Peak
3
Weeks
21
Score
3,996
Chart Year
1983
The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Brian Grant, debuted on MTV and became the first video by an African American female artist to be placed in "heavy rotation" (a term used by MTV at the time to indicate a frequently-aired video).[citation needed] The video shows a woman, working as a waitress in a diner, who is burdened with many situations in her life such as work and raising two unruly children. It is also seen that she has abandoned her hopes of being a ballerina. Summer appears as an observer through a kitchen window, a woman who assists the fallen-down protagonist of the video, and, at the end, a leader of a troupe of women, in various work uniforms, who have taken to the streets to signify their independence and gain recognition for their "hard work". The protagonist is also seen dancing in the street with them. In a parody of the image created by this song, and its cover art picture, Summer herself appears in the Frank Sinatra video for "L.A. Is My Lady", released in 1984, as a waitress who serves a patron and then wipes her brow. There are two versions of the music video. One is the single edit; the other remains faithful to the original length of the album version of the song.
This song was based on a true-to-life experience. After the Grammy Awards in 1983, Donna Summer was at an afterparty at Chasen's restaurant, a Hollywood hotspot (it closed in 1995). She went to the bathroom and saw the attendant, Onetta Johnson, taking a nap with a small TV on. Summer startled her from her nap, and Onetta told Donna she worked two jobs and was really tired. Summer thought to herself, Wow, she really works hard for her money. Knowing she had the makings of a hit, she grabbed some toilet paper and started writing her ideas. Later that night while at home thinking about Onetta, Summer wrote the song in about 20 minutes. The song became a tribute to hard-working women everywhere. Onetta Johnson, the bathroom attendant from Chasen's, appears on the back cover of the album. The first line of the song says her name: "Onetta there in the corner stands..." >> Summer wrote this with Michael Omartian, who also produced the album and played many of the instruments. Omartian also co-wrote "Sailing" with Christopher Cross and produced "We Are The World" with Quincy Jones. The music video was directed by Brian Grant, who was one of the first directors in the medium, having done clips for Queen and The Human League the predated MTV. The video for "She Works Hard For The Money" shows various women working difficult jobs - nurse, housekeeper, waitress - and then joining together in the end for a group dance. According to Summer, this was to show they have overcome their challenges and succeeded. The video was very popular on MTV, airing a few months after Michael Jackson broke the MTV color barrier with "Billie Jean." Summer became the first black female singer to land a video in hot rotation on the network. Summer performed this song to open the Grammy Awards in 1984, where it was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (it lost to "Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara). The performance incorporated the dancers from the video. Lois Blaisch, who wrote the #1 Tiffany hit "Could've Been," sang the version used in the 1984 movie Splash, starring Daryl Hannah as a mermaid and Tom Hanks as the man who loves her.
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 Onetta there in the corner stands And she wonders where she is And the rain still hurts Some people seem to have everything Nine AM on the hour hand And she's waiting for the bell And she's looking real pretty She's waiting for her clientele 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 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 She works hard for the money So hard for it, honey She works hard for the money So you better treat her right Already knows she's seen her bad times Already knows these are the good times She'll never sell out, she never will Not for a dollar bill, she works hard 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 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 She works hard for the money So hard for it, honey She works hard for the money So you better treat her right
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 28, 1983 | 67 | 59 |
| 2 | Jun 4, 1983 | 55 | 71 |
| 3 | Jun 11, 1983 | 42 | 84 |
| 4 | Jun 18, 1983 | 34 | 92 |
| 5 | Jun 25, 1983 | 30 | 96 |
| 6 | Jul 2, 1983 | 25 | 101 |
| 7 | Jul 9, 1983 | 18 | 108 |
| 8 | Jul 16, 1983 | 14 | 112 |
| 9 | Jul 23, 1983 | 10 | 116 |
| 10 | Jul 30, 1983 | 8 | 118 |
| 11 | Aug 6, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 12 | Aug 13, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 13 | Aug 20, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 14 | Aug 27, 1983 | 4 | 122 |
| 15 | Sep 3, 1983 | 5 | 121 |
| 16 | Sep 10, 1983 | 7 | 119 |
| 17 | Sep 17, 1983 | 11 | 115 |
| 18 | Sep 24, 1983 | 18 | 108 |
| 19 | Oct 1, 1983 | 24 | 102 |
| 20 | Oct 8, 1983 | 34 | 92 |