AC/DC’s ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’ Was Inspired by a Beany & Cecil Cartoon. Wait, What?

Excerpt from New eBook ‘200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs Vol. 2’

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“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” was the title track of Australian band AC/DC’s 1976 album but it was not released in the US until 1981, more than a year after lead singer Bon Scott’s death. The song reached №4. “Dirty Deeds” describes various types of mayhem offered at affordable prices.

Beany & Cecil Meet Billy the Squid (1959)

The song was written by bandmates Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott. The song’s title was inspired by the popular 1960s cartoon show Beany and Cecil. The show’s villain, Dishonest John, had a business card that read, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays, and Special Rates.” (One version of the business card is shown at 03:50 in the video above.)

“We signed the record deal to go over to England and just as we’d completed the tour, they told us we had to do another album,” said Malcolm Young in Classic Rock. “All we did was go straight into the studio after doing the night’s gig and knock up some new ideas.

“It was Angus that came up with the song title “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” It was based on a cartoon character that had the phrase as his calling card. Then Bon stuck in the line ’I’m dirty, mean, mighty unclean’ from an advert for mosquito spray that was running on Aussie TV at the time.”

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Live at Donington 1991) by AC/DC

Despite its title, the band didn’t advocate violence. “Rugby clubs have been doing the same thing for years — songs like that,” said Scott. “The songs that won the Second World War were like that, with the chaps singing them as they marched into battle.”

“There’s not much seriousness in it,” added Angus Young. “It’s just rock ’n’ roll. Chew it up and spit it out.”

Frank Mastropolo is the author of 200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs Vol. 2, the latest edition of the 200 Greatest Rock Songs series.