Quoth Pope Chihuahua <teddt@intercomm.com>:

I personally believe this song is about a prostitute who changed her ways, ala something out of the 40's or 50's film noir stuff. Consider:

Nighttime lady

[subtle euphamism there]

She says, "Maybe"
In the all-night laundromat

[some qualms about public places]

Wait one minute
I have seen her
She's a millionaire

[had to act rich, probably for a "respected" john]

She was a hotel detective

[another subtle euphamism]

Now she's caught in her motive
I don't think it was the money
She didn't care about expensive things
No furs, no pearls, no fancy cars, no diamond rings

[was probably just trying to earn enough money to keep her head above water...a small statement of social commentary]

She was a hotel detective
But now she's badly connected
She didn't have to change anything
Just the stencil on her window
She used to be quite a lady
She drove the underworld crazy

[operating w/o a pimp...no one collects on her make, therefore shows her independence]

But now she goes insane in a way
When it suits her occupation

[*ahem*...have I beat this theory into the ground already?]

She read that motel directive
It told her she was defective

[renting rooms for an hour at a time is generally against most motel's modum operandi]

I guess she found an easier way up the ladder
And she took it
Now that lady is running the world!

Is she lonely?
She's the only girl
In this back alley way

[Departed from normal territory, she's isolated herself not only by being a hooker, but by conducting her business in a remote place]

Will she shoot you?
She won't have to
You're already dead.

[often, going to a hooker is seen as a sign of desparation: when there is nowhere else to turn and when in control of one's passions, and it's such an easy buy--but the price morally is much greater than through an earned relationship.]

The only thing I'm unsure about in these lyrics is the "badly connected" part, which does throw the translation a bit. Good thing I'm not doing a tribute album or somethin' (hint hint, Switchblade Symphony on SatB's "Night Shift"...*ahem*)(side note: I don't *only* listen to songs about hookers, but I *do* like some continuities in my rants).

A slightly morbid (if not all 70's retro) departure from the norm of TMBG (if there is a norm), which is detached from the style of John Henry. Compare to S-E-X-X-Y in style (violins, horns, disco beat), and possibly even lyrics.

Oh, and how do I know so much about hookers? Don't fret. I grew up in Nevada.