Peak
9
Weeks
16
Score
2,194
Chart Year
1987
Classic Rock magazine ranked the music video for the song at No. 7 on their list of "The Top 10 Best Hair Metal Videos". The magazine declared that "If you really want to know why hair metal was so big, then this (song) is all you need
In his VH1 reality show Rock Of Love, Poison lead singer Brett Michaels made it clear that he prefers girls who are rather adventurous. In Poison's first hit, "Talk Dirty To Me," he's singing about just this kind of girl: one who will make love just about anywhere and talk dirty while doing it. Probably not the girl you'll marry, but a good time nonetheless. Poison formed in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1984, and soon relocated to Los Angeles, where they added veteran guitarist C.C. DeVille. They wrote original songs and hit the clubs, where they refined their sound and their look, embracing the burgeoning "hair metal" genre (their secret weapon: Bobby Dall, who was a licensed cosmetologist). The group got a deal with Enigma Records, which released their first album, Look What the Cat Dragged In, in August 1986. "Talk Dirty To Me" was released as a single, and while Poison toured as the opening act for Ratt and Cinderella, the song made a steady move up the charts, peaking at #9 US in May 1987 (the album spent 101 weeks on the US chart, eventually reaching #3). The swaggering rocker helped the group establish a solid male fanbase that sent the follow-up single, "I Want Action," to #50 in July. The next single was a ballad, "I Won't Forget You," which made #13 in November. Poison's next album, Open Up and Say... Ahh!, was released in 1988 and contained their #1 hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Their original songs were group compositions, with every member receiving a songwriting credit. The video was directed by Doug Freel, who also worked on clips for Def Leppard ("Hysteria," "Animal") and Tesla ("Little Suzi"). The video shows the band unleashing their arsenal of stage moves, which was quite impressive. Their energy and striking look popped on MTV, which put it in rotation, giving much of America their first look at these stylized rockers. The band At the Drive-In got their name from a lyric in this song: At the drive-in In the old man's Ford Poison and Bad Brains were big influences on the group, and they first considered "At the Movies," after a Bad Brains song, but changed it to "At the Drive-In" from this Poison song. This is a playable song on the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
You know I never I never seen you look so good You never act the way you should But I like it And I know you like it too The way that I want you I gotta have you Oh yes, I do I never I never ever stay out late You know that I can hardly wait Just to see you And I know you cannot wait Wait to see me too I gotta touch you 'Cause baby we'll be At the drive-in In the old man's Ford Behind the bushes 'Til I'm screaming for more Down the basement Lock the cellar door And baby Talk dirty to me You know I call you I call you on the telephone I'm only hoping that you're home So I can hear you When you say those words to me And whisper so softly I gotta hear you 'Cause baby we'll be At the drive-in In the old man's Ford Behind the bushes 'Til I'm screaming for more Down the basement Lock the cellar door And baby Talk dirty to me C.C. pick up that guitar and talk to me 'Cause baby we'll be At the drive-ins In the old man's Ford Behind them bushes 'Til I'm screaming for more, more, more Down the basement And lock the cellar door And baby Talk dirty to me, yeah And baby Talk dirty to me, yeah, yeah And baby Talk dirty to me That's the way I like it, baby Ooh yeah
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 14, 1987 | 83 | 43 |
| 2 | Mar 21, 1987 | 66 | 60 |
| 3 | Mar 28, 1987 | 50 | 76 |
| 4 | Apr 4, 1987 | 41 | 85 |
| 5 | Apr 11, 1987 | 36 | 90 |
| 6 | Apr 18, 1987 | 28 | 98 |
| 7 | Apr 25, 1987 | 21 | 105 |
| 8 | May 2, 1987 | 19 | 107 |
| 9 | May 9, 1987 | 11 | 115 |
| 10 | May 16, 1987 | 9 | 117 |
| 11 | May 23, 1987 | 10 | 116 |
| 12 | May 30, 1987 | 24 | 102 |
| 13 | Jun 6, 1987 | 27 | 99 |
| 14 | Jun 13, 1987 | 45 | 81 |
| 15 | Jun 20, 1987 | 68 | 58 |
| 16 | Jun 27, 1987 | 96 | 30 |