Born in London, he is the son of writer Ann Dexter-Jones and real estate tycoon Laurence Ronson. His mother later married Mick Jones, lead guitarist of multiplatinum selling rock band Foreigner. He has two sisters: fashion designer Charlotte Ronson and DJ Samantha Ronson. He spent his childhood in a wealthy suburb of London where he lived on the same street as Paul McCartney‘s family. When his parents divorced at age 8, he moved to New York, where he made friends with John Lennon's son, Sean Lennon.
Ronson played guitar and drums from an early age, but it wasn't until moving to New York City with his mother that Ronson discovered DJ culture. At age 16, already a fan of such popular hip-hop artists as Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys, Ronson began listening to the various hip-hop mixtapes released every few months by DJs. Inspired, Ronson confiscated his father's record collection and began trying his hand at mixing.
The young DJ with the diverse taste soon caught the ears and eyes of various socialites and New York celebrities, including fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, who featured Ronson along with other sons and daughters of celebrities in a 1997 fashion campaign. A year later, hip-hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs hired Ronson to DJ his fabled 29th birthday bash. These and other high-profile gigs boosted Ronson's "hip quotient" and helped promote his more serious-minded music career. Fusing his eclectic turntable skills with his knowledge of musical instruments and songwriting, Ronson eventually embarked on his first solo project. Featuring such diverse guest artists as dancehall rapper Sean Paul, hip-hop artist Mos Def, Jack White of the White Stripes, and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Ronson's debut album, Here Comes the Fuzz, bowed for Elektra in 2003.
Ronson's second album, Version, adds to his eclectic style. In this sophomore album, Ronson fuses a range of musical genres from Daniel Merriweather to Ol' Dirty Bastard to Phantom Planet with an up tempo contemporary funk sound. All the songs on this album are covers of previous Billboard top-10 pop songs, with a jazzy twist.
Career
Attending Vassar College and then New York University (NYU), Ronson became a regular at downtown hip-hop spots and made his name as a DJ on the New York club scene in 1993. He was soon one of the most respected DJs and was being called on for celebrities' private parties. Ronson is known for his diverse, genre-spanning selection, influenced by both the hip-hop scene of New York and the more rock influence of the UK, amongst others.
He moved on, however, to producing music. After producing Nikka Costa's song "Everybody Got Their Something," Ronson signed a record contract with Elektra Records. His first album Here Comes the Fuzz was released in 2003 and was a critically acclaimed success that featured artists of all genres, despite initially poor sales. The most well known song from the album, " Ooh Wee" samples " Sunny" by Boney M and features Nate Dogg, Ghostface Killah, and Trife Da God. He has since produced multiple songs on the albums of singers Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams.
In 2004, he formed his own record label, Allido Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's J Records, along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman. The first artist he signed to Allido was rapper Rhymefest, most well-known for winning the Grammy for co-writing Kanye West's "Jesus Walks".
In March 2006, Ronson released a cover of Radiohead's " Just" as a single. In certain areas, such as the UK, it gained major radio play. It also saw release as part of Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads, a full Radiohead covers CD, in April, later appearing on Ronson's second album, Version, which was released in the UK on 16 April 2007. It includes other covers of a diverse selection of rock & pop songs including: Kaiser Chiefs' " Oh My God" (featuring guest vocals from Lily Allen), an instrumental version of Coldplay's " God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", Britney Spears' "Toxic", Ryan Adams' "Amy", Maxïmo Park's " Apply Some Pressure", The Zutons' "Valerie" and Kasabian's "L.S.F.".
