Story Behind The Song

Musically, this song is a tribute to the influence of the Beatles and perhaps Pink Floyd on us. As far as the lyrics are concerned, no single event formed the backdrop for this song. It's more the product of the two of us coming out of the sixties with perhaps a bit more populism in our bones than we might have had if we had "come up" in the fifties. Both of us have children and both of us spend more than our share of time being appalled at the message contained in this song . . . in some sense this song feels like a more accurate rendition of "the national anthem" than the one we have all been taught to mouth at football games. dennis wanebo and bob story

Song Description

This song is an ode to greed . . . an ode to "bling bling" . . . its message is simple: money is the medium for every form of acceptance and happiness in this culture, and if you don't have it, they you are simply taking up the space of someone "more deserving." Ah, give me that old time Calvinism. It's planted into the dna of the American psyche, and so it replays itself constantly . . . the roaring twenties, and fifties, and eighties, etc. if you want the girl of your dreams then you 'd better forget it, unless you happen to have a lot of money. You are to be constantly defined by what you own. There's a divorcee out on the parquet, who is a "scintillating" only because she has a banker-endorsed "pocketful of miracles" . . . and because she's decked out in the best finery down to her designer shoes . . . and her neckline is "dripping with ice." And a party? Well, it's only a real party when you can trot out a forty-piece orchestra for your guests. But you must be careful to maintain the purity of the gilded class. You must always be on guard for the four-flusher . . . the pretenders at the card table who's ante is always "coming up light." Because in the end only the cream rises; and the pretenders will be revealed for who they truly are. In the end only them that have lots of money will get lots more. In the end, "these kings are going to bring the pot to papa tonight."

Lyrics

IT?S ONLY MONEY
(Copyright 2003 By Bob Story and Dennis Wanebo)

Verse One
You?ll never find the Madmoisell?a
Of all of Your Dreams
If you Stay in Pocatell?a
And you Fish in Those Streams;
You might as well Just Save Your Money
Only Andy Can Tell,
But all the Andes Have Moved
To Venezuala as well.

Chorus
It?s For the Money
Yeah the Money
It?s Only Money
There must be Somethin? in the Air


Verse Two
There?s a Scintillating Lady
Who?s Lately Divorced
With a Pocketful of Miracles
Her Banker Endorsed.
When She Steps Upon the Parquet,
She Knows She Looks Nice,
She?s Got Stilettos From Giappetto?s
And She?s Dripping with Ice

Chorus
Bring on the Money
It?s Only Money
Roll out the Money
Well, There Must be Somethin? in the Air . . .

Verse Three
It?s a Musical Amusement
As Tame as Can Be
Cuz? Forty Strings Can Say These Things
So Delicately;
You Must be Joking with yourAnte
You?re Coming Up Light,
And These Kings Are Gonna Bring the Pot
To Papa Tonight . . .


Chorus
Roll Out the Money
It?s Only Money
Bring Out the Money
There Must Be Something in the Air
Roll Out the Money
It?s Only Money
Bring Out the Money
It?s Never Impolite to . . . . Stare
Bring on the Money
Yes the Money
It?s Only Money
Must be Something in the . . . . Air