Easy Money
Corky Laing Ian Hunter Mick Ronson & Felix Pappalardi Lyrics

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Once upon a time
She was the virgin of a million lonely minds
And now it's such a crying shame
She does not even know her name
No-one ever knew
All the heavy changes she's been going through
All the sons and lovers on her mind
Cause easy money's hard to find

I've been searching
All night long
You know, she's been searching all night long

[Chorus]
Easy money
She gets down on her knees
She's begging you please
Cause she needs
Easy money
She's out on a run
She needs someone can she please

Nightmare rides
A shadow limps across the great sunrise
And steals the hope that lies behind her eyes
In a sense it's hard to find

I've been searching
All Night long
You know, she's been searching all night long

[Chorus]

Easy money

Easy money
She ain't no fool
She's breaking her rule
And she knows
Easy money
She's out on a run
She's looking for someone who shows
Easy money
She's out on her own

She's looking for someone to plead
Easy money

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Easy Money" by Corky Laing, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, and Felix Pappalardi tell a story of a woman who was once the object of many men's desires but now struggles to find even basic means of survival. The opening lines set the stage for her once-privileged life, as she was once the "virgin" of a "million lonely minds." However, something has changed, and she has fallen on hard times. The next lines reveal the extent of her current situation as she no longer knows her name.

The lyrics go on to suggest that the woman has had a tumultuous life filled with "heavy changes" that nobody knew about. The songwriters describe it as "all the sons and lovers on her mind." The chorus highlights her desperation for "easy money" to sustain herself. The woman begs and pleads for money, but it is hard to come by. She is even willing to break her own rules to get it, as the line "She ain't no fool, she's breaking her rule" suggests.

The second verse continues the theme of the woman's struggles. She endures "nightmare rides" and feels as though hope has been taken from her. However, despite her difficulties, she persists in her search for "easy money," as the chorus reiterates. The final lines of the song reveal once again the woman's desperation as she looks for someone to plead for, something she would not have had to do in her previous life.

Line by Line Meaning

Once upon a time
Long ago

She was the virgin of a million lonely minds
She was the unattainable beauty in everyone's fantasies

And now it's such a crying shame
It's unfortunate

She does not even know her name
She's lost her identity

No-one ever knew
No one understood

All the heavy changes she's been going through
All the difficult situations she's experienced

All the sons and lovers on her mind
All the men who have come and gone in her life

Cause easy money's hard to find
Because making money is not easy

I've been searching
I've been looking

All night long
Throughout the entire night

You know, she's been searching all night long
She's been looking all night as well