Pretty Green
Mark Ronson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine
I'm gonna put it in the juke box
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna give it to the man behind the counter
He's gonna give me food and water
This is the pretty green, this is society
You can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket, oh no
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine
I'm gonna put it in the juke box
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade
This is the pretty green, this is society
You can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket, oh no
And they didn't teach me that in school
It's something that I learnt on my own
That power is measured by the pound or the fist
It's as clear as this, hey
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine
I'm gonna put it in the juke box
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna give it to the man behind the counter
He's gonna give me food and water
I'm gonna eat that and look for more
This is the pretty green, this is society
You can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket, oh no
(I've got a pocket full of pretty green)
The song "Pretty Green" by Mark Ronson is a commentary on the power of money in society. The lyrics describe the singer's pocket full of "pretty green," or money, which they plan to put into a fruit machine and jukebox to play hit records. They also intend to use the money to buy food and water and then look for more. The repetition of this action throughout the song emphasizes the importance of money in everyday life.
The singer describes money as the key to power in society, stating "you can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket." This line suggests that without money, individuals are unable to make things happen or have control over their own lives. This idea is further emphasized by the line "it's as clear as this," which suggests that the importance of money is obvious and indisputable.
Additionally, the singer notes that they did not learn the power of money in school; rather it is something they learned on their own. This suggests that the role of money in society is not something that is openly discussed or taught in educational systems. The song can be seen as a commentary on the capitalist system and the idea that money is the driving force behind success and power in society.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I have money in my pocket that I acquired from society.
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine
I'm going to gamble that money and risk losing it all for a chance to win more.
I'm gonna put it in the juke box
I will use my money to play songs and participate in society's cultural norms.
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade
I will use my money to play popular songs that society deems valuable.
I'm gonna give it to the man behind the counter
I will give my money to someone in a position of authority, like a store clerk, to obtain goods that I need.
He's gonna give me food and water
In exchange for my money, I will receive basic necessities for survival.
I'm gonna eat that and look for more
I will use what I bought to sustain myself temporarily, but understand that I need to continue working to acquire more money and buy more necessities.
This is the pretty green, this is society
Money is a symbol of power and is integral to participating in society's norms and expectations.
You can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket, oh no
One must have money to participate in society and attain power.
And they didn't teach me that in school
The importance of money and power acquisition was not formally taught in school.
It's something that I learnt on my own
I had to learn on my own that power and societal participation require money.
That power is measured by the pound or the fist
Power is measured by one's ability to financial influence or physically control others.
It's as clear as this, hey
The relationship between power, money, and societal participation is clear and easily understood.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Weller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gkennedy_32
[Intro]
Hey!
[Verse 1]
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine
I'm gonna put it in the jukebox
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade
[Verse 2]
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna give it to the man behind the counter
He's gonna give me food and water
I'm gonna eat that and look for more
[Chorus]
This is the pretty green, this is society
You can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket, oh no
[Verse 1]
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna give it to the fruit machine
I'm gonna put it in the jukebox
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade
[Chorus]
This is the pretty green, this is society
You can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket, oh no
And they didn't teach me that in school
It's something that I learnt on my own
That power is measured by the pound or the fist
It's as clear as this
Hey, P R E double T Y G R double E N
P R E double T Y G R double E N
P R E double T Y G R double E N
P R E double T Y G R double E N
[Verse 1]
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine
I'm gonna put it in the jukebox
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade
[Verse 2]
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna give it to the man behind the counter
He's gonna give me food and water
I'm gonna eat that and look for more
[Chorus]
This is the pretty green, this is society
You can't do nothing unless it's in the pocket, oh no
[Outro]
I've got a pocket full of pretty green
Alright
Alright, already
@user-lq4bz5wp7o
The best performance, beautiful vocals.
@blahblahiheartu
Seems to me like you all need to learn to love the magic that is Santigold.
@formerlyyaboitom10
The Jam version any day but I still appreciate that they're getting covered. Beat is solid, vocals could be better.
@Livfree33
I forgot about this one🥳
@alexisparadis9226
Super Video
@derpgaming7074
NOICE
@winkwink6478
🎵I just had to purchase this cd!🎵😙
@gritcheetham4308
ORIGINAL BY THE JAM
@bennymutant
I hear you!
@ismaelhudson438
AMAZING!