use
I need a juicy news story that I can report on and make money from
People love it when you lose, They love dirty laundry
The public is drawn to negative news and scandals, and they love it when prominent figures are caught in compromising situations
Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
Although I had a talent for acting, I ended up in the news reporting business instead
I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear
My appearance is more important than the accuracy of my reporting
Come and whisper in my ear, Give us dirty laundry
Tell me a sordid story, so I can report on it and make money
Kick 'em when they're up Kick 'em when they're down
We should seize every opportunity to bring down someone in the public eye, whether they are currently successful or facing a hard time
We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who Comes on at five
We have a superficial and airheaded female news anchor who reports on sensational stories
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam In her eye
She reports on devastating events with excitement and enthusiasm because it makes for good television
It's interesting when people die- Give us dirty laundry
We capitalize on people's tragedies and deaths to boost our ratings
Can we film the operation? Is the heir dead yet?
We are eager to capture graphic footage of surgeries or deaths to sensationalize our news stories
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a running bet Get the widow on the set!
My male colleagues are placing bets on who can seduce the widow of a recently deceased person and get them to appear on our show for an exclusive interview
We need dirty laundry
We constantly need new, salacious stories to report on to keep our audience engaged
Dirty little secrets Dirty little lies We got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pie
We have access to everyone's secrets and are not above blackmail in order to get a juicy story
We love to cut you down to size We love dirty laundry
Our goal is to take down prominent people in society and expose their flaws and dirty secrets
We can do 'The Innuendo' We can dance and sing When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing We all know that Crap is King Give us dirty laundry!
We are experts at hinting at scandals and controversies without actually confirming or denying them, and we know that the public eats it up. At the end of the day, we are only interested in reporting on sensational stories.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind