Berlin, who was Jewish, was one of the few Tin Pan Alley/Broadway songwriters who wrote both lyrics and music for his songs. Although he never learned to read music beyond a rudimentary level, he composed over 3,000 songs. Many of his songs, including "God Bless America", "White Christmas", "Alexander's Ragtime Band", and "There's No Business Like Show Business," left an indelible mark on American music and culture. He produced 17 film scores and 21 Broadway scores, in addition to his individual songs.
Any Bonds Today
Irving Berlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you use any money today?
Money, money, money, money, money, money
Nice new bills that we're giving away
There are photographs on ev'ry one
Lincoln, Grant and Washington
Or you might like the ones with Henry Clay
Two million, four million, six million, eight million, ten
Take what you want, when it's gone you can come back again
Bills that haven't been printed yet
You can have them by the sack
Coins that haven't been minted yet
That you never have to give back
Money, money, money, money, money, money
Uncle Sam puts it right on the line
And if we ever run out of checks for him to sign
You can have mine
All of mine
You can have mine
Money, money, money, money, money, money
Can you use any dollars today?
Money, money, money, money, money, money
We've so much that it gets in our way
In our Treas'ry there's a mighty sum
Millions we've subtracted from
The envelopes that hold our take home pay
Can you use any money today?
Home in the states underground there's a cave full of gold
Back up a truck and we'll fill it with all it can hold
Take ten million and please don't fuss
If you find it can't be spent
You can lend it right back to us
And we'll pay you seven percent
Money, money, money, money, money, money
Uncle Sam puts it right on the line
And if that feller with whiskers ever should decline
You can have mine
All of mine
You can have mine
Irving Berlin's song Any Bonds Today, released in 1941, is a patriotic song that encourages Americans to buy war bonds and support the war effort. The lyrics are a playful and upbeat invitation to invest in war bonds, using a combination of humor, persuasion, and patriotism. The first verse opens with a repetition of "money, money, money," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. It then goes on to list the different types of bills and coins available for sale, highlighting the images of iconic American presidents like Lincoln, Grant, Washington, and Henry Clay.
The second verse continues with a listing of large sums of money - two million, four million, six million, eight million, ten - inviting listeners to take as much as they want and promising more if they run out. The lyrics suggest that there is an abundance of resources available to support the war effort, and buying war bonds is an easy, patriotic way to contribute. The final verse reinforces the message that investing in war bonds is a smart and patriotic thing to do, and that the government fully supports its citizens in doing so.
Overall, the song is a clever marketing tool that uses humor and upbeat music to encourage Americans to support the war effort. It also reflects the era of economic uncertainty and the need for public support during World War II. The song reminds us that, even during difficult times, we can come together and contribute to a greater cause.
Line by Line Meaning
Money, money, money, money, money, money
There is a lot of money available
Can you use any money today?
Are you interested in obtaining money today?
Nice new bills that we're giving away
Fresh, crisp paper bills are currently available
There are photographs on ev'ry one
Each bill has a portrait of a past president
Lincoln, Grant and Washington
The portraits on the bills are those of Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and George Washington
Or you might like the ones with Henry Clay
One of the bills has a portrait of Henry Clay and you might prefer that one
Two million, four million, six million, eight million, ten
There are varying numbers of bills available, up to ten million
Take what you want, when it's gone you can come back again
Feel free to take as much money as you need, and when you run out, you can return for more
Bills that haven't been printed yet
There are brand new bills that have not yet been circulated
You can have them by the sack
You can take as many new bills as you can carry in a sack
Coins that haven't been minted yet
There are also new coins that have not yet been produced
That you never have to give back
You can keep these coins permanently
We've so much that it gets in our way
There is an excess amount of money that is becoming a problem
In our Treas'ry there's a mighty sum
There is a vast amount of money stored in the Treasury
Millions we've subtracted from
Millions of dollars have been taken from the Treasury
The envelopes that hold our take home pay
This money came from income taxes
Home in the states underground there's a cave full of gold
The United States keeps a large supply of gold in a vault
Back up a truck and we'll fill it with all it can hold
If you want gold, you can take as much as your truck can carry
Take ten million and please don't fuss
You can have ten million dollars without any trouble
If you find it can't be spent
If you have trouble spending the money, don't worry
You can lend it right back to us
You can invest the money back into the government
And we'll pay you seven percent
The government will pay you a 7% interest rate on the loan
Uncle Sam puts it right on the line
The US government has an abundance of money available
And if we ever run out of checks for him to sign
If there comes a day where the government runs out of printed checks
You can have mine
You can use my personal checks
All of mine
You can use all of my checks if you need them
Can you use any dollars today?
Do you need any US currency today?
And if that feller with whiskers ever should decline
If a past president's portrait is not desired
You can have mine
You can use my personal bills
All of mine
You can use all of my bills if you need them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pinesiskin59
A high school classmate sang this song in a talent show. I was glad to find this and be able to hear it again. I had never heard of Barry Wood- great singer!
Adrian Fernandez
Que alegria he sentido al escuchar este disco del año 1941 ¡¡ yo naci en ese año ahora tengo ¡¡81 años !! Gracias desde Mexico
Cats01
According to information elsewhere, Barry Wood was the first to sing this song. He introduced it at an event in DC. He was the lead male singer on the Hit Parade. He was replaced by Frank Sinatra in 1943.
Barry I. Grauman
Recorded on June 9, 1941.
The best known version of this song- written by Berlin for the U.S. Treasury Department "Defense Bonds" campaign- was performed by Bugs Bunny in a special "Bonds" campaign trailer, produced by Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. for the Treasury Department in December 1941.
snickle1980
Just saw that.
george Cripe
Nice recording, but I preferred the Andrews Sisters version. Jimmy Dorsey had a great version too.
Lindani Bhengu
Bugs bunny got me here😊
chaseo 101
Bugs bunny real