Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) - wikipedia Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2015 ) `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' Single by Aerosmith from the album Permanent Vacation B - side `` Once is Enough '' or `` Simoriah '' Released September 1987 1990 ( re-issue ) Format Cassette, CD single, 12 '' single Recorded Genre Hard rock, blues rock, glam metal Length 4 : 24 ( Album version ) 5 : 13 ( Alternate mix ) Label Geffen Songwriter ( s ) Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Desmond Child Producer ( s ) Bruce Fairbairn Aerosmith singles chronology `` Darkness '' ( 1986 ) `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' ( 1987 ) `` Hangman Jury '' ( 1988 ) `` Darkness '' ( 1986 ) `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' ( 1987 ) `` Hangman Jury '' ( 1988 ) `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was released as the first of four singles from the Permanent Vacation album in 1987. Bowing at # 84 on 3 October 1987, the track reached # 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 12 December 1987 - 2 January 1988, and # 41 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, # 4 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and # 45 on the UK Singles Chart in 1987. It was re-released in early 1990 and peaked at # 20 in the UK. The song was written by lead singer Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry and professional songwriter Desmond Child. Contents 1 Origins 2 Music video 3 Award nominations 4 Legacy 5 References 6 External links Origins The song, which originally started out as `` Cruisin ' for a Lady '', talks about a male with an effeminate appearance, who is mistaken for a female. Steven Tyler states in the book Walk This Way : The Autobiography of Aerosmith : `` One day we met Mötley Crüe, and they 're all going, ' Dude ! ' Dude this and Dude that, everything was Dude. ' Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) ' came out of that session. ''. According to an interview with Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe conducted for Swedish television, the title of the song originated from a New York bar crawl where Tyler and Neil had drinks at a bar where the waiters were dressed in women 's clothes. This, according to Neil, prompted Tyler to comment ; `` Dude looks like a lady ! ''. Mötley Crüe 's Nikki Sixx, in his book, The Heroin Diaries, claims that the song was specifically inspired by Neil. Joe Perry came up with the chorus riff, and Tyler came up with the chorus refrain. Music video The video for `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' features the band performing live onstage as well as random moments of characters portraying transvestites, including a cameo appearance by A&R man John Kalodner dressed up in a wedding dress at one point. This is a joke based on the fact that Kalodner always dresses in white. Joe Perry 's wife Billie also appears in the music video, pretending to play the saxophone on stage. There are also some provocative sexual performances, both led by singer Steven Tyler as well as a presumed female who has her skirt torn off to reveal the Aerosmith `` wings '' tattoo on her buttocks. The video was directed by Marty Callner. Award nominations `` Dude '' picked up two MTV Video Music Award nominations in 1988 ( the first for the band ). It was nominated for Best Group Video and Best Stage Performance, but failed to gain the wins. The band made up for it eventually, winning over 10 `` moon - men '' and 4 Grammys in the 1990s. Legacy The song has long been a staple on both rock radio and in concert, as the band has regularly rotated it into their set lists over the years. The song has been featured on a number of subsequent compilations by Aerosmith including Big Ones, O, Yeah ! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, Devil 's Got a New Disguise and the live album A Little South of Sanity. Tyler has said `` Dude... '' and `` Angel '' are the two Aerosmith songs he is not very fond of performing on stage. Concurrent with its chart run, the song was played in the 1987 comedy film Like Father Like Son, starring Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore. In 1990, Aerosmith would recycle this song under the name `` The Other Side '', which has a very similar style and arrangement to this song. Professional wrestler Roddy Piper appeared as a guest VJ on MTV shortly after the song 's release. During one segment, the song 's video was played, followed by a Michael Jackson video. Piper appeared afterward, repeatedly chanting `` Dude looks like a lady ! '' in the manic fashion of a wrestling interview, intended more as a jab at Jackson than any reference to Aerosmith or the song. In 1993, the song was prominently featured in the film Mrs. Doubtfire, during a montage of the main character bonding with his family in disguise as a woman. The song was also used in the film 's TV ads. Randi Mayem Singer, the writer of Mrs. Doubtfire, credits `` Dude... '' as one of the most important songs ever written and as the direct influence for writing the script. She was quoted as saying `` Without ( ' Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) ' ), there would be no Mrs. Doubtfire ''. The song was also featured in the movie It 's Pat where the title character ( played by Julia Sweeney ) sings a karaoke version at their wedding reception. The song fits in with the running joke throughout the film, in reference to Pat 's gender ambiguity. The song was performed live by the band in the movie Wayne 's World 2 and is featured on the soundtrack for the film. The video for `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' is featured on the karaoke game SingStar Vol. 2 for PlayStation 3. Colombian singer - songwriter Shakira sang the song with Steven Tyler on MTV Icon and also included it on the set list of her Tour of the Mongoose. The song is played as one of the possible song choices on Rock ' n ' Roller Coaster at Disney 's Hollywood Studios. On August 27, 2013, Fox News played this song while introducing Chelsea Manning. As well as the network 's use of masculine pronouns and Chelsea 's original name, playing this song received backlash by commentators. References Jump up ^ `` Mrs. Doubtfire ( 1993 ) ''. