Throwing back to the week of August 6, 1983, we find that it was great to be a music fan that summer. In the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 is The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take,’ which ultimately spent eight weeks atop the chart (and gave the band its only #1 hit on the Hot 100).
I’ve featured that one before, so we move to #2, where the Eurythmics classic ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ spent one month before overtaking The Police for the #1 spot. I’ve written about that one, too.
That brings us to the #3 spot, and the first single and title song of Donna Summer’s album She Works Hard for the Money. This song peaked at #3 on the Hot 100, held off by the two aforementioned bangers, but did make it to the top of the R&B chart, then called Hot Black Singles (which sounds more like a dating site).
Summer wrote this song after seeing a tired cleaning woman, Onetta Johnson, asleep in the women’s room during a Grammys after-party. Watching the exhausted woman, Summer thought to herself, “she works hard for the money,” and immediately realized she had stumbled upon a new song.
She brought the idea to producer Michael Omartian and the two fleshed out the song, which ended up being the final track written for the album.
Johnson, whose name appears in the song’s first verse, was asked to pose with Summer for the album’s back cover (pictured here). I hope she was paid well!
She works hard for the money
So hard for it, honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money
So hard for it, honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
[Verse 1]
Onetta there in the corner stands
And wonders where she is
And it’s strange to her
Some people seem to have everything
Nine A.M. on the hour hand
And she’s waiting for the bell
And she’s looking real pretty
Just waitin’ for her clientele
[Chorus]
She works hard for the money
So hard for it, honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money
So hard for it, honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
[Verse 2]
Twenty-eight years have come and gone
And she’s seen a lot of tears
Of the ones who come in
They really seem to need her there
It’s a sacrifice, working day to day
For little money, just tips for pay
But it’s worth it all
To hear them say that they care
[Chorus]
She works hard for the money
So hard for it, honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
[Bridge]
She already knows
She’s seen her bad times
She already knows
These are the good times
She’ll never sell out
She never will
Not for a dollar bill
She works hard
[Chorus]
She works hard for the money
So hard for it, honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
Hard for the money
So hard for it, honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right (Alright)
She works hard for the money (Hard, hard, hard for the money)
So hard for it, honey (Hard, hard, hard for it, honey)
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money (Hard, hard, hard for the money)
So hard for it, honey (Hard, hard, hard for it, honey)
Works so hard for the money
So you better treat her right (Alright)
She works hard for the money (Hard, hard, hard for the money)
So hard for the money (Hard, hard, hard for it, honey)
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money (Hard, hard, hard for the money)
So hard for it, honey (Hard, hard, hard for it, honey)
Meet Me In Montauk 
Love that background story!
Me too! Good to dance to 😊