We’ve got all sorts of things to say about money – it makes the world go round, it’s the root of all evil, it can’t buy you love. Likewise, there are a whole bunch of songs about how money affects us all differently, whether we want more of it, we want to spend it, or we want nothing to do with it!
Looking for the perfect track that describes your relationship with money? Check out these songs.
Rihanna – Bitch Better Have My Money
Don’t you just hate it when people owe you money? It’s like they decide to just not show up when you want your money back. If someone happens to owe you some cash, play this song in front of their house at full blast and hope they get the message.
Moneymaker lyrics: Bitch better have my money!
Y’all should know me well enough
Bitch better have my money!
Please don’t call me on my bluff
Pay me what you owe me
Ballin’ bigger than LeBron
Bitch, give me your money
Who y’all think y’all frontin’ on?
Like brrap, brrap, brrap
Destiny’s Child – Bills, Bills, Bills
Deception is a terrible thing, especially in a relationship. In this hit Destiny’s Child song, the singer is caught up with a guy who used to impress her with fancy things and trips to exotic places. But now that the guy’s complacent in their relationship, he’s starting to get sloppy to the point that it’s the singer who ends up having to pay all his bills.
Moneymaker lyrics: Now you’ve been maxing out my cards
Giving me bad credit buying me gifts with my own ends
Haven’t paid the first bill
But you’re steady heading to the mall
Going on shopping sprees perpetrating to your friends that you be balling
Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger
Here’s a tribute to all the women out there who use their man’s money to get by. In this song, the woman is absolutely stunning, but she has a reputation for only hanging around with the rich and famous. She’s got kids by various men who send her child support. And all that child support gets spent on a luxurious house, fancy cars, and liposuction. The last verse, however, is a warning to all the gold diggers out there – watch out for the guy who’s poor but hardworking because he’ll be the one to sticky by you when things get tough.
Moneymaker lyrics: Now I ain’t saying you’re a gold digger you got needs
You don’t want your dude to smoke but he can’t buy weed
You go out to eat, he can’t pay y’all can’t leave
There’s dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
Madonna – Material Girl
Perhaps Kanye and Jamie Foxx were inspired to write Gold Digger by this 80s track by Madonna. In this song, the singer unabashedly admits that she wants the finer things in life, and she wants a man to give it to her. She thinks that the world is built on material possessions and she wants a slice of the pie… without necessarily working for it.
Moneymaker lyrics: ‘Cause we’re living in a material world
And I am a material girl
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
ABBA – Money Money Money
In this song, the protagonist is sick and tired of working all the time just to pay the bills. She dreams of a wealthy man who can pay her bills and give her all the money she wants. In her naïve mind, she thinks that having a lot of money will make her life a lot easier. While money can make life easier, it’s the expensive luxuries that make it harder to keep up.
Moneymaker lyrics: Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world
Gwen Stefani feat. Eve – Rich Girl
Here’s another song about wanting to be wanting to be a rich girl. This indulgent track is about a girl who wishes she was so rich she could clear out a Vivienne Westwood boutique. But despite her desire to be that rich, she still thinks that her man’s love with worth more than all the riches she could get.
Moneymaker lyrics: If I was a Rich Girl
See, I’d have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I’d have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
Mo Money, Mo Problems – Notorious BIG feat. Puff Daddy
Here’s the ultimate shout out to all the people who think that money’s all they need. In this song, BIG sings about how money always brings even more problems in his life. He may have all the luxuries money can buy, but the hassles included with it are cops even tapping his phone to check if his money’s clean!
Moneymaker lyrics: I don’t know what, they want from me
It’s like the more money we come across
The more problems we see
Ludacris feat. Pharell – Money Maker
Sex and money go hand in hand with this song about a guy who just wants a woman to shake what her mama gave her. Money Maker is about a rich guy who’s offering to spend tons of cash on a girl if he likes her (and her booty) enough. So he’s shouting out to all the girls out there who want to party with him as they ride on his private jet.
