Michael was born in Sarstedt, Germany. He started playing in his early teens when his brother Rudolph brought home a Flying V guitar, which captured Michael's imagination. His playing style is unusual in that he seems not to use conventionally practiced guitar scales but seems instead to improvise.
Schenker joined UFO under unusual circumstances. The band left the UK to play some dates in Germany. Their guitarist at the time; Bernie Marsden, forgot his passport and was unable to make the first gig. At the venue UFO spotted Michael playing a soundcheck with the Scorpions and managed to persuade him into playing that evening's show. Despite the language barrier; he spoke no English and they spoke no German, something clearly "clicked" and Schenker brought the ellusive X factor to the band and took them to another level musically.
Schenker has had a turbulent career with UFO, often walking out mid song and causing shows to be cancelled. He is evidently as temperamental as he is gifted. Schenker says his playing with UFO is like chocolate: fantastic for a while but once you've had enough....
Clearly a musical prodigy, Schenker was one of the 1970's most inspirational guitarists, influencing later musicians such as Kirk Hammett from the band Metallica.
Michael was offered gigs with Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne but decided he wanted to play his own music and not be a hired hand in another group. In 1979, he founded the Michael Schenker Group (M.S.G). The history of the Michael Schenker Group has been strewn with personality conflicts and "incidents" between band members. In 1982, original vocalist Gary Barden was sacked in favor of Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Alcatrazz) who lasted one album (Assault Attack) and was fired from the band after dropping his pants in a warm-up gig before the Reading festival. Gary Barden was enticed back to the band for Reading and stayed with M.S.G. for the recording of a new studio album (Built to Destroy) and a live album (Rock Will Never Die). After the second departure of vocalist Gary Barden after the Built to Destroy album, Michael reorganized the band around himself and vocalist Robin McAuley as the McAuley Schenker Group. After three albums in that configuration, Michael and Robin parted company.
Michael next rejoined UFO for the album Walk on Water. A short tour punctuated by a fight between Michael and vocalist Phil Mogg ended the reunion.
Michael resurrected the Michael Schenker Group with all new players and recorded three decent albums and toured yearly to appreciative Schenker-heads around the United States and Europe.
Michael fell on hard times in the early 2000's after his divorce in which he lost rights to his own music, his Mercedes and his prized Flying V guitars.
Michael picked himself up and got back to the business of making and performing music. The recording of the album Arachnophobiac and the resulting two years of touring got Michael back in rocking form.
2005 brings the 25th anniversary of the Michael Schenker Group. Michael is putting together a new album of songs called Tales of Rock and Roll honoring that anniversary. Singers from each iteration of the group have been enlisted to sing on a track or two.
A new Michael Schenker Group album is as much about finding out who is left in the band as it is about the music. Devoted fans love him regardless of his personal and personnel problems.
Money
Michael Schenker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get a good job with more pay and you're O.K.
Money it's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team
Money get back
Money it's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit
I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling set
And I think I need a Lear jet
Money it's a crime
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
Money so they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're
Giving none away
Away, away, away, away, away, away, away...
The lyrics to Michael Schenker's song "Money" are a commentary on the role of money in our society and the attitudes towards it. The song starts off by acknowledging the importance of money in our lives and how having a good job with a higher pay can solve all our problems. However, the lyrics also reflect on how the pursuit of money can often become an obsession, leading to people making immoral or unethical choices. The line "Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash" suggests a willingness to do whatever it takes to accumulate wealth, without regard for the consequences.
The second part of the song takes on a more defensive tone, with the singer asserting their position in the social hierarchy and their right to their own wealth. They warn others not to touch their "stack" of money and criticize those who espouse the idea of sharing wealth equally. The line "I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling set, and I think I need a Lear jet" further emphasizes this point, suggesting that the wealthy live in a separate world, removed from the concerns of ordinary people.
The song ends on a cynical note, with the singer acknowledging that while money may be the root of all evil, it is also a fact of life that cannot be ignored. The repetition of "away" in the final lines suggest a sense of resignation, as if to say that there is no escaping the power and influence of money in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Money, get away
Money, leave my sight and let me be free from its influence
Get a good job with more pay and you're O.K.
You can be happy and secure in life by finding a job that provides good pay
Money it's a gas
Money provides excitement and exhilaration
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
Take advantage of every opportunity to earn and save money
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Indulge in luxuries such as lavish cars, fancy food, and extravagant dreams
Think I'll buy me a football team
Excess amounts of money allow you to purchase whatever you desire, even a sports team
Money get back
Return my money to me and do not try to take what's rightfully mine
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack.
I do not need any additional help or assistance in managing my finances
Money it's a hit
Money is wildly successful and influential
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit
I do not want to hear about the morality of money, just give me more
I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling set
As a wealthy individual, I can afford the best and most luxurious travel accommodations
And I think I need a Lear jet
My tremendous wealth affords me the ability to purchase an extravagant private jet
Money it's a crime
The pursuit and hoarding of wealth can be morally corrupt
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
Wealth should be distributed fairly, but I do not want anyone taking away from what I have earned
Money so they say
There is a common belief that money is the root of all evil
Is the root of all evil today
Some claim that money is the cause of many of the world's problems and corruption
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're Giving none away
While it is agreed that money is important, employers are often unwilling to pay employees more despite their asking
Away, away, away, away, away, away, away...
The chorus emphasizes the desire to escape from the grasp of money and all of its complexities
Contributed by Cooper T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.