The song was written about Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx after Sixx slept with Dickinson's wife. The whole story can be found in Sixx's autobiography The Heroin Diaries and in the Mötley Crüe collaborative autobiography The Dirt.
Tattooed Millionaire
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living in a bubble of sin.
Money can buy you most of anything.
Fix your nose or the mess your in.
Front page news you can share your views.
With a population that wants to be like you.
Out on the strip. Out on the tiles.
Same old greed behind the PR smiles.
You and all your entourage. To me your all the same.
You and all your entourage. Playing foolish games.
I don't want your big city shining.
I don't want your silver lining.
I don't want to be a tattooed millionaire.
He's got a wife, she ain't no brain child.
EX mud queen of Miami.
In his stretch cadillac, he keeps her in the back.
With his CD player and his bottle of Jack.
LA dude. LA Attitude. Laid back, selfish and getting fat.
Body gaurds, Porn Stars, Gold credit cards.
Using each other. Running for cover.
I don't want your big city shining.
I don't want your silver lining.
I don't want to be a tattooed millionaire.
The lyrics of "Tattooed Millionaire" by Bruce Dickinson describe the luxurious and decadent lifestyle of the rich and famous. The song speaks of tattooed boys with expensive toys who live in a bubble of sin, shielded from the harsh realities of life by their vast wealth. They can buy themselves out of any trouble, even cosmetic surgeries to hide their flaws and keep up the facade of perfection. The population looks up to them and wants to be like them, sharing their views and reading about their lives in the front-page news.
However, the singer does not want any of it. He sees through their PR smiles and shallow lives, and he thinks they are all the same, including their entourages. In his eyes, they play foolish games, use each other, and run for cover. The song also mentions a specific millionaire with an LA attitude and lifestyle, accompanied by his ex-mud queen wife, kept in the back of his stretch Cadillac, drinking Jack Daniels and listening to CDs.
The chorus of the song explicitly states that the singer does not want any of it. He does not want their big city shining or their silver lining, and he definitely does not want to be a tattooed millionaire. The song portrays a critical view of the rich and famous lifestyle, highlighting the hollowness and superficiality beneath the glitz and glamour.
Line by Line Meaning
Tattooed boys with expensive toys.
Wealthy men who adorn themselves with tattoos and expensive possessions.
Living in a bubble of sin.
Living in a world full of excess, hedonism, and immorality.
Money can buy you most of anything.
With money, anything can be obtained.
Fix your nose or the mess your in.
Improve your appearance, or risk the consequences.
Front page news you can share your views.
Famous people can express their opinions and have them widely circulated.
With a population that wants to be like you.
Many people aspire to live like the rich and famous.
Out on the strip. Out on the tiles.
Partying and living extravagantly out in public.
Same old greed behind the PR smiles.
Despite the public image of being generous and happy, the same greed continues to exist.
You and all your entourage. To me your all the same.
All the hangers-on of famous people are interchangeable and unimportant to the artist.
Playing foolish games.
Acting like children and engaging in pointless behavior.
I don't want your big city shining.
The bright lights of the city are unappealing to the singer.
I don't want your silver lining.
The superficial positives of fame and fortune hold no appeal.
I don't want to be a tattooed millionaire.
The idea of being wealthy and famous is unappealing to the singer.
He's got a wife, she ain't no brain child.
The man in question has a wife who is not unintelligent.
EX mud queen of Miami.
The wife is a former beauty queen from Miami.
In his stretch cadillac, he keeps her in the back.
The man drives a luxury car and keeps his wife in the back seat.
With his CD player and his bottle of Jack.
The man has music and alcohol to keep him entertained on his drives.
LA dude. LA Attitude.
The man has a stereotypical Los Angeles personality.
Laid back, selfish and getting fat.
The man is relaxed, self-centered, and becoming overweight.
Body gaurds, Porn Stars, Gold credit cards.
The man surrounds himself with security personnel and women in the porn industry, and has a prestigious credit card.
Using each other. Running for cover.
Everyone involved in this lifestyle is using each other for their own gain and running from the consequences of their actions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRUCE DICKINSON, JANICK GERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
T Luka
33 years on and this song still absolutely ROCKS. Hasn't aged a day in sound or meaning. Long Live Bruce!
Mitch Mason
Hell yes!
Simon Bouffard
Was 16 when it came out, 49 now. Better than ever 🤘
Phoebe Palahniuk
Understandable why there's an entire religion in South America based on Iron Maiden.
Dickinson's voice!! Wowsa!❤
ptstrong3
without a doubt one of the best voices in heavy metal.
Jeff Patton
Agree
Destro5150
You got that right.
Christopher Klingel
He is 'the' best heavy metal voice in history in my opinion
Jocelyn Lopez
100% agree!
ptstrong3
@Jocelyn Lopez I liked this album cause it showed what he could do outside of Maiden.