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LaBelle: 'Lady Marmalade' Was About a Hooker
29 May
Summary
- Patti LaBelle learned the song's true meaning years after its release.
- She received complaints from nuns about the song's explicit lyrics.
- The 2001 cover earned a Grammy, and the original entered the Hall of Fame.
Patti LaBelle, now 82, shared a surprising revelation about her 1974 hit song "Lady Marmalade." Appearing on the IRL Angie Martinez podcast, LaBelle admitted that neither she nor her band Labelle understood the song's explicit meaning about "ladies of the evening" until after it became a success. She recalled receiving complaints from nuns regarding the lyrics, to which she responded that everyone has their own way of making a living. The song's legacy continued to grow when a new version by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink was released for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack in 2001. This popular rendition garnered a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2002. The following year, LaBelle's original recording of "Lady Marmalade" was honored with an induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame. More recently, in 2024, LaBelle recounted an incident on The Kelly Clarkson Show where a man flashed his behind at her during a performance of the song. She humorously described kicking him, with security then handling the situation.
