She reveals that she is pregnant, that she has quit alcohol and drugs, describes her current living circumstances (including her stable relationship with a new husband who promises to raise her arriving baby like he would his own son), and outlines the better choices she would make if she "still had all the money we used to spend on dope".
[2] For a performance in New York on November 21, 1985, Waits introduced the song with the following anecdote: I was in Minneapolis – it was 200 degrees below zero – I know, you think I'm bullshitting, no, I swear to God, I was wearing just a bra and a slip and a kind of dead squirrel around my neck – he was colder than I was.
"[4] It ranked fourth on The Guardian's list of the top ten Tom Waits songs: "This hooker with a heart of gold narrative is certainly less patronising than most, a darkly funny scenario that also stirs in us a sense of pity.
"[5] "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" has been covered by a number of notable artists, among them Interzone in 1981, Magnapop in 1995 for Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits, Kacey Jones in 2000, Wolfgang Ambros in 2000, David Broza in 2001, and Aslan in 2005.
Denise Sullivan, writing for AllMusic, wrote that "her fragile but tough delivery, accompanied by "church" organ gave the song a whole new kitschy, "hooker with a heart of gold" dimension.