West gained fame the world over during his long career as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock trio, Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as “Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Theme From An Imaginary Western”,and Nantucket Sleighride which are still staples of rock radio to this day. West earned the admiration of a long list of famous peers. During his career, he recorded or played with a litany of rock icons including Billy Joel, Van Halen, The Who, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited West as an important influence on their own music.
West's bold, expressive and unique guitar style is really a mirror of his own personality. Spend a little time talking with this larger-than-life figure, and you’ll realize that he is as charismatic without a guitar in his hands as he is with one. Possessing a sharp sense of humor, he was at once gregarious and gruff while recounting stories from his legendary past. When discussing his music projects, he exuded an infectious enthusiasm and excitement. Such projects could take him outside his traditional roles of guitarist, singer and songwriter.
In 1986, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in the hit comedy film, The Money Pit and has lent his distinctive voice to the popular animated series, Beast Wars Transformers which ran for three seasons on the WB network beginning in 1996 before going into syndication. He has also contributed the theme music to the new WB show, Mutant X.
West was a popular personality on the Howard Stern Radio Show and was Musical Director for the shock jock’s FOX series, as well as for the late comedian Sam Kinison. Most recently, he lent his production and songwriting skills to an album by Atlantic Records’ modern rock group, Clutch, and has just released his own instructional guitar DVD, Big Phat Ass Guitar.
If Heartaches Were Nickels
Leslie West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All broken down this way
But even if you saw me baby
I know, I could not make you stay,
I couldn't make you stay
You know about the high cost of living,
And some-day you're gonna have to pay some-day you're gonna have to pay
And I knew that from the start
And I don't have much to offer
Just this old broken heart, yeah just this broken heart
And if heartaches were nickles,
I would not be here crying in the dark
Yes if wine and pills were hundred dollar bills
I might keep you satisfied
If broken dreams were limo sines I might take you for a ride
It's all I can do, to think of you
And wish you were here by my side
Oh if heartaches were nickles I'd be the richest fool alive
The richest fool alive
Yes if wine and pills were hundred dollar bills
I might keep you satisfied
If broken dreams were limousines I might take you for a ride
It's all I can do, to think of you
And wish you were here by my side
Oh if heartaches were nickles I'd be the richest fool alive
The richest fool alive
The lyrics of Leslie West's "If Heartaches Were Nickels" are a poignant reflection on a relationship that has ended, and the pain and longing that remain. The singer is addressing the woman who has left him, expressing his wish that she could see him in his broken state, but acknowledging that even if she did, it wouldn't change the fact that she's gone. He recognizes that she is a woman who wants fine things, and he laments the fact that he has nothing to offer her except a broken heart. The refrain of the song, "if heartaches were nickels," emphasizes the idea that the singer would be wealthy if he could somehow convert his heartache into currency.
The song is structured around a series of conditional statements that express the singer's regret and longing. He imagines a world where heartaches are a form of currency, where wine and pills are worth a hundred dollars each, and where broken dreams are limousines. Each of these statements reinforces the idea that the singer is trapped in a world where he has nothing to offer but his own heartache.
One of the key themes of the song is the idea of value, and how we assign value to different things in our lives. The singer is acutely aware of the high cost of living, and the fact that someday, we all have to pay. He recognizes that the woman he loves values material things, and he is consumed with the idea that he can't give her what she wants.
Overall, "If Heartaches Were Nickels" is a powerful meditation on love, loss, and the fragile nature of human relationships. It speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the longing to be with someone who has left us.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish you could see me
I wish you could see me completely broken and shattered
All broken down this way
I'm completely shattered and broken into pieces
But even if you saw me baby
Even if you saw me in this condition
I know, I could not make you stay,
I also know that I won't be able to make you stay
I couldn't make you stay
I can't change your decision to leave
You know about the high cost of living,
You're aware of the cost of living
And some-day you're gonna have to pay some-day you're gonna have to pay
You'll have to face the consequences of high cost of living at some point in your life
Now a woman like you needs fine things
A woman like you needs luxurious things
And I knew that from the start
I knew this from the beginning
And I don't have much to offer
I don't have much to offer you
Just this old broken heart, yeah just this broken heart
All I have to offer is my broken heart
And if heartaches were nickles,
If my pain and suffering had a monetary value
I would not be here crying in the dark
I wouldn't be crying alone in the dark
Yes if wine and pills were hundred dollar bills
If alcohol and drugs were as expensive as hundred dollar bills
I might keep you satisfied
I could probably keep you happy
If broken dreams were limo sines I might take you for a ride
If unfulfilled dreams were luxury cars, I could probably take you for a luxurious ride
It's all I can do, to think of you
All I can do now is think about you
And wish you were here by my side
And wish that you were here with me
Oh if heartaches were nickles
If only my pain and suffering had a monetary value
I'd be the richest fool alive
I would be the richest person alive in terms of suffering and pain
Yes if wine and pills were hundred dollar bills
Again, if alcohol and drugs were very expensive
I might keep you satisfied
Then, maybe I could make you happy
If broken dreams were limousines I might take you for a ride
If unfulfilled dreams were expensive cars, maybe I could give you a luxurious experience
It's all I can do, to think of you
All I can do is think about you
And wish you were here by my side
And wish for you to be by my side
Oh if heartaches were nickles I'd be the richest fool alive
Again, if my pain and suffering had a monetary value, I would be the richest person alive in terms of pain and suffering
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Warren Haynes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Wick
Leslie = 50 years of the greatest guitar tone this world has ever known. He could give a shit about being the fastest, he learned from Mr. Albert King to make every note count. Gregg Allman still has the voice of an angel...
Rick Wick
@Robert Benko Gary Moore & Rory Gallagher are my top two with everyone else in the back
Robert Benko
Leslie was as close as you could get to a guitar god ... Gary Moore also
lilmusicjunky
i love this and its the first time I'm listening to it!wicked!
Isaias Mello
Leslie is one of the greatest guitar players ever. I love his sound since Woodstock (Mountain) and he is still up to date and the most inovative guy, in my opinion. The guitar solo in this song is incredible. Terrific!!!!!
Carlos Pizano
Leslie West was and still is the baddest guitar of all time!
TheLango77
Rest in peace, Leslie. Thanks for all of the great riffs...
Agent47
wow, I don't even have words for how incredible this is
Don Kinney
Leslie adds rawness to this version. In a good way.
DziadekPiorun
Masterpiece!