Moneymaker lyrics: Shake your money maker
Like somebody boutta pay you
Don’t worry about them haters
Keep your nose up in the air
You know I got it
If you want it, come get it
Stand next to this money
Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars – Billionaire
Who doesn’t want to be a billionaire? In this song, Travie and Bruno daydream about all the things they’ll do when they become billionaires. They’ll have a TV show like Oprah, adopt a bunch of poor children, grant people their last wishes, and even solve the recession. While a lot of artists sing about buying all sorts of things for themselves, these guys actually want to use their money to do some good in the world.
Moneymaker lyrics: I wanna be a billionaire so fucking bad
Buy all of the things I never had
Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen
Jessie J feat. B.o.B.- Price Tag
With all these songs about money, we need one that reminds us that money isn’t everything. Price Tag is a critique on people’s consumerist attitudes. So many people are lying and cheating to make money, and there are people who are so obsessed with making more money that they end up being miserable. So in her words, it’s not about the money, money, money.
Moneymaker lyrics: It’s not about the money, money, money
We don’t need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance
Forget about the price tag
Ain’t about the (uh) ch-ch-ching ch-ching
Ain’t about the (yeah) bl-bling-bl-bling
Wanna make the world dance
Forget about the price tag
Lourde – Royals
In line with Jessie J’s song about people always focusing on what they have, Lourde came out with her breakout single about not needing all that ice to have fun. Royals is a critique on how people these days fall head over heels just to party like high society, when in fact, people who don’t have much money or didn’t come from money can party just as hard.
Moneymaker lyrics: My friends and I we’ve cracked the code
We count our dollars on the train to the party
And everyone who knows us knows that we’re fine with this
We didn’t come from money
Nine Inch Nails – Head Like a Hole
In line with Price Tag, we’ve got an industrial rock track that has a similar message. Head Like a Hole is a song that shows us how people seem to treat money like a god. It controls people and causes a lot of pain and suffering in the world. In this song, Trent Reznor adamantly sings about preferring to die than let money control him. Nine Inch Nails has always been vocal of their rejection of consumerism and capitalism, especially in the music industry.
Moneymaker lyrics: God money I’ll do anything for you
God money just tell me what you want me to
God money nail me up against the wall
God money don’t want everything he wants it all
Jennifer Lopez – Love Don’t Cost a Thing
Jennifer Lopez’ chart-topping song is a rejection of the usual gold digger trope. In this song she sings about how her man doesn’t need to spend so much on her to make her love him. She may have been impressed at first, but she’d rather have a man who treats her right instead of a man who spends money on her as a way to keep her around.
Moneymaker lyrics: You think you gotta keep me iced, you don’t
You think I’m gonna spend your cash, I won’t
Even if you were broke
My love don’t cost a thing
Think I wanna drive your Benz, I don’t
If I wanna floss I got my own
Even if you were broke
My love don’t cost a thing
Loggins and Messina – Danny’s Song
J.Lo’s song about not needing money to be happy with her partner was preceded by this song from Loggins and Messina. Danny’s Song was Kenny Loggins’ gift for his brother Danny to sing to his son, Colin. The lyrics are about a couple who may not have a lot money, but their genuine love allows them to become optimistic about their future with their new son.
Moneymaker lyrics: And even though we ain’t got money
I’m so in love with ya honey
And everything will bring a chain of love
And in the mornin’ when I rise
Bring a tear of joy to my eyes
And tell me everything is gonna be all right
The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
Even before Kenny Loggins penned his famous Danny’s Song, The Beatles were already singing about how money isn’t everything. Can’t Buy Me Love is about a guy who has some money, but he knows all too well that he can’t use it to find love in his life. He’s willing to give money, sure, but he’d be happier knowing that the one he loves wants love more than she wants money. McCartney goes on to say, “The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well, but they won’t buy me what I really want.”
Moneymaker lyrics: I’ll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright
I’ll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright
Cos I don’t care too much for money, and money can’t buy me love
Which of these songs perfectly capture what you think about money? Share your thoughts with us below!
