Dirty Work

"Dirty Work" is a song written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan, which appeared on the band's 1972 debut album Can't Buy a Thrill. Theme The song's lyrics describe an affair between a man and a married woman, sung by the man. Steely Dan FAQ author Anthony Robustelli describes "Dirty Work" as a "song of self-loathing", while The Guardian describes the narrative as soap operatic. The singer recognizes that the woman is using him, but is too infatuated to end the affair. The second verse features the lyrics: "Like a castle in its corner in a medieval game", referencing the chess-piece the rook, chess being a hobby of Becker's. Style and arrangement The song's music has been described as more commercial-sounding than most of the band's other material. The Guardian says that it sounds like "a radio-friendly stroll of a song," at least at first. AllMusic critic Stewart Mason attributes this, in part, to the "upward-modulating" refrain and "soulful" clavinet as well as the tenor saxophone part played by guest musician Jerome Richardson. Steely Dan biographer Brian Sweet describes Richardson's sax solo as being "perfectly understated." "Dirty Work" is one of the songs on Can't Buy a Thrill on which David Palmer provided the lead vocal. Brian Sweet hypothesizes that Fagen did not want to sing the song himself because he and Becker did not even want to include it on the album, but the executives at ABC Records wanted some more conventional tunes on the album and therefore insisted that "Dirty Work" be included. The ABC executives had also thought the song would be ideal for Three Dog Night or The Grass Roots to record. After Palmer left the group, touring vocalist Royce Jones would sing the song live in concert. It was revived in 2006, however, with the band's female backing vocalists singing it from the perspective of a woman having an affair with a married (or attached) man.