The precursor to BTO was the band Brave Belt, which was formed in 1970 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan (both of The Guess Who), Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner. An original form of the group included musician Keith Emerson of The Nice (and later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), but he was dropped due to illness. After two moderately successful Brave Belt albums came out, Allan was replaced by Tim Bachman, the third of the Bachman brothers, and the band changed its name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada as stated before, BTO released their first album under that name in the spring of 1973. Their second album was Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, and it became a massive hit in the US and their native Canada. It also yielded their best-remembered single, "Takin' Care of Business" written by Randy Bachman. BTO were one of the early hard rock bands which opted for songs backed by catchy melodies and powerful riffing. The band also promoted a strait-laced lifestyle due to the Mormon religious beliefs of Randy Bachman.
Tim Bachman left because of limited performance skills and personal lifestyle issues, and was replaced by Blair Thornton. The first album with the modified lineup, 1974's Not Fragile became a hit, including the #1 single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". The band continued to steadily produce successful albums through the mid-1970s including Four Wheel Drive and Head On (both 1975).
After the release of Freeways in 1977, Randy Bachman left the group for a solo career and another band, Ironhorse. Randy was replaced by Jim Clench, formerly of April Wine, and BTO released a pair of albums before breaking up in 1979. They reunited in 1983, leading to a lawsuit between the brothers, as one group, led by Randy, toured as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and another, led by Robbie, toured as BTO (Robbie Bachman, Fred Turner, Blair Thornton, and Randy Murray). Interestingly enough, in 1984 the line up for Bachman-Turner's first studio LP in 5 years consisted of Randy and Tim Bachman, Fred Turner and Garry Peterson on drums. In 1986 they were the opening band for the newly reformed Van Halen. By that time Fred Turner had left the band, probably to join the "other" BTO. Robbie Bachman's BTO toured and performed until early 2005.
Musicians Randy Bachman and Fred Turner reunited in 2010 for a tour and collaboration on new songs. In 2010, they notably played the half-time show at the Grey Cup in Edmonton, AB.
Website: http://www.bachmanandturner.com/
Gimme Your Money Please
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When a face I've never seen
Came so from deep in the darkness
And his mouth came on real mean
And I saw that he'd been liquored
And he staggered up to, you know, he staggered up to his feet
And he said, "Boy, you'd better move real slow
And gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
Being born and raised in New York
There ain't nothing you won't see
'Cause the streets are filled with bad goings-on
And you know that's no place to be
But my car broke down in the evening
You know it just stopped stone cold
Stopped stone cold in the street
And a dirty mean man with sharp glass eyes
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
Being born and raised in New York
There ain't nothing you won't see
'Cause the streets are filled with bad goings-on
And you know that's no place to be
But my car broke down in the evening
You know it just stopped stone cold
Stopped stone cold in the street
And a dirty mean man with a shotgun in his hand
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please" (ah)
The song "Gimme Your Money Please" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive is about a narrator's encounter with a threatening figure in dark alleyways. The singer is walking down an alley when he is suddenly confronted by a stranger who demands that he hand over his money. The stranger is drunk and aggressive, and the encounter is highly unsettling for the singer. The song depicts the danger that can be found in urban settings such as New York City, where the singer was born and raised.
The lyrics of the song are a commentary on the danger and unpredictability of city life. The theme of urban danger is reinforced by the repeated mentions of the singer's hometown of New York. The chorus of the song emphasizes the sense of unease and confusion that the singer feels when confronted with a threatening stranger, as he wonders aloud whether this is all just some strange and surreal experience. The imagery of the stranger's "sharp glass eyes" and "shotgun in his hand" adds to the ominous and violent tone of the song.
Overall, "Gimme Your Money Please" is a cautionary tale about the perils of city life and the importance of staying vigilant and aware of one's surroundings. The song portrays a world in which danger and violence can strike at any moment, making it essential to always be prepared and watchful.
Line by Line Meaning
I was walking on down the alley
When a face I've never seen
Came so from deep in the darkness
And his mouth came on real mean
Walking down the alley, a stranger suddenly appeared and approached the singer with a hostile demeanor.
And I saw that he'd been liquored
And he staggered up to, you know, he staggered up to his feet
And he said, "Boy, you'd better move real slow
And gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
The stranger was drunk and demanded the singer's money in a threatening manner.
Being born and raised in New York
There ain't nothing you won't see
'Cause the streets are filled with bad goings-on
And you know that's no place to be
But my car broke down in the evening
You know it just stopped stone cold
Stopped stone cold in the street
And a dirty mean man with sharp glass eyes
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
Living in New York City exposed the singer to many dangerous situations, including a car breaking down at night and being threatened again for money by another vile stranger.
And a dirty mean man with a shotgun in his hand
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
The second stranger now had a shotgun as a weapon and still demanded the artist's money.
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
Wasn't that strange?
Wasn't that strange indeed?
The repeated inquiry on strangeness indicates how odd it is to encounter two separate strangers in two separate instances who make identical calls for the artist's money.
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please"
He said, "Gimme your money, please" (ah)
The phrase is repeated over and over again to emphasize the demanding and humiliating nature of the experience.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind