Formed in 1997, the band released their first album, 1999s Composition No. 1 on independent record label Eartube Empire. They then recorded an album entitled Call It What You Want for Squint Entertainment, containing tracks produced by the band and by Mario C, will.i.am and Prince Paul. Squint never released the album, but they did release a promotional EP titled Big Broke L.A. that contained tracks from Call It What You Want.
LA Symphony independently released the Baloney EP in 2002. Originally, 1000 limited edition copies were pressed, hand-numbered and shipped in resealable sandwich bags. Baloney was later re-pressed.
Following the Baloney EP, LA Symphony was signed to Gotee Records. They then released The End Is Now in 2003, Less Than Zero in 2005 and Disappear Here in 2005.
Money Song
L.A. Symphony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I'm going through right now
In my lifetime. Yep Yep
Show me the hey hey Yo Yo... Yo Yo
I need money, but not just me, but for the fam,
If I don't bring home the bacon, ya say I ain't the man
Jehovah Jira he's the great I AM
I'm great with the pen but I suck with the plan
My money running out like some cheating husband
I'm so broke and dope I'm a great has been
I'm a crying man, trying to find fifteen cents
You could be as good as the best of them or as bad as the worst
You can be bronze and broke or platinum and still thirst
You could be perceived a success with a pentium brain
Signing your name for your fans without a penny to your name
You know how I know? That's where I stand everyday
Don't know weather to sit, stand, or run away
Should I pray, put my gun away, or get thugged out?
Jesus or Gs up? These thoughts got me bugged out
Now here we go again, the usual predicament
No means to an end the debt I can't get rid of it.
A money song again? Can't you pick a different subject?
When it come to being broke it's the usual suspects
Now here we go again, the usual predicament
No means to an end the debt I can't get rid of it.
A money song again? Can't you pick a different subject?
When it come to being broke it's the usual suspects
I can't borrow a dollar without paying back seven
I'm worth more dead than alive cause at least I'm in heaven and
Everything you hear about in songs I don't possess
Cause truth rests on my chest and won't let me invest in
anything counterfeit, contrived or pretentious
or happens to jive with this worlds consensus
I'm an odd man out, trying to break even
Stuck in the negative for positive believing
[Sherlock Poems]
Chasing the all mighty dollar sign still way far behind
Stay at my house cash flow effect my hang time
Exchange rhymes with customers getting CDs signed
My signature will cost you a hundred dimes.
One for the mind, how bout one for my pocket
One hundred grand crammed hard in my wallet
Any form of work it seems I just don't got it
Never have so I guess that I can just do without it
The more some things change the more they stay the same
You can claim a little fame but you're still losing the game
What's the cost of building a name? Being broke as a joke
I need a permanent vacation like a pig in a polk
You invoke a state of mind that's as free as a bird
But I'm live in downtown just a part of the herd
It's Groundhogs Day and I done seen it before
So God you gots to help me, I can't take it anymore
Now here we go again, the usual predicament
No means to an end the debt I can't get rid of it.
A money song again? Can't you pick a different subject?
When it come to being broke it's the usual suspects
Now here we go again, the usual predicament
No means to an end the debt I can't get rid of it.
A money song again? Can't you pick a different subject?
When it come to being broke it's the usual suspects
It's the Money Song ya'll (put a dollar in the sky)
Another Money Song ya'll (buy low, sell high)
It's the Money Song ya'll (yes it's time to sell out)
Another Money Song ya'll (borrow a dollar to bail out)
It's the Money Song ya'll (put a dollar in the sky)
Another Money Song ya'll (buy low, sell high)
It's the Money Song ya'll (yes it's time to sell out)
Another Money Song ya'll (borrow a dollar to bail out)
Yeah
The lyrics to L.A. Symphony's "Money Song" depict the struggles of being in financial hardship and the desperation that comes with it. The song is a commentary on the idea that money is necessary not only for oneself but for the family as well. The lyrics deliver the message of how society is constantly pressuring men to bring home the money, and they feel less of a man when they don't. The line "I need money, but not just me, but for the fam, If I don't bring home the bacon, ya say I ain't the man" emphasizes this idea. The opening line of the chorus, "I'm great with the pen but I suck with the plan" shows that sometimes people are extremely talented but cannot handle their finances well. Towards the end of the song, the artists question whether to choose Jesus or being 'Gs up' and consequently find it challenging to lead an authentic life. The lyrics of the song portray a realistic and relatable sentiment of financial struggle that is universal and not just relevant to the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
I need money, but not just me, but for the fam,
I require money not only for myself but also for my family.
If I don't bring home the bacon, ya say I ain't the man
If I'm unable to earn money, people won't think highly of me.
Jehovah Jira he's the great I AM
Jehovah Jira is a religious reference to God as the provider of everything, including financial resources.
And I been praying and believing for three hundred grand
I have been requesting and hoping for a sum of $300,000 through prayer.
I'm great with the pen but I suck with the plan
Although I have excellent writing skills, I'm bad at managing finances.
My money running out like some cheating husband
My funds are depleting quickly, similar to a spouse who is betraying his wife.
I'm a crying man, trying to find fifteen cents
I'm almost out of pennies and desperate for money, making me extremely emotional and upset.
You can be bronze and broke or platinum and still thirst
Regardless of someone's financial status or success level, they can still desire more and feel unsatisfied.
Signing your name for your fans without a penny to your name
Even though I might have supporters who admire my work, I might not have any money to my name.
No means to an end the debt I can't get rid of it.
There seems to be no solution to my endless debt.
I'm worth more dead than alive cause at least I'm in heaven and
My value increases when I die because I'll be in heaven rather than struggling financially in life.
Cause truth rests on my chest and won't let me invest in
I am incapable of investing in anything fake or dishonest because of my honest principles.
Never have so I guess that I can just do without it
I have never had access to certain things and have learned to live without them.
The more some things change the more they stay the same
Despite changes, certain things don't change and remain constant.
Being broke as a joke
Being broke is equivalent to being laughed at or ridiculed.
It's Groundhogs Day and I done seen it before
I have experienced this cycle of financial instability countless times before.
Another Money Song ya'll (borrow a dollar to bail out)
This song is about money, and in times of financial hardship, one might have to ask others for help.
Contributed by Cole M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.