The minute you walked in the jointI could see you were aman of distinctiona real big spenderGood looking, so refinedSay wouldn't you like to knowwhat's going on in my mind
So let me get right to the pointI don't pop my corkfor every guy I seeHey big spenderspend a little time with me
Wouldn't you like to have fun, fun, funHows about a few laughs, laughsI could show you a good timeLet me show you a good time
"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musical Sweet Charity. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess "girls"; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse for the Broadway musical and the film.
It is "set to the beat of a striptease" as the girls "taunt" the customers.
Shirley Bassey version
A hit version of the song by Shirley Bassey reached #21 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1967.
This version featured in the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, and in the 2005 film Nynne.
The song has become one of Bassey's signature songs. She has performed the song numerous times, most notably for the 80th birthday of Prince Philip. She also sang it at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.
In December 2007 it was re-released in a new remixed version as a digital download. This was the third and final single released from the album Get the Party Started. The single features a remix from Pink Pound and two instrumental remixes that were not included on the album release. Unlike the previous two singles this track featured a remix of a previous released recording, the vocal track was taken from a session recorded in 1984 for the album I Am What I Am. There was no promotion undertaken for the single and no video was made to support the release. The single failed to chart.
Other versions
"Big Spender" has been covered by many artists, and has often appeared as a pop-culture reference in other works, including the following:
Peggy Lee, who recorded the song in 1966. Her rendition became a hit on the US Easy Listening chart in that year.[5]
Queen performed it live at Wembley Stadium on 12 July 1986, and also performed it live in the early 1970s.
In Hou Hsiao-hsien's 1987 film Daughter of the Nile, the song plays twice from Lin Hsiao-fang's restaurant.
Bette Midler covered this song for her Peggy Lee tribute album Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook which was released in 2005.
In an episode of British Asian sketch comedy show Goodness Gracious Me, the cast perform a parody of the song called "Big Spinster".
In the "Two Bad Neighbors" episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson performed the song at a yard sale with new lyrics to reflect the merchandise he is promoting.
In Grounded for Life Sean has it approved for his daughter Lily to perform "Big Spender" at her school talent show.
The song "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" by Freeway featuring Jay-Z samples Helen Gallagher's version of the song.
In National Lampoon's European Vacation, Mrs. Griswold performs "Big Spender" with exotic dancing while Clark (her husband) video tapes it.
The Pussycat Dolls Doll Domination Tour that started in 2009, featured Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt dancing "Big Spender", following by a performance by Melody Thornton.
In the Discworld Noir computer game the 'Troll Saphire' performed a parody of "Big Spender", with the opening lyrics as "The minute you walked through the wall, I could tell that you were a troll of destruction"
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