An Old Whore's Diet

Album: Want Two (2004)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Wainwright once opened up his refrigerator while on tour and found only moldy old Chinese food. He ate it anyway, thought, "This is the ultimate old whore's diet," and wrote the song about it. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Davis - Montreal, Canada
  • Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons sings on this track with Wainwright. The following year, Rufus sang on the Antony and the Johnsons song "What Can I Do?"

    Wainwright's sister, Martha, also adds backing vocals.
  • Running 8:54, this song closes out the Want Two album with a touch of levity and an array of musical textures, including piano, violin, viola, cello, ukulele, banjo, djembe and tambourine. The album overall is rather intense and quite melancholy.

Comments: 2

  • Jonsun from TexasThis song is very, very clearly about cum. I knew it from the first time I listened to it. And it’s certainly not about old Chinese food lol, though that’s a good effort by wainwright to stay PG in that moment. He often censors himself during live shows if he sees a child present.
  • Daniel from LondonI am not sure of the 'refrigerator' account, but I quote Rufus in the June 2007 edition of 'attitude' magazine where says the song, which he duets with Antony (& The Johnsons)Hegarty, that it is a "song about the pleasures of drinking semen."
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

David Gray

David GraySongwriter Interviews

David Gray explains the significance of the word "Babylon," and talks about how songs are a form of active imagination, with lyrics that reveal what's inside us.