Money

"Money" by Pink Floyd is a satirical and cynical critique of greed, consumerism, and the corrupting influence of wealth in modern capitalist society. Written by Roger Waters, the lyrics explore the paradoxical attitudes people have towards money. On one hand, it is portrayed as a desirable and exciting thing—a "gas"—that promises security and luxury. On the other hand, it is shown to breed selfishness, hypocrisy, and moral decay. The song mocks the clichés surrounding wealth, from the adage that money is "the root of all evil today" to the hypocritical stance of wanting to share fairly but refusing to give up "a slice of my pie." Waters himself noted the internal conflict the subject sparked, stating, "I remember thinking, 'Well, this is it and I have to decide whether I'm really a socialist or not.' I'm still keen on a general welfare society, but I became a capitalist. You have to accept it." The song doesn't just condemn the rich; it examines the universal human tendency towards greed and materialism that money exposes. The ultimate irony is that the song, a critique of commercialism, became a major commercial hit for the band, making them a great deal of money.

The song begins with the iconic, rhythmic clatter of commerce—cash registers ringing, coins jingling—setting a clear thematic stage before any instruments enter. The narrative voice then emerges, speaking of money with a mix of desire and disdain. It acknowledges the conventional wisdom: get a good job with good pay and everything will be fine. There's an almost primal urge expressed to grab cash with both hands and build a hoard, a stash for oneself. The initial verses portray money as a thrilling, powerful force, a desirable "gas."

As the story progresses, the perspective shifts to someone who has acquired wealth, revealing the hypocrisy and selfishness that often accompany it. A character declares their intention to keep their hands off another's financial stake, only to immediately contradict this with a possessive warning: "don't take a slice of my pie." This highlights a classic double standard where one's own wealth is sacrosanct while others' is fair game. The lyrics then escalate to fantasies of extravagant, almost absurd, purchases—a new car, caviar, and even a football team. This section satirizes the boundless consumerism that extreme wealth enables, portraying a daydream of ultimate material power.

The tone darkens further, quoting the common saying that money is "the root of all evil today." However, the song immediately undercuts this moral platitude with a cynical reality: if you ask for a raise, it's no surprise that people are not willing to give any away. This line exposes the conflict between moralizing about money and the selfish actions people take to protect their own financial interests. The song concludes with scattered, overheard conversations that touch on conflict, justification ("I was in the right!"), and confusion ("I was really drunk at the time!"), suggesting the chaos and moral ambiguity that surround the pursuit and possession of money. The narrative arc moves from the abstract desire for money to the corrupting, isolating, and nonsensical realities of a world governed by it.

The creation of "Money" is a landmark in studio innovation. Bassist Roger Waters wrote the initial music and lyrics, creating a demo in his garden shed which he later described as "prissy and very English." The song's foundation is its unique tape loop of money-related sound effects. Waters recorded sounds of clinking coins, a tearing receipt, a clicking counting machine, and ringing cash registers. He and engineer Alan Parsons painstakingly spliced these sounds together on a tape loop, measuring the tape with a ruler to ensure each sound occupied the same length to create a seven-beat rhythmic pattern that matched the song's time signature. This loop was then fed through microphone stands around the studio to keep it taut and was used as the initial metronome for the band to play to.

The band recorded the track at Abbey Road Studios starting around June 1972. The whole band—Waters, David Gilmour (guitar, vocals), Richard Wright (keyboards), and Nick Mason (drums)—collaborated on the instrumental sections. Gilmour was largely responsible for arranging the middle section, including the shift to a more standard 4/4 time for his acclaimed guitar solo. The saxophone solo was performed by Dick Parry, an old friend of Gilmour's. The song was released as a single in the US on May 7, 1973, and became the band's first American hit.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Money" are defined by a powerful interplay between a simple lyrical structure and a complex musical meter.

The rhyme scheme is generally simple and direct, often using couplets (AABB) or alternating rhymes (ABAB), which makes the cynical lyrics memorable and impactful. For instance, "Money, get away / Get a good job with good pay and you're okay" and "Money, it's a crime / Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie." This straightforward rhyming provides a solid, accessible structure for the song's complex rhythmic ideas.

The song's rhythmic hallmark is its unusual 7/4 time signature, which propels the main riff and verses. This meter gives the song a distinctive, lurching feel that can be counted as a repeating seven-beat pattern (1-2-3-4-5-6-7). This constant, slightly unnatural pulse creates a sense of tension and unease, perfectly mirroring the lyrical theme of greed's awkward and disruptive force. The rhythm of the iconic opening sound-effect loop was painstakingly constructed to fit this 7-beat pattern, acting as a count-in and setting the tempo. A crucial rhythmic shift occurs during the instrumental section, where the meter changes to a standard 4/4 time for the guitar solo. This change provides a feeling of release and allows for a more traditional blues-based improvisation before the song returns to the tense 7/4 meter for the final verse.

"Money" is renowned for its blend of innovative musical and literary techniques.

