Money Money Money
Money has been much on my mind lately: how to get it, how to keep it, how to get more, and when is it enough? As they say in story and song, money makes the world go ‘round, and if you don’t have any, well, you better figure out how to get some.
In the US, we’re taught from a young age that being poor is supposed to be a temporary condition: Everyone starts on the level playing field of life, and if you work real hard, you’ll be judged on your merits and the American Dream can be yours!
Yeah….about that…
I don’t think there is a single person in this country that doesn’t believe in some version of this. Many will disagree with the level playing field part- and rightly so- but most do believe that we have a meritocracy, where anyone can rise to a better class through hard work and determination. A better class – in a society that was founded on the notion that all are created equal.
Which brings us back to money. We’ve happily separated ourselves into classes – lower, middle, and upper, all based on economics. Not education, not devotion, not moral fiber. Those things aren’t going to buy you the influence that money can. If you were born to a wealthy family, good tidings upon you! You will have a better education, better connections, better opportunities. If you were born poor, well, you better get to work. All those in the middle just want to shore up what they have and keep working for more.
Moving on up
Being upper class just sounds so awesome. We don’t follow the comings and goings of teachers or scientists. We don’t eagerly leaf through magazines hoping to see the inside of an office drone’s new home. We don’t spend a lot of time pondering what your co-workers lives are like. You’re pretty sure their lives are a lot like yours, aside from different vacations or crazy family members. But what the rich are doing – now that will grab our attention. There are hundreds of publications that are devoted to showing you lives that are beyond your comprehension. God, wouldn’t it be amazing to live in a house like that, where other people cooked and cleaned and watched your kids, so you could sit by that gorgeous pool with a view and just be fabulous? Who doesn’t want some version of the rich person fantasy?
Which brings us to the playlist.
The Gist
These are the tunes I’ve been spinning to keep myself sane while I worry about money. They’re about opportunists, and gold diggers, and big shots, and everyday folks who just need a break. Next time you’re figuring out how hold onto your wedge of American Dream Pie, chuck these tunes on the music maker, and give your brain a little danceable food for thought. It may not solve your problems, but I guarantee it will be entertaining.
I’ll leave you with my favorite quote about gold digging from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” as uttered by Lorelei Lee:
“Aren’t you funny? Don’t you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty? You might not marry a girl just because she’s pretty, but goodness, doesn’t it help? If you had a daughter, you’d want to her to have the most wonderful things in the world and to be very happy. Why is it wrong for me to have those things?”
Why, indeed?
The Tunes
- Opportunities – Pet Shop Boys
- Ain’t There Something That Money Can’t Buy? – Nick Waterhouse
- No Scrubs – TLC
- I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis) – Slim Harpo
- How To Be A Millionaire – ABC
- On Your Way Down – Trombone Shorty
- Money – Sharon Jones
- Fuck You – Cee-Lo
- Cash Machine – Hard-Fi
- Take The Money and Run – Steve Miller Band
- Big Shot – Billy Joel
- Why Don’t You Do Right? – Peggy Lee
- Mr. Big Stuff – Jean Knight
- Rich Girls – The Virgins
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – The Thompson Twins
- Mountain O’ Things – Tracy Chapman
- Your Money Ain’t Long Enough – Cherri Lynn
- Common People – Pulp
- Greedy Man – Koko Taylor
- Ain’t Nothing Going On But The Rent – Gwen Guthrie
- Champagne Taste – Eartha Kitt
