Turner began her career with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, "Boxtop", in 1958. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit duet single "A Fool in Love". The duo Ike & Tina Turner became "one of the most formidable live acts in history". They released hits such as "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "River Deep – Mountain High", "Proud Mary", and "Nutbush City Limits" before disbanding in 1976.
In the 1980s, Turner launched "one of the greatest comebacks in music history". Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer contained the hit song "What's Love Got to Do with It", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her first and only number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. At age 44, she was the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100. Her chart success continued with "Better Be Good to Me", "Private Dancer", "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)", "Typical Male", "The Best", "I Don't Wanna Fight", and "GoldenEye". During her Break Every Rule World Tour in 1988, she set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer.
Turner also acted in the films Tommy (1975), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Last Action Hero (1993). In 1993, What's Love Got to Do with It, a biographical film adapted from her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story, was released. In 2009, Turner retired after completing her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which is the 15th highest-grossing tour of the 2000s. In 2018, she became the subject of the jukebox musical Tina.
Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Turner became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She received 12 Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first black artist, and first woman, to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Turner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. She was a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and Women of the Year award.
In 2020, she came out of retirement to collaborate with Norwegian producer Kygo on a remix of "What's Love Got to Do with It". With this release, she became the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven consecutive decades in the UK.
Studio albums
Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)
Acid Queen (1975)
Rough (1978)
Love Explosion (1979)
Private Dancer (1984)
Break Every Rule (1986)
Foreign Affair (1989)
Wildest Dreams (1996)
Twenty Four Seven (1999)
Private Dancer
Tina Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the men are all the same
You don't look at their faces
And you don't ask their names
You don't think of them as human
You don't think of them at all
You keep your mind on the money
Keeping your eyes on the wall
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
And any old music will do
I want to make a million dollars
I want to live out by the sea
Have a husband and some children
Yeah, I guess I want a family
All the men come in these places
And the men are all the same
You don't look at their faces
And you don't ask their names
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
And any old music will do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
And any old music will do
Deutch marks or dollars
American Express will do nicely, thank you
Let me loosen up your collar
Tell me, do you want to see me do the shimmy again?
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
And any old music will do
All the men come in these places
And the men are all the same
You don't look at their faces
And you don't ask their names
You don't think of them as human
You don't think of them at all
You keep your mind on the money
Keeping your eyes on the wall
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
And any old music will do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
And any old music will do
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
Just a private dancer, a dancer for money
"Tina Turner's 'Private Dancer' is a song about a woman who dances in clubs for money, with the singer portraying the character of the dancer. The lyrics describe how the men that come to the club the dancer works at all look the same, with the dancer not bothering to look at their faces or ask for their names. The dancer views these men as inhuman and keeps her mind on the money, not considering them as individuals. The chorus repeatedly insists that the dancer is only there for money, and will do anything the client wants, regardless of the music playing.
The second verse of the song, however, has the dancer confessing her own desires, wanting to make enough money to live by the sea and start a family. Despite this, the dancer continues to view the men she dances for as commodities, suggesting that her desire for money is stronger than her desire for personal relationships. The spoken interlude in the middle of the song adds to this idea, with the dancer suggesting that she is using her clients as much as they are using her.
Overall, "Private Dancer" is a commentary on the objectification of women in the sex industry, and how this objectification can damage both the workers in the industry and the clients who participate in it.
Line by Line Meaning
All the men come in these places
These places attract many men looking for the same thing.
And the men are all the same
All men seem interchangeable and anonymous to the singer.
You don't look at their faces
The singer does not take the time to acknowledge or remember individual clients.
And you don't ask their names
The artist does not care about the identities of her clients.
You don't think of them as human
The artist dehumanizes her clients in order to perform her job easier.
You don't think of them at all
The singer dissociates from her clients emotionally and mentally.
You keep your mind on the money
The singer prioritizes making money over all else.
Keeping your eyes on the wall
The artist avoids eye contact with clients to maintain a sense of detachment.
I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money
The artist is a performer who offers her services for money.
I'll do what you want me to do
The artist is willing to fulfill the desires of her clients, however degrading or unpleasant.
And any old music will do
The singer does not discriminate against the type of music she dances to as long as she is making money.
I want to make a million dollars
The artist is driven by money and has a specific financial goal in mind.
I want to live out by the sea
The singer has an image in her head of a luxurious lifestyle that she wants to attain through her work.
Have a husband and some children
Despite her current occupation, the singer has a desire for a traditional family life.
Yeah, I guess I want a family
The singer acknowledges her desire for family, despite the apparent contradiction with her current profession.
Deutch marks or dollars
The artist accepts payment in either German or American currency.
American Express will do nicely, thank you
The artist prefers payment through American Express, as it likely provides a sense of security and legitimacy.
Let me loosen up your collar
The singer takes on a persona of seductiveness and control over her clients to better fulfill their desires.
Tell me, do you want to see me do the shimmy again?
The singer is willing to perform for the client multiple times to ensure their satisfaction.
Just a private dancer, a dancer for money
The artist is aware of her status as a performer that is only valued for her ability to provide the service of dancing in exchange for money.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mark Knopfler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thevibeguide
Rest in peace Tina! ❤️
@VulgarrViking
Did you seriously go around and say this on all her videos?
@santiagochaverralopez8103
@@VulgarrViking she passed away today
@patrickbrandt6822
@@VulgarrVikingYes absolutely. Tina Turner is dead
@juand.v.f.7084
La Reina ha muerto...😢 larga vida a la Reina....
@nightsky3981
@The Retro Viking she passed away today.
@4life867
The slow intro of the song. Is so iconic. Its filled with so much melancholy and sadness. And Tina's voice was tailor made for this song. Up there with my favorite songs of all time. R. I. P. TINA.
@wolftotem539
It was so 90s... The slow music, the central person going about their routine with perfect makeup and clothes.
I miss the 90s.
@TPRM1
Yup. That’s why Mark Knopfler gave it to her. A great choice.
RIP.
@wolftotem539
@@TPRM1 good composers know who to work with.
The Bee Gees had Barbra Streisand and Burt Bacharach had Dionne Warwick... This is my kind of music.
Reminds me of those cool old days when i would pretend sing with my cousin and oldest sister.