• Unusual Time Signature: The song's most famous feature is its 7/4 time signature (sometimes cited as 7/8). This creates a lurching, off-kilter rhythm that feels unsettling yet compelling, musically reflecting the awkward and disruptive nature of greed.
• Metric Modulation: For the guitar solo, the song shifts into a more conventional 4/4 time. This transition, overseen by David Gilmour, provides a release of tension and a more straightforward, blues-based structure for improvisation before returning to the jarring 7/4, highlighting the contrast between chaotic desire and fluid expression.
• Musique Concrète: The use of a tape loop made from real-world sounds (cash registers, coins) as a core rhythmic element is a prime example of musique concrète. This was highly experimental for a rock band at the time and integrated the song's theme directly into its sonic texture.
• Sardonic and Ironic Tone: The lyrical narrative is delivered with a cynical, sardonic voice. The lyrics are structured to expose hypocrisy, such as pairing the platitude "Share it fairly" with the selfish demand "but don't take a slice of my pie." This use of irony is central to the song's message.
• Blues Structure: Underneath the experimental time signature, the song is fundamentally a 12-bar blues in B minor. This classic structure grounds the song, making its unconventional elements more accessible and connecting its theme of hardship and desire to the roots of blues music.
• Dynamic Contrast in Solo: David Gilmour's guitar solo is structured with dramatic dynamic shifts. For the second chorus of the solo, the effects are stripped away to create a "dry" sound, as if played by a small band in a room, before erupting into a "wet," reverb-heavy sound with a chaotic feel for the final part.

"Money" had a significant cultural impact, becoming Pink Floyd's first major hit single in the United States, where it reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success was ironic, given the song's anti-capitalist and anti-consumerist message. It played a crucial role in propelling its parent album, The Dark Side of the Moon, to phenomenal, record-breaking success, where it remained on the Billboard charts for over 900 weeks. The song's distinctive 7/4 time signature and use of sound effects were highly influential, demonstrating that complex and experimental rock could also achieve mainstream radio play. David Gilmour's guitar solo is consistently ranked among the greatest of all time. The song has been a staple of classic rock radio for decades and is instantly recognizable from its opening cash-register loop. It has been featured in various forms of media, and its lyrics were even referenced in the film adaptation of Pink Floyd's later album, The Wall. Due to a licensing dispute, Gilmour re-recorded the entire track himself (with Dick Parry again on sax) for the 1981 compilation album A Collection of Great Dance Songs.

The song "Money" uses direct symbolism and metaphors to drive its critique of materialism.

• The Sound Effect Loop: The most prominent symbolic element is the opening tape loop of cash registers, clinking coins, and tearing paper. This isn't just an introduction; it's a recurring motif that represents the inescapable, mechanical, and pervasive nature of commerce in society. It literally sets the rhythm of the song, symbolizing how money dictates the rhythm of modern life.
• "Money, it's a gas": This phrase is a double-edged metaphor. In 1970s slang, "a gas" meant something fun or exciting, capturing the allure and appeal of wealth. Simultaneously, it can be interpreted as money being a fuel—a necessary component that powers the engine of society and individual ambition.
• "A slice of my pie": This is a straightforward metaphor for a share of one's wealth. The lyric "Don't take a slice of my pie" immediately after "Share it fairly" perfectly encapsulates the hypocrisy and selfishness the song critiques.
• "The gravy train": This idiom represents a situation where someone can make a lot of money with very little effort. The character in the song is happy to be on this train, highlighting an embrace of easy, unearned wealth.
• Buying a Football Team: The exaggerated desire to "buy me a football team" serves as a symbol of ultimate, almost absurd, purchasing power and the outlandish fantasies of the super-rich. It satirizes the idea that with enough money, anything and everything is a commodity.

The song "Money" is built around several powerful recurring motifs, both musical and lyrical, that reinforce its central themes.

• The Word "Money": The title word itself is the most significant lyrical motif. It acts as an anchor at the beginning of most key phrases, constantly refocusing the listener on the song's subject. Its repetition drills home the obsessive nature of the theme.
• The Cash Register Sound Loop: The seven-beat tape loop of money-related sounds is the song's most iconic musical motif. It opens the track, establishing the theme and rhythm before any instruments play, and reappears periodically. This loop functions as a sonic symbol of the inescapable presence of commerce and materialism in society.
• The 7/4 Bass Riff: Roger Waters' bassline is one of the most memorable in rock history. This distinctive riff, played in the unusual 7/4 time signature, is the musical backbone of the song's verses. Its repetition provides the track's signature lurching groove and is as integral to the song's identity as the lyrics themselves.
• "I'm alright Jack": The line "I'm in the high-fidelity first-class traveling set / And I think I need a Lear jet" is a modern rephrasing of the British colloquialism "I'm alright, Jack," which describes a selfish attitude of looking out for oneself with no concern for others. This sentiment is a core thematic motif of the lyrics.