Released on Waits 1978 album, Blue Valentine “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis” has been described as a “laconic first-person sketch”.

The song’s lyrics narrate a letter written by a prostitute to a man named Charlie. She confesses to being pregnant, and describes her current living circumstances, including her stable relationship with a partner who promises to raise her arriving baby “like he would his own son.” At the song’s conclusion, the author confesses to Charlie that she has been lying to him; she does not have a husband, is currently serving time in prison, and will be eligible for parole on Valentine’s Day.