No Money Down
Jerry Butler Lyrics

With no money down...
The ability to start fulfilling your dreams without having to pay immediately.

Pay later not now...
The option to delay payment until later.

Where was it I read
Uncertain where exactly he came across this particular piece of advice.

Or was it mom who said
Possibly remembers his mother sharing the same advice.

You can't get something for nothin
Nothing worth having is easily obtained.

Son whatever you get
His mother is now directing these wise words to him.

You pay for with tears and sweat
The things you want come with a price and require both hard work and dedication.

Cos nobody gets nothin
No one gets anything for free.

For nothin
Without having to pay anything.

Oh I should have though about it twice
I should have taken more time and care to think things through before making a decision.

But when I asked the man about the price
When I enquired about how much something cost.

He said you could have both rings
The salesperson offered both rings at a reduced price.

So baby I bout those rings
He quickly made the decision to purchase the rings.

And I bought you all my dreams
The rings symbolized all his dreams and aspirations for their shared future.

Cos I love you
His love for the person he's speaking to was the main driving force behind his decision.

And I thought they'd guarantee
He believed that the rings would guarantee a future together filled with love.

That you'd always be in love with me
He hoped that the rings would be instrumental in keeping their love for each other alive.

Oh you know i love you
Emphasizing how much he truly loves the other person.

I didn't care how much they cost i never thought the meaning could get lost so i bought some rings
He didn't care about the monetary value of the rings, only their symbolic value. Believed that the rings would keep their love everlasting.

Trying to stop your dreams
Buying something to stop someone else's dreams from fading away.

Oh i thought i got a good deal
He thought he had gotten a good bargain.

I knew your love at that price was a steal
He believed that buying the rings would guarantee her love, and thought the price he paid was reasonable for what he believed he was getting.

But baby now that our loves gone bad
The relationship no longer has the same depth of feeling that it once did fand is in ruins.

Girl I feel a little cheated
He feels as though buying the rings did not fulfil what he thought they would do.

I feel like I've got been had
He believes that he was tricked or taken advantage of somehow.

With no money down
The same phrase from earlier returns here to take on new meaning since he didn't pay anything upfront but is still left with the aftermath of a ruined relationship.

I got some dreams
He still has his dreams and aspirations for the future.

But look what I'm paying
Remark about the things he has lost as a result of this relationship ending.

Alone
Emphasis on his current state of solitude.

But I'll be paying for them
Despite the relationship ending, he still has to pay for the rings.

Don't know where you go(fading)
Thoughts on the whereabouts and possible new relationship of the person he once loved.