Money Honey
Clyde Mcphatter and The Drifters Lyrics
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I let it ring for a long, long spell
I went through the window and peeked through the blind,
And asked him to tell me what was on his mind
He said, "Money, honey!
Yes, money, honey!
Mhm, money, honey,
I was cleaned and skinned and so hard-pressed
I called the woman that I love the best
I finally reached my baby 'bout a half past three
She said, "I'd like to know what you want with me"
I said, "Money, honey!
Money, honey!
Money, honey,
If you want to get along with me"
She screamed and said, "What's wrong with you?
From this day on, our romance is through"
I said, "Tell me, baby, face to face
A-how could another man take my place?"
She said, "Money, honey!
Money, honey!
Money, honey,
If you want to get along with me"
Now, I learned my lesson and now I know
The sun may shine and the wind may blow
Women may come, and the women may go,
But before I say I love 'em so,
I want, money, honey!
Money, honey!
Money, honey,
If you want to get along with me
(If you want to get along) Well, make some money
(If you want to get along) Well, I ain't jivin' you, honey
(If you want to get along) You better give up some money
If you want to get along with me
The lyrics to Clyde Mcphatter and The Drifters' song "Money Honey" is a classic example of the blues genre that highlights the theme of poverty and making ends meet. The song follows the story of a man who is met with challenges because of his lack of money. The landlord comes knocking, and the man's lover threatens to leave him over his financial situation. The man realizes that he needs money to keep his love interest and to survive, and that's the lesson he learned from his ordeal.
The first verse starts with the landlord ringing the doorbell. The singer doesn't answer but observes him from the window. When he confronts him, it's evident he needs to pay rent. The chorus rings out, "Money, Honey!" The singer then seeks his lover's comfort, but instead, she confronts him about his lack of funds. After a back-and-forth, the singer repeats the chorus.
Interestingly, the concluding verse takes a different turn, changing from a dark note to celebrating the wisdom gleaned from the experience. The bluesy inflection of "Money, Honey!" is more celebratory than sorrowful. The singer indicates that his experiences have taught him the value of money and its impact on love, establishing a focus on financial security over emotional attachments.
Line by Line Meaning
You know, the landlord rang my front door bell
The landlord came to my door and rang the bell to speak with me
I let it ring for a long, long spell
I ignored the landlord and let the bell keep ringing for a while
I went through the window and peeked through the blind,
Instead of opening the door, I looked out the window through the blinds
And asked him to tell me what was on his mind
I asked the landlord to tell me what he wanted to talk to me about
He said, "Money, honey!
The landlord said that he wanted money
Yes, money, honey!
He emphasized that it was money he wanted
Mhm, money, honey,
He repeated that it was money he wanted
If you want to stay with me
He made it clear that if I wanted to continue renting from him, I needed to pay
I was cleaned and skinned and so hard-pressed
I was broke and had no money to give
I called the woman that I love the best
I called the woman I loved the most
I finally reached my baby 'bout a half past three
I was finally able to get in touch with her around 3:30am
She said, "I'd like to know what you want with me"
She was curious why I had called her so late
I said, "Money, honey!
I told her I needed money
Money, honey!
I repeated that I needed money
Money, honey,
I emphasized once again that I needed money
If you want to get along with me"
I made it clear that if she wanted to continue our relationship, she needed to provide me with money
She screamed and said, "What's wrong with you?
She raised her voice and asked why I was asking her for money
From this day on, our romance is through"
She decided that we were no longer in a romantic relationship
I said, "Tell me, baby, face to face
I asked her to tell me directly
A-how could another man take my place?"
I questioned how someone else could replace me in her life
Now, I learned my lesson and now I know
I realized my mistake and learned from my experience
The sun may shine and the wind may blow
Life can be unpredictable
Women may come and the women may go,
Women may enter and leave my life
But before I say I love 'em so,
Before I profess my love for them
I want, money, honey!
I want to make sure they provide me with money first
Money, honey!
Getting money is my top priority
Money, honey,
I emphasize again how important money is to me
If you want to get along with me"
If they want to have a relationship with me, they need to provide me with money
(If you want to get along) Well, make some money
If they want to have a relationship with me, they need to find a way to make money
(If you want to get along) Well, I ain't jivin' you, honey
I am not lying to them, they really need to give me money
(If you want to get along) You better give up some money
They have no choice but to give me money if they want to have a relationship with me
If you want to get along with me
Once again, if they want to have a relationship with me, they need to provide me with money
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JESSE STONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alkholos
When talking about the late, great Clyde McPhatter always use the term "great." He's forgotten now but his voice was so smooth and versatile. McPhatter was a giant, and deserved a better fate than what he suffered.
@miltonlevant2290
With you tube he has revive to every body
@wellsy1954
Possibly the best voice ever.
@alkholos
@Steven Wells So many great black singers are gone now: Brook Benton, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gay, etc.
@wellsy1954
@Al Kholos It's unbelievable that Clyde could spend 2 yrs in England and no one could make a great record with him. Such a waste of time and talent.
@wellsy1954
@Al Kholos I agree. Some great white ones as well - some are still with us. I'm guessing you are in the U.S.A. I live in Tasmania. I have a blog which may interest you-"From The Archives" found at originalclassicrock.com
@gingerwilliams2125
Young'uns... take notes!!! This is a lesson from a master!!! Don't get much better than this! Ginger Williams, class of June '58... Douglass High School, Baltimore MD
@coffeeicecream1
This song will always be in. "Money Honey". Let's face it, that is most important to 90% of us. Just the way Clyde sang it, is so truthful now in '2014 and way back in "1953". In fact, I change my mind regarding the percentage, it's got to be 95%. Thanks so much.
@connorduke4619
No it's not that depends on soul age. Infant soul = survival, Baby soul = religion, Young soul = money, Mature soul = romance, Old soul = philosophy.
@edgraf9720
When I got home from BBall practice in Pittsburgh our only R &B station with Porky Chedrick was almost signing off (daylight only) but I first heard this and was hooked!!!