Money
From Pink Floyd
| The Dark Side Of The Moon | ||
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Song Name: Money
Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: The Dark Side Of The Moon
Run Time: 6:30
Year: 1973
Track Number: 6
Sung By: David Gilmour
| Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd | ||
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Written By: Roger Waters
Info:
- "Money" is notable for being mainly in a 7 beat time. As stated in the song's sheet music, the predominant time signature is in 7/4 (simple septuple). David Gilmour, the guitarist, and Roger Waters, the bassist, state it as being 7/8 on the documentary, The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon. Most rock music is in 4/4, or common time, and most exceptions are in 3/4 or a similar triple meter. The typical rock backbeat on two and four is instead on two, four, and six, leaving two beats in a row without an accented beat from the snare drum. When the guitar solo starts up the song changes to 4/4, returns to 7/4, then ends in 4/4 again. This was done because David Gilmour said it would be too complicated to write the solo in 7/4, and to "make my life a little easier". Critics have commented that the change in dynamic (maintaining tempo but changing from seven beats to 4 beats, making the song feel quicker) is one of the track's strengths.
- The song was created in a makeshift recording studio Roger Waters had in his garden shed, and the original demo version was described by him as being "prissy and very English" as opposed to having the bluesy, transatlantic feel of the released version (this was stated in The Making of Dark Side of The Moon). Though credited solely to Waters, since he wrote the basic music and all the lyrics, it is very much a group effort; the instrumental jam was a collaborative effort from the band, Gilmour overseeing time change and the acclaimed guitar solo, Dick Parry doing the sax solo, and Richard and Nick improvising their own parts. Money was re-recorded for the 1981 Pink Floyd Greatest Hits album A Collection of Great Dance Songs because Capitol Records refused to license the track to Columbia Records in the US. As a result, David Gilmour re-recorded the track himself playing all of the drums, guitars, keyboards, bass and vocals and co-producing the song with James Guthrie. Dick Parry played sax on the track like he did the original.
- Pink Floyd played this when they performed at Live 8
- Money was covered by Velvet Revolver for the movie Italian Job with a few changes like converting the starting bass riff with an electronic sound. The bass riff starts a bit later. The sax solo is played by Slash with a talk box. The final riff is played in Slash's own signature style.
- Money was covered by progressive metal band Dream Theater with John Petrucci changing a bit of the two guitar riffs
- In the movie of The Wall, in the middle of "The Happiest Days of Our Lives," there is a short break in the music, during which comes a scene in the school - the teacher mocks Pink's poems. The part he reads out loud is actually the lyrics of "Money": "Money get back, I'm all right Jack, Keep your hands off of my stack. New Car, Caviar, Four-Star Daydream, Think I'll Buy Me A Football Team."
- The line "Don't give me that do goody-good bullshit." remained uncut by MTV, but "bullshit" does not appear on closed caption.
- Parts of the introduction to this song are used on the Dave Ramsey Show, which gives financial advice.
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