Synopsis

Aerosmith perform "Rag Doll" amid a colorful, rowdy New Orleans-inspired setting. Steven Tyler and the band are shown playing with swagger while the video cuts between concert footage, lively street imagery, and flirtatious scenes involving women. The loose, celebratory presentation matches the song's bluesy shuffle and suggestive lyrics rather than building a conventional narrative. Its visual world is driven by movement, nightlife, and a Mardi Gras atmosphere, giving the clip the feel of a rock 'n' roll party spilling out into the streets.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in New Orleans. The official Aerosmith description says the Mardi Gras atmosphere was intentional, reflecting the song's New Orleans-flavored shuffle.

• Unlike the shorter radio edit, the video uses the album version of "Rag Doll." That version retains the extended ending with Tyler's scat vocal and the clarinet-and-trumpet interplay.

• "Rag Doll" began as "Rag Time," a temporary title connected to the song's rootsy groove. Geffen A&R executive John Kalodner disliked the name, and songwriter Holly Knight helped settle on "Rag Doll."

• The song was created during Aerosmith's 1987 sessions for "Permanent Vacation" in Vancouver. Joe Perry brought in the central guitar riff, while Jim Vallance helped develop the chord movement and early arrangement.

• Released as the third and final single from "Permanent Vacation" in 1988, "Rag Doll" reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped maintain the momentum of Aerosmith's late-1980s comeback.