Song Lyric Sunday: “Money (That’s What I Want” and “Silver And Gold”

Song Lyric Sunday, Song of the Day 2 Minutes

I chose two songs for this week, because Paula and Jim chose the theme of "Money, Gold, Silver, Rich" and I thought someone else would pick the first one, so I came up with two.

The first, "Money (That’s What I Want)," was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford and originally recorded by Barrett Strong in 1959. The Beatles, who were playing in Hamburg in the early ’60’s, added it to their playlist because they were playing eight hours a night and needed material. They recorded it for their second UK album, With The Beatles (1964). Capitol split that album into two parts (and added several singles to each) and included it on their second album (third US Beatles album overall), appropriately called The Beatles’ Second Album (1964).

The best things in life are free
But you can keep ’em for the birds and bees

Now give me money (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want) yeah
That’s what I want

Your loving give me a thrill,
But your loving don’t pay my bills

Now give me money (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want) yeah
That’s what I want

Money don’t get everything it’s true
What it don’t get I can’t use

Now give me money (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want) yeah
That’s what I want

Well, now give me money (that’s what I want)
Whole lot of money (that’s what I want)
Whoah yeah, I wanna be free (that’s what I want)
Oh, money (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want, yeah (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want

Well, now give me money (that’s what I want)
Whole lot of money (that’s what I want, whoo)
Whoah, yeah, you know I need money (that’s what I want)
Now give me money (that’s what I want, whoo)
That’s what I want, yeah (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want

Lyrics via AZLyrics.com

The second song is "Silver And Gold," from the 1964 Rankin/Bass Christmas special Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. It was written by Johnny Marks and sung by Burl Ives, who voiced the narrator Sam the Snowman. In the show, Burl sang just the first verse; on subsequent recordings, he sang the second verse as well.

Silver, silver and gold
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Ev’ryone wishes for silver and gold
How do you measure its worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Mean so much more when I see
Silver and gold decorations
On ev’ry Christmas tree

Silver, silver and gold
Silver, silver and gold
Silver and gold

Silver and gold
Silver and gold
Wise men brought gifts to the manger I’m told
Mary was humble to see
Shepherds and kings there on bended knees
It’s silver and gold, silver and gold
Feeling the world with their lives
Silver and gold how they shimmer on ev’ry Christmas night
On ev’ry Christmas night

Silver, silver and gold

Lyrics via AZLyrics.com

And that’s Song Lyric Sunday (and Song of the Day) for May 22, 2022.

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

Published

20 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: “Money (That’s What I Want” and “Silver And Gold””

  1. Pingback: The First Week of Summer That Was – The Sound of One Hand Typing

  2. Love Money by the Beatles and, strangely, first heard the song from the 1980s version. It’s a great song and so true, I think, even more so today. “Who cares about people, Get more reviews or else.” I love that song by the great Burl Ives who could sing, play the banjo and act so well. I think of his songs that are so sweet and then think of him from that great movie “The Big Country” and what a difference.

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    1. Burt was kind of a jerk in that movie, and so was Chuck Connors, who was the father we all wanted to have as Lucas McCain on “The Rifleman.” Mary loves that movie, which unfortunately doesn’t run on free TV anymore.

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  5. I loved that “Silver and Gold” song by Burl Ives. I always watched that little Christmas cartoon and the song always made things more Christmassy for me! Wonderful choice !

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    1. Burl Ives’s “Silver and Gold,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas” never fail to put me in the Christmas spirit. One year, CBS decided, in their infinite wisdom, to replace Burl’s “Rudolph” with one sung by Destiny’s Child. They must have heard it from the audience because the next year Burl’s was back. Nothing against Destiny’s Child, but Burl’s version is iconic.

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