songs in which music stars gripe about how it sucks to be rich and famous

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whiny elitism more annoying than faux-populism?

Exhibit A for the prosecution: Pink Floyd's "Money". I hate this song (and the album from which it comes) with a passion bordering on the pathological. I'm sorry, but if you think it sucks to be rich: give away all your fucking money, you moron!

Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 28 March 2003 00:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Erm, you don't read that as Floyd criticizing y'know, human avarice or something? Anyway, they weren't all that rich and famous then; they saved that whining for The Wall.

Anyway, Nirvana - "Serve the Servants"

Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 28 March 2003 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Britney Spears "Lucky"

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 28 March 2003 00:25 (twenty-three years ago)


The worst of them all, 'Taxman'. Selfish bastard.

Gatinha (rwillmsen), Friday, 28 March 2003 00:27 (twenty-three years ago)

"Hell Hole" by Spinal Tap

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 28 March 2003 00:51 (twenty-three years ago)

"Mo'Money Mo' Problems" by Puff Daddy

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 28 March 2003 00:51 (twenty-three years ago)

"Life In the Fast Lane" by the Eagles

Scott Warner (thream), Friday, 28 March 2003 01:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Even though it isn't necessarily a gripe about money, I will take any flimsy pretext I Can to pontificate on the vast amount of donkey nuts sucked by the song "Jenny From The Block". I mean, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, SHUT UP J-LO.

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 28 March 2003 01:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Money Money
Lyrics: John Barlow
Music: Bob Weir

My baby gives me the finance blues
Tax me to the limit of my revenues
Here she come finger popping clickety click
She says "furs or diamonds, you can take your pick"

Chorus
She wants money
(what she wants)
She wants money
(what she wants)
She wants money
(what she wants)
She wants money
(what she wants)
Money, money, money, money, money
Money, money, money, money, money

She says "Money, honey", I'd rob a bank
I just load my gun and mosey down to the bank
Knocking off my neighbourhood savings and loan
To keep my sweet chiquita in eau de Cologne

[chorus]

Mama, don't send me down to rob that bank again
I got a notion you're leading me to sin
Won't you relax, won't you lay way back
Don't you bug your honey about no Cadillac
It's only bucks, you don't need no jack
So won't you please relax and lay way back

My baby's loving gives me such a thrill
It gives me inspiration making counterfeit bills
Now some folks say the best things in life are free
I sure don't get no loving living honestly

[chorus]

Lord made a lady out of Adam's rib
Next thing you know you got women's lib
Lovely to look upon, heaven to touch
It's a real shame they got to cost so much

[chorus]

Grateful Dead Recordings
Date: studio 1974
Album: From The Mars Hotel

Sam Jeffries (samjeff), Friday, 28 March 2003 01:15 (twenty-three years ago)

"Hell Hole" is brilliant and it's NOT about money problems IT'S ABOUT BEING HARRASSED BY MIDGET LAWYERS!!!!

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 28 March 2003 01:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Mellencamp's "Pop Singer," Cat Power's "I Don't Blame You"

roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 28 March 2003 02:01 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah taxman, when the rate at the time was 95%, bastard!

keith (keithmcl), Friday, 28 March 2003 02:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I can't hate on Harrison too much for that one... Those guys were getting raped.

Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 28 March 2003 05:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Listen, nowhere in this thread, Alex in SF, did anyone said the song had to be about money, simply about griping about fame. Now, would the midgets harrass Spinal Tap if not for the fame? Would they?

Oh, and by the way, the entirety of Ray of Light practically fits under this category.

Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 28 March 2003 06:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Even though it isn't necessarily a gripe about money, I will take any flimsy pretext I Can to pontificate on the vast amount of donkey nuts sucked by the song "Jenny From The Block". I mean, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, SHUT UP J-LO.

Firm evidence that Dan is clearly on hard drugs, or at least that he is the Anti-Me (Harvard v Princeton, singer v instrumentalist, no appreciation for J-Lo v unconditional love for J-Lo). Don't you realize that the ultimate perfection of that song is the utter shamelessness of her constant apologies for being loaded?!? Put that one and 'I'm Real' together on a playlist and you have a guaranteed laugh riot, with a hot (if massively oversampled) beat, and a taste of Ja Rule as well. Priceless.

Dave M. (rotten03), Friday, 28 March 2003 08:11 (twenty-three years ago)

"Luxury Problem" by the Lunachicks -- but the band never got rich. They're singing about rich turds who whine about how hard their lives are. Great song.

Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Another Night In the Life Of A Swamp Fox - Tony Joe White

Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Robbie Williams' whole career.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:51 (twenty-three years ago)

ice - t "lifestyles of the rich and infamous". i still like it though and the video makes me laugh

kieron, Friday, 28 March 2003 17:59 (twenty-three years ago)

"Super Trouper" is about how it sucks to be constantly on the road all over the world. Does that count?

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 28 March 2003 18:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Dave, I would cut J-Lo a lot more slack if a) her vocals on "Jenny From The Block" weren't meandering, tuneless nonsense; b) the beat wasn't a wholesale appropriation of two vastly superior songs; c) I believed for a second that fame hadn't changed her; d) I hadn't had to hear that song EVERY DAY as I was getting ready for work because the radio in our bathroom is stuck on one station and it's physically impossible for me to get ready without music.

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 28 March 2003 18:44 (twenty-three years ago)

"Fame", David Bowie.

Sean (Sean), Saturday, 29 March 2003 05:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Joni Mitchell, "Real Good For Free" (among many others)

gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 29 March 2003 05:07 (twenty-three years ago)


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