Money Money

Album: Natural Rebel (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Richard Ashcroft is known for elegant tracks augmented with refined string sections, but his Natural Rebel album closes with this blistering rocker, which takes a much more aggressive sonic approach. In a Songfacts interview with Ashcroft, he explained that the song is taking aim at modern music: "I'm sick of the lame guitars, I'm sick of bands or artists that come under the guise of 'rock.' They're driving the whole genre off the cliff."
  • Money has long been of interest to Ashcroft, who famously sang:

    Try to make ends meet
    You're a slave to money, then you die


    Ashcroft's family struggled to make ends meet, but once be became a rock star and became a top earner, he discovered the problems money could cause on the other side of it. One thing is clear: It makes the world go 'round.
  • This song serves as a message that Ashcroft is planning to take action in the case of "Bitter Sweet Symphony," the song he wrote for The Verve that he signed the publishing rights to under duress. The short story: The song sampled an orchestral version of a Rolling Stones song, and although the sample itself was cleared, the publishing rights to the original song weren't, and that song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and controlled by ABKCO Records, owned by their former manager Allen Klein. In order to release the song on the Urban Hymns album, Ashcroft had to sign away all the publishing rights to "Bitter Sweet Symphony." He groused about it many times over the years, but never took legal action. That could change.

    "It's a message to ABKCO Records," he told Songfacts. "At some point in 1997 a tremendous amount of money was stolen from me and I'm coming back for it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.