Mae was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The oldest of six children, and brought up in music theatre, she left home at 18 to pursue a career in recording music. Audra tried College outside of Nashville, TN for a year. However, after realizing she spent little time in class and, instead, wrote songs all day, Audra Mae decided to move to Los Angeles. Two years after arriving in LA, and playing live shows, Audra Mae earned a deal with Warner Chappell Publishing. She has now lived in Los Angeles for five years and in November of 08 her cover of Bob Dylan's Forever Young was featured on the FX series Sons of Anarchy. Audra Mae's new EP is an introduction to the artist and showcases her ability to create and interpret genuinely infectious melodies and lyrics giving the listener a true sense of Audra's perspective on her experiences.
http://www.myspace.com/audramae
Millionaire
Audra Mae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mama cried, "If only we had
Cold, hard cash."
Barbie Dolls and lemonade,
We sold it all, and all we made
Was gone so fast.
Who wants to be a millionaire?
Oh, a rich man today
Is a poor man tomorrow.
Swimmin' pools and limousines
And cover shots on magazines
And I don’t care.
Every answer came to me like
Pictures of my memories
But I'm not there.
Who wants to be a millionaire?
Who wants some money to borrow?
Oh, a rich man today
Is a poor man tomorrow.
You know
Money don't grow
On trees,
You know.
And they say,
"You’re never gonna run out of money."
Who wants to be a millionaire?
Who wants some money to borrow?
Oh, a rich man today
Is a poor man tomorrow.
Barbie Dolls and lemonade
We sold it all, and all we made
Was gone so fast.
Audra Mae's song "Millionaire" is a commentary on the false promises of wealth and the fleeting nature of riches. The song begins with a recount of the singer's childhood where she and her mother struggled to make ends meet. The opening lines, "When I was a little girl, my mama cried, 'If only we had / Cold, hard cash,'" set the tone for the rest of the song where the singer questions the true value of material wealth.
The chorus, "Who wants to be a millionaire? / Who wants some money to borrow? / Oh, a rich man today / Is a poor man tomorrow," highlights how money can be both alluring and treacherous. While the idea of having endless amounts of cash may seem appealing, the song warns that riches can be fleeting and not always worth the trade-offs.
The second verse employs biting sarcasm to turn the tables on the expectations society places on the wealthy. The singer describes the luxuries associated with wealth, such as "swimmin' pools and limousines / And cover shots on magazines," but notes that she doesn't care about them. Instead, her mind is filled with memories that have come to her without cost. Despite this, the pre-chorus and chorus repeat, reminding the listener of the onslaught of cultural messages insisting that money is the key to happiness.
Overall, "Millionaire" is a poignant reflection on the falsities of wealth and the true value of human connection and experience.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a little girl
Back in my childhood
My mama cried, "If only we had Cold, hard cash."
My mother always wished we had money
Barbie Dolls and lemonade, We sold it all, and all we made Was gone so fast.
The money we made from selling our homemade products didn't last long
Who wants to be a millionaire?
Who desires to be excessively rich?
Who wants some money to borrow?
Who wishes to get a loan?
Oh, a rich man today Is a poor man tomorrow.
A wealthy person can become poor anytime
Swimmin' pools and limousines And cover shots on magazines And I don’t care.
Luxuries such as swimming pools, limousines, and being on the front page of magazines don't mean anything to me
Every answer came to me like Pictures of my memories But I'm not there.
I get answers like flashbacks, but I'm not living that life anymore
You know Money don't grow On trees, You know.
Money is difficult to come by
And they say, "You’re never gonna run out of money."
People say that you'll never exhaust your financial resources
Barbie Dolls and lemonade We sold it all, and all we made Was gone so fast.
The same situation of our money disappearing happened again
Contributed by Lily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Linda Lewis
Love this artist, just the best voice!
Andres Delcel
Audra Genius! Love U! xxx ;-)
joe n me Hall
Sounds like jealousy to me I'm just sayin