Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

If I Had $1000000
Barenaked Ladies Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a house (I would buy you a house)
And if I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
I'd buy you furniture for your house (maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)
And if I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a K-Car (a nice reliant automobile)
And if I had a million dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a million dollars (I'd build a tree fort in our yard)
If I had a million dollars (you could help, it wouldn't be that hard)
If I had a million dollars (maybe we could put a little tiny refrigerator in there somewhere)

(You know we could just go up there and hang out)
(Like open the fridge and stuff and there'd all be foods laid out for us)
(With little pre-wrapped sausages and things, mmm)
(They have pre-wrapped sausages but they don't have pre-wrapped bacon)
(Well, can you blame them? Yeah)

If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a fur coat (but not a real fur coat that's cruel)
And if I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you an exotic pet (yep, like a llama or an emu)
And if I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you John Merrick's remains (ooh, all them crazy elephant bones)
And if I had a million dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a million dollars (we wouldn't have to walk to the store)
If I had a million dollars (now we'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more)
If I had a million dollars (we wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner)

(But we would eat Kraft dinner)
(Of course we would, we'd just eat more)
(And buy really expensive ketchups with it)
(That's right, all the fanciest Dijon ketchups, mmm)

If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a green dress (but not a real green dress, that's cruel)
And if I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you some art (a Picasso or a Garfunkel)
If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a monkey (haven't you always wanted a monkey?)
If I had a million dollars, I'd buy your love

If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars)
I'd be rich

Overall Meaning

Barenaked Ladies’ β€œIf I Had $1000000” is a tongue-in-cheek love song that details all the things the singer would buy for his significant other if he were wealthy. The song is written in a simple and humorous fashion and is one of the band's most recognizable hits. The first verse outlines the singer's desire to buy his love a house, furniture, and even a car, emphasizing that he would do anything to make his partner happy. The second verse details the pair’s imaginary adventures, including constructing a lavish fort, owning exotic animals, and even acquiring the remains of John Merrick, known as the Elephant Man. While these are obviously ridiculous things to purchase, they showcase the sweet and experimental spirit of the relationship.


The chorus emphasizes that, given the opportunity, the singer would spare no expense to show his love for his partner: β€œIf I had a million dollars I'd buy your love.” The final verse continues the light-heartedness of the song, including references to buying extravagant ketchups and a monkey. Ultimately, the song concludes with the singer philosophizing that with a million dollars, he would not only be wealthy, but he would also be rich.


Line by Line Meaning

If I had a million dollars
The singer is dreaming about all he could do if he were a millionaire.


Well, I'd buy you a house
He would buy his significant other a house if he suddenly had a million dollars.


I'd buy you furniture for your house (maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)
He would buy furniture for the house he would buy his significant other, including a chesterfield or ottoman.


Well, I'd buy you a K-Car (a nice reliant automobile)
He would buy his significant other a nice, reliable car with some of his million dollars.


And if I had a million dollars I'd buy your love
He believes that money could buy his significant other's love if he had a million dollars.


I'd build a tree fort in our yard
The singer and his significant other would build a tree fort if he had a million dollars.


You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
His significant other would help him build the tree fort as it was not a challenging task.


Maybe we could put a little tiny refrigerator in there somewhere
The singer wants to put a small refrigerator in the tree fort for snacks.


(You know we could just go up there and hang out)
The tree fort would be a place for the singer and his significant other to hang out and relax.


(Like open the fridge and stuff and there'd all be foods laid out for us)
They would be able to open the refrigerator in the tree fort and have food available to them.


(With little pre-wrapped sausages and things, mmm)
He would stock the refrigerator with pre-wrapped sausages and other snacks.


(They have pre-wrapped sausages but they don't have pre-wrapped bacon)
Pre-wrapped bacon is not as common as pre-wrapped sausages.


(Well, can you blame them? Yeah)
The singer understands why pre-wrapped bacon is not readily available.


Well, I'd buy you a fur coat (but not a real fur coat that's cruel)
He would buy his significant other a fake fur coat, not a real one as it is cruel.


Well, I'd buy you an exotic pet (yep, like a llama or an emu)
He would buy an exotic pet, such as a llama or emu, for his significant other.


Well, I'd buy you John Merrick's remains (ooh, all them crazy elephant bones)
The singer finds John Merrick's remains fascinating and would buy them for his significant other.


we wouldn't have to walk to the store
If they had a million dollars, they would no longer have to walk to the store.


now we'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more
Instead of walking to the store, they would take a limousine because it is more expensive and they can afford it.


we wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner
They would no longer have to rely on cheap food like Kraft dinner.


(But we would eat Kraft dinner)
They would still eat Kraft dinner even if they had a million dollars.


(Of course we would, we'd just eat more)
They would eat more Kraft dinner if they had a million dollars because they could afford it.


(And buy really expensive ketchups with it)
They would buy expensive ketchup to go with their Kraft dinner.


(That's right, all the fanciest Dijon ketchups, mmm)
They would get the fanciest, highest quality ketchup available.


Well, I'd buy you a green dress (but not a real green dress, that's cruel)
He would buy his significant other a green dress, but not a real one as it is cruel to animals.


Well, I'd buy you some art (a Picasso or a Garfunkel)
He would buy his significant other some art, such as a Picasso or a Garfunkel.


Well, I'd buy you a monkey (haven't you always wanted a monkey?)
He would buy his significant other a monkey because they have always wanted one.


If I had a million dollars, I'd buy your love
He believes that having a million dollars would allow him to buy his significant other's love.


I'd be rich
If he had a million dollars, he would be considered rich.




Lyrics Β© Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ed Robertson, Steven Page

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Comments from YouTube:

@GabeNewellDFTBA

"Not a real green dress, that's cruel!"

@jaywilko9557

#fauxgreen4eva

@sjgayle4079

The Entire Earth

@randomthings4705

The Entire Earth XD

@rafaelshinpunk

What does "real green dress" means?

@connorjohnson8590

@Shinpunk I think it's just satire, that green dresses are ugly

29 More Replies...

@nybethobdilord6912

This song is brilliant. Those two breaks where the singers casually talk with each other make it even more relatable and shows they are just like us.

@josephcote6120

This was very much like their live shows. Each time they did a song it would be unique; the banter, or improvised lyrics or something.

@amberwilson4620

This song is trash.

@BigC073

The concert in the park in Toronto in 1991. I still remember the comment about "hovercraft dinner"
LOL!

More Comments

More Versions