Dude (Looks Like A Lady)

Album: Permanent Vacation (1987)
Charted: 20 14
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  • That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady

    Cruise into a bar on the shore
    Her picture graced the grime on the door
    She's a long lost love at first bite
    Baby maybe you're wrong but you know it's all right
    That's right

    That, that
    That, that

    Backstage we're havin' the time
    Of our live until somebody say
    Forgive me if I seem out of line
    Then she whipped out her gun and tried to blow me away!

    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady

    Never judge a book by it's cover
    Or who you gonna love by your lover
    Sayin' love put me wise to her love in disguise
    She had the body of a Venus, Lord imagine my surprise.

    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady

    So baby let me follow you down (let me take a peek dear)
    Baby let me follow you down (do me, do me, do me all night)
    Baby let me follow you down (turn the other cheek dear)
    Baby let me follow you down (do me, do me, do me, do me)

    What a funky lady
    She like it, like it, like it, like that.
    He was a lady!

    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady

    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady
    That, that dude looks like a lady

    Dude, dude, dude, dude looks like a lady

    Dude, dude, dude, dude looks like a lady

    Dude, dude, dude, dude looks like a lady

    Dude, dude, dude, dude looks like a lady Writer/s: Desmond Child, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Royalty Network, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 37

  • Leroy Bubba JuddI’ve always jam now Aerosmith y’all are just bad ass!
  • George from Vancouver, CanadaI'd like a quote from Vince Neil on how he feels knowing the song is about him, & how it evolved to Steven wanting to have sex with the dude [who] looks like a lady, even after knowing it's a dude. . .
  • Oliver Clothesoff from HereA song like this wasn't exactly a new thing. A line from the Monkees' song "Laugh" includes a line about boys looking like girls.
  • Bridget from CoHold up, this song was about transgender people and something-I-will-not-mention-because-I-am-still-a-kid-and-would-not-mention-even-if-I-was-an-adult? I'm very shocked. But if it's significant in the gay community, that's probably a good thing because there's LGBTQ+ information I will not mention. I was very disturbed by the meaning of "Animals" by Maroon 5, but not by this, but that's probably because this song was written in the 80s, and Animals was written in 2014.
    I thought this was "Do it For the Lady." I think I know what that would've meant anyways, so I wouldn't be surprised if this had another title but the same meaning. Also, this sounds rather similar to "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. I love both songs!
  • Seventhmist from 7th HeavenEsskayess, the song's use in "Mrs. Doubtfire" may be the best use of an already existing song in a movie, ever. I picture the scene in that movie every time I hear it.
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxThey had to snip it to use it in 'Doubtfire.'
  • Rosie` from Nowhere, NmI used to be the "Dude" who "looked like a Lady". Then I became the Lady who looked like a Dude.
    Now it's my theme song.
    I used to worship the vinyl that delivered Aerosmith's rockin' edge...til the Albuquerque concert Disaster in 2005 or 2006. Theu came out in regular street clothes and Tyler didn't talk to the audience period. The whole anbience seemed oddly flat. They were halfway through the first song when something blew a transformer and they just quit and left the stage. What a let down. I used to love him, but I had to kill him.
    Just Push Play My Ass.
  • Lyric Smith from Blahblah, GaThis song is not about sex, it's about a man wanting to go out with another man that looks like a woman.
  • Josh from Los Angeles,This song is basicaly me and my cousin's signature song. we've seen the youtube video for this song, and we've memorized the song by heart, and we've evewn learned the dance. steven tyler looked alittle odd in this video though, but it's aerosmith, and i don't expect any different.
  • Kateri from Albany, Nythis song is my favorite!!
  • Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaFor years I thought the song was "Do the luck lady" & I was a wee bit disappointed/grossed out by the truth. . .
  • Chad from Los Angeles, CaHow does Steven Tyler make those shrinking noise at ht end
  • Jason from State Of Fitz, NjSteven Tyler said he had a song call "crusing for a lady", after Aerosmith met Motley Crue, he changed it to "dude looks like a lady" He said every other word out of the bands mouth was dude. As a huge Motley fan I can attest to the fact they use the word alot.
  • Sofija from Novi Sad, SerbiaSomeone said the song could be about bon jovi or guns n' roses. I don't agree. In bon jovi only jon looked a bit feminine (he doesn't any more, not without the hair), and in g n' r only axl did (he doesn;t any more, now he looks like a truck driver - I mean the kind you can see in movies fat, with a beard and half of his ass sticking out of his pants). So it couldn't be sbout the bands but their lead sigers :)
