Cole Porter’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”
Fourteen Carat Mind by Gene Watson
*The cabin that I built in West Virginia
Was not enough to keep you satisfied
‘Cause a man that’s got a saw mill occupation
Can’t afford to feed a rich girls’ appetite
I wonder if you’re still with Willie Jackson
Sometimes I wonder if he’s still alive
Ol’ Willie he gave up his wife and children
Just to satisfy your fourteen carat mind. *
“They Want Money” by Cool Moe Dee
“Everything She Wants” by Wham!
“Why don’t you get a job” by Offspring
and from the opposite end of the argument…
“Country Death Song” by Violent Femmes
Paul Simon’s Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes is sweet; the Dissipated Eight do a great version of this a cappella.
Bruce Springsteen - Dancin’ in the Dark
Traveling Wilburys - Tweeter and the Monkey Man, most effective back-to-back with Steve Miller’s Take the Money and Run, or interspersed with the “I love you, Hunny-Bunny” intro from the Pulp Fiction Soundtrack’s reissue of Dick Dale’s Misirlou.
Fountains of Wayne have a great song called Hey Julie about how nice it is to come home to your true love after a hard shitty day in the blue-collar world.
If you’re looking for some better obscure titles, swing by Art of the Mix or AllMusic and look for songs or mixes about money and love. If you start with money, I have a feeling you’ll find love songs in there.
"I Can’t Give You Anything But Love", performed by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and a few others
I can’t give you anything but love, baby
That’s the only thing I’ve plenty of, baby
…
Gee, I’d like to see you looking swell, my little baby
But diamond bracelets Woolworth’s doesn’t sell
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby
I can’t give you anything but love
Money Money Money - ABBA
Luckenbach, Texas - Waylon Jennings:
*So baby let’s sell your diamond rings
And get some boots and faded jeans
and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
And in your high society
you cry all day
We’ve been so busy keepin’ up with the Jones
Four car garage and we’re still building on
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love
Let’s go to Luckenbach Texas…*
“Head Like A Hole” Nine Inch Nails. Incredible walking bass on that one
Diamonds are Forever and Goldfinger, by Shirley Bassey.
Gotta go with the classics.
Lyle Lovett’s “M-O-N-E-Y” from the album Pontiac
“I was out last night
With my girlfriend
Things were going
Very fine
And I asked her
Would you like a kiss
She said thank you no but I’ll have some
M-O-N-E-Y”
Understated country-humor-type song
“How Do You Spell Love? (M-O-N-E-Y)” is by the Fabulous T-Birds.
I would consider it a must-have for your album. Not only is it a jammin’ tune, it’s a very cynical look at the whole love. vs. money question.