Money (That’s What I Want)
Producer
Money (That’s What I Want) Lyrics
The best things in life are free
But you can keep 'em for the birds and bees
[Chorus]
Now, give me money (That's what I want)
That's what I want (That's what I want)
That's what I want, yeah (That's what I want)
That's what I want
[Verse 2]
Your lovin' gives me a thrill
But your lovin' don't pay my bills
[Chorus]
Now, give me money (That's what I want)
That's what I want (That's what I want)
That's what I want, oh, yeah (That's what I want)
That's what I want
[Verse 3]
Money don't get everything, it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
[Chorus]
Now, give me money (That's what I want)
That's what I want (That's what I want)
That's what I want, yeah (That's what I want)
That's what I want, whoa
Money don't get everything, it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
[Chorus]
Now, give me money (That's what I want)
That's what I want (That's what I want)
That's what I want, yeah (That's what I want)
That's what I want
[Outro]
Well, now, give me money (That's what I want)
Whole lot of money (That's what I want)
Wow, yeah, I wanna be free (That's what I want)
Oh, a lot of money (That's what I want)
That's what I want, yeah (That's what I want)
That's what I want
Well, now, give me money (That's what I want)
Whole lot of money (That's what I want)
Wow, yeah, you know I need money (That's what I want)
Oh, now, give me money (That's what I want)
That's what I want, yeah (That's what I want)
That's what I want
About
The closing track on The Beatles' second album was a major part of their early repertoire during their formative touring years in Hamburg, Germany—circa 1960-1962. “Money (That’s What I Want)” was a hit for Barrett Strong in 1959. Written by legendary Motown founder Berry Gordy, the sad irony of this classic song was that Strong was ultimately screwed out of royalties from the tune’s success.
Not dissimilar to The Beatles' own experience with losing millions of dollars, the story of managers manipulating artists was all too prevalent in the entertainment industry at the time. Nonetheless, the track was instrumental in garnering attention for the band throughout 1963—they recorded several live versions across Europe and the UK, according to BeatlesBible.com:
The group […] recorded the song six times for BBC radio. The first attempt was on 21 May 1963 for the Saturday Club programme, which was recorded at the Playhouse Theatre in London and first broadcast four days later. They returned to it on 1 June, for the third edition of Pop Go The Beatles. This show was recorded at the BBC Paris Studio, London, and first heard by radio listeners on 18 June. This was the first recorded instance of Lennon exclaiming ‘I wanna be free!’ in the final verse.
Lennon’s cry of ‘I wanna be free’ was from the heart: after many long years on the road, and despite the promises of greater riches in their sights, The Beatles nonetheless anticipated their success only lasting a short time in the early 1960s—a typical career for pop stars at the time was just a few years. When it looked as though they would enjoy more lasting fortunes, McCartney countered Money’s desperate materialism with ‘Can’t Buy Me Love.’
In 2019, TimeOut London ranked “Money (That’s What I Want)” at #24 on their list of the ‘50 Best Beatles Songs.’
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
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