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 3 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Rock ' n ' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith ''. Retrieved 8 July 2012. Jump up ^ Morse, Felicity ( 28 August 2013 ). `` Fox News plays ' Dude looks like a lady ' over Chelsea Manning segment ''. The Independent. Retrieved 19 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Fox news under fire for playing ' Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) ' during story on Bradley Manning 's sex change and refusing to use female pronouns ''. Daily Mail. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2016. External links ' Dude ( Looks Like A Lady ) ' review on Allmusic.com Aerosmith Steven Tyler Joe Perry Tom Hamilton Joey Kramer Brad Whitford Ray Tabano Jimmy Crespo Rick Dufay Studio albums Aerosmith Get Your Wings Toys in the Attic Rocks Draw the Line Night in the Ruts Rock in a Hard Place Done with Mirrors Permanent Vacation Pump Get a Grip Nine Lives Just Push Play Honkin ' on Bobo Music from Another Dimension ! Live albums Live ! Bootleg Classics Live I and II A Little South of Sanity Rockin ' the Joint Extended plays Vacation Club Made in America Singles `` Mama Kin '' `` Dream On '' `` Same Old Song and Dance '' `` Train Kept A-Rollin ' '' `` S.O.S. ( Too Bad ) '' `` Sweet Emotion '' `` Toys in the Attic '' `` Walk This Way '' `` You See Me Crying '' `` Last Child '' `` Home Tonight '' `` Back in the Saddle '' `` Draw the Line '' `` Kings and Queens '' `` Get It Up '' `` Come Together '' `` Chip Away the Stone '' `` Remember ( Walking in the Sand ) '' `` Lightning Strikes '' `` Bitch 's Brew '' `` Let the Music Do the Talking '' `` Shela '' `` My Fist Your Face '' `` Darkness '' `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' `` Hangman Jury '' `` Angel '' `` Rag Doll '' `` Love in an Elevator '' `` F.I.N.E. * '' `` Janie 's Got a Gun '' `` What It Takes '' `` The Other Side '' `` Monkey on My Back '' `` Love Me Two Times '' `` Helter Skelter '' `` Livin ' on the Edge '' `` Eat the Rich '' `` Fever '' `` Cryin ' '' `` Amazing '' `` Shut Up and Dance '' `` Deuces Are Wild '' `` Crazy '' `` Blind Man '' `` Walk on Water '' `` Nine Lives '' `` Falling in Love ( Is Hard on the Knees ) '' `` Hole in My Soul '' `` Pink '' `` Taste of India '' `` I Do n't Want to Miss a Thing '' `` What Kind of Love Are You On '' `` Angel 's Eye '' `` Jaded '' `` Fly Away from Here '' `` Sunshine '' `` Just Push Play '' `` Girls of Summer '' `` Baby, Please Do n't Go '' `` Devil 's Got a New Disguise '' `` Legendary Child '' `` Lover Alot '' `` What Could Have Been Love '' `` Ca n't Stop Lovin ' You '' Compilations Greatest Hits Gems Pandora 's Box Big Ones Pandora 's Toys Box of Fire Young Lust : The Aerosmith Anthology Classic Aerosmith : The Universal Masters Collection O, Yeah ! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits Devil 's Got a New Disguise : The Very Best of Aerosmith Tough Love : Best of the Ballads Videos and DVDs Aerosmith Video Scrapbook Permanent Vacation 3x5 Live Texxas Jam ' 78 Things That Go Pump in the Night The Making of Pump Big Ones You Can Look At You Gotta Move Rock for the Rising Sun Concert tours Rocks Tour Live Bootleg ! Tour Back in the Saddle Tour Done with Mirrors Tour Permanent Vacation Tour Pump Tour Get a Grip Tour Nine Lives Tour Roar of the Dragon Tour Just Push Play Tour Girls of Summer Tour Rocksimus Maximus Tour Honkin ' on Bobo Tour Rockin ' the Joint Tour Route of All Evil Tour Aerosmith World Tour 2007 Aerosmith / ZZ Top Tour Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock Tour Back On the Road Tour Global Warming Tour Let Rock Rule Tour Blue Army Tour Rock ' N ' Roll Rumble Tour Aero - Vederci Baby ! Tour Related articles Album discography Singles discography Videography Songs Band members Concert tours Awards Toxic Twins The Strangeurs / Chain Reaction Whitford / St. Holmes The Joe Perry Project Walk This Way : The Autobiography of Aerosmith Wherehouse Aero Force One Blue Army Rock ' n ' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Quest for Fame Revolution X Guitar Hero : Aerosmith songs Toxic Twin Towers Ball Book Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dude_(Looks_Like_a_Lady)&oldid=818811266 '' Categories : Aerosmith songs 1987 singles Songs written by Desmond Child Music videos directed by Marty Callner Songs written by Steven Tyler Songs written by Joe Perry ( musician ) Song recordings produced by Bruce Fairbairn Geffen Records singles 1987 songs Blues rock songs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from January 2015 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2007 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from January 2018 All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from March 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Italiano Português Русский Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 5 January 2018, at 18 : 43. 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Question: who sings the song dude looks like a lady
Answer: Aerosmith