What's this? A simple prompt for your listening delight: the very best Personal Finance Songs. In conjunction with our friend Athena from Money Smart Latina, we decided to leave the hard work to musicians and link to some epic music.
So, here you have it - here are the 7 songs which best sum up Personal Finance.
7. The Zombies - Time of the Season
Key Lyric:
What's your name? (What's your name?)
Who's your daddy? (Who's your daddy?)
Is he rich like me?
Has he taken any time
To show you what you need to live?
Why?
Well, just listen. This song is obviously about a man who is very interested in the finances of a young female and hopes that her father showed her how to budget.
I don't know what this "time of the season for loving" stuff is.
6. Pink Floyd - Money
Key Lyric:
Money... get away.
Get a good job with more pay and you're oookay.
Money... it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
Why?
I wanted to include at least one song in this list which no one has ever considered in their own finance-related money list before. This is my hat tip to stunning originality and contrarianism.
5. Pearl Jam - Corduroy
Key Lyric:
I'll take the firmest path; ooh, and I must refuse your test
Oh push me and I will resist...
This behavior's not unique
I don't want to hear from those who know
They can buy, but can't put on my clothes.
Why?
Eddie Vedder said that the above lyric describes a surreal experience where he saw a remake of his cheap corduroy jacket being sold for over $600 dollars (the album Corduroy is on was released in 1994). So, yeah - lots of meaning in here. Insert your own - buy used, visit thrift stores, aim for style not fashion.
Clothes may make the man but $650 jackets don't make the man Eddie Vedder. (Read his take). Yeah, it's one of the top finance songs for the backstory alone.
4. Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
Key Lyric:
The WHOLE Song. But, since you asked:
I live in hotels, tear out the walls
I have accountants pay for it all
Why?
Mr. Perry asks for sympathy while he shares a nice fact about his Maserati. I left a message at his office; I hope he calls!
Personal Finance takeaway? Acquire funds, ditch sycophants.
Note: Until Mr. 101 Centavos emailed us, we had Joe Perry here. How embarrassing.
3. Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns and Money
Key Lyric:
I was gambling in Havana
I took a little risk
Send lawyers, guns and money.
They'll get me out of this, yeah...
Why?
If you don't understand why unnecessary risks are a problem, you should probably start with our first article and work your way back here.
Don't worry, everything in the archives is good. We're biased though.
2. Ray Charles - Busted
Key Lyric:
I got a cow that went dry and a hen that won't lay; a big stack of bills that gets bigger each day
The county's gonna haul my belongings away cause I'm busted.
Why?
Oh, you thought I was going to indirectly link Ray Charles's I Got a Woman because a certain finance-related song sampled it in 2005? That song is about a woman that's good to Mr. Charles, c'mon people.
So, instead, I'll take this song back from its place on late night payday loan commercials. Don't be busted.
1. Silverchair - Tomorrow
Key Lyric:
You say that money isn't everything...
Well, I'd like to see you live without it.
You think you can keep on going living like a king...
Ooh babe, but I strongly doubt it!
Why?
Simple - a guy grows up never having to worry about money so tells our protagonist that "money isn't everything". Typical "born on third base thinks he hit a triple" type scenario going on here, folks. But, seriously, you should do everything you can to acquire money because it is a tool that lets you buy houses with sinks (amongst other things).
Bonus: when musicians rise to prominence then lecture the common folk, that interpretation also applies!
The Best Personal Finance Songs: Fin.
I hope you treat this post with all of the respect it deserves (none) and mail us your angry comments and personal attacks! Can you think of better personal finance songs?