  • Nick from Mankato, MnI once heard an interview on "World Cafe." According to the interview, the song was originally supposed to be titled, "Cruisin' For The Ladies," but a songwriter friend told them it sounded cheesy. He suggested the theme behind the song we know today and it was originally turned down because Aerosmith didn't wan't to offend the 'gay community.' The songwriter who helped with the change said, "I'm gay - it doesn't offend me."
  • Ekristheh from Halath, United StatesI have seen this song used in an amateur video celebrating the artistry of Johnny Weir. It was perfect.
  • Larry from Knoxville, TnIt's about Motley Crue's Vince Neil. They went on tour with Aerosmith and dressed like women. Every other word they said was dude so Tyler wrote this song
  • Eddie from Natchez, MsThis song was also used in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams.
  • Ally from Sydney, Australiahey i love dude looks like a lady!i really want to know what it is about so if anyone is there plz email me at spidergirl_1@hotmail.com thanks bye
  • Alex from New Orleans, LaI would assume that this song is satiring hair-metal bands like Twisted Sister with their wild hairstyles and makeup
  • N from Nyc, Nyit's was said to be about bon jovi by tyler himself
  • Tony from Boston, MaGreat song. If you've never read the lyrics, you should. I'd like to send this song out to all of those Hollywood a-holes who picked up a "shemale suprise" on the corner instead of going home to their perfectly hot girlfriends. For the love of all that is holy, if you're famous, it's easy enough to get some tail! I'm not famous and I don't need to pay for it! Anyways, Great song.
  • Gordon from Lake Havasu City, AzDude looks like a lady is one of the funnest songs I ever heard! I love it!!
  • Vicki from Miramichi, CanadaGuns N' Roses aren't really known for being a "hair band". Only in Welcome To The Jungle do we see them with makeup, and even still, it's only Axl. There was a few times when they would dress up as "glam rockers", but I would never think of them while listing hair bands. They were hard rockers. Bands like Poison,Motley Crue, and Cinderella, etc etc.
    Aerosmith are incindiary. Rock on!
  • Billy from Boston, MaDude Looks Like a lady is a cool song.In The music video there is a bearded man playing a bride. That is John Kalodner. He convinced Aerosmith to switch to Geffen in the Late Eighties after the Band broke up from drug problems at the beginning of the Eighties. He (Kalodner The A&R man) also brought Whitesanke to superstardom. David Coverdale, Whitesnake's vocalist was also In Deep Purple.
  • John from Long Island, NyI heard in Motley crue interview quite some time ago 1989 or so, that Aerosmith & Motley Crue were playing togather (do not remember if it was a tour or what), but Steve looked at Vince & said jokingly," for a dude, you sure look like a lady". In the same interview Vince also said that Steve sang background vocals in Crue's Dr. Feelgoods, "sticky sweet", which does read on the Cd's jacket.
  • Matt from Lab City, CanadaTo answer your question, Tony, Dude looks like a lady's title came from a song called "Cruisin' for a lady", and, having met Motley Crue, who started all their scentences with "Dude", the title popped into Steven Tyler's mind. He then had the lyric he needed to clinch the number 1 hit.
  • Nathan from Defiance, OhVince Neil, Bon Jovi, Axl Rose... chances are this song could have been written about just about any hair band in the late eighties!
  • Stevie from Louisville, KyThank you Anthony for catching that I was also going to say that "Love In An Elevator" was on Pump
  • Cory from Minonk, IlI heard in a radio interview of Steven Tyler, that this song is about a sexy "woman" he and some friends picked up in his car one night, and found out that she was a he.
  • Adrian from Merthyr Tydfil, Alvince neil (motley crue)was also the influence for Guns n roses 'shotgun blues' as well as being the influence for dude looks like a lady. It happened after he smacked izzy in the nose for touching up his mrs, and axl took offence to one of his band members being pushed around - rock n roll ey!
  • Ben from Aguadilla, United Statesmy favorite part of this song is when steven does that cool scream thing(i have no idea what its called)about 3:50 seconds in. of course the whole song is great.
  • John from Dallas, TxThe "horns" on this song (at least in one version) are not actually horns, but a novelty joke "fart machine" that one of the band members was fooling around with in the studio. They discovered that altering the pitch resulted in a horn-like sound.
  • Jason from Wylie, Txyeah who made the mistake of sayin love in an eleavator was on perment vacation? it was on the album pump like anthony said
  • Russ from Prince George, CanadaAerosmith filmed a video for, "Let The Music Do The Talking" in 1985. This was the first video to feature the original line-up. Not, "Walk This Way" with Run DMC, that came a year later.
  • Tony from Auckland, New ZealandI've heard that "Dude looks like a lady" was written about Vince neil from Motley Crue??
  • Anthony from Arab, Al"Love In An Elevator" appeared on Pump, not Permanent Vacation.
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