Richard Thompson OBE (born 3 April 1949, Notting Hill, London) is a British… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Thompson OBE (born 3 April 1949, Notting Hill, London) is a British singer/songwriter and guitarist. Highly regarded for his guitar techniques, Thompson was awarded the Orville H. Gibson award for best acoustic guitar player in 1991. Similarly, his songwriting has earned him an Ivor Novello Award and, in 2006, a lifetime achievement award from BBC Radio. Thompson made his debut as a recording artist as a member of Fairport Convention in September 1967. He left the group in 1971 and began recording with his wife as Richard & Linda Thompson, before their marriage dissolved in 1983. Since then, Thompson has maintained a critically-acclaimed solo career.

He continues to write and record new material and performs live frequently throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.

Thompson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to music. On 5 July 2011, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa was conferred on Thompson by the University of Aberdeen, in a ceremony at the University's Elphinstone Hall.

Money Money Money
Richard Thompson Lyrics

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I love kittens and little babies
Can't you see that's the guy I am
And your money is so safe with me
You never met such an honest man
Glossies on my office wall
The rich and famous, I know them all

Come on and do the Money Shuffle

I've got you right there where I want you
Come on and do the Money Shuffle
Can't find your money if you want to
Stock market going through the roof now
So rich I'll never add it up now
I've got your savings here somewhere

Here at Warbrook and Jones it's all tradition
We never pimp and we don't hustle
If you'll just bend over a little
I think you'll feel my financial muscle
Spread it wide, wide as you can
To get the full benefit of my plan

Come on and do the Money Shuffle
I've got you right there where I want you
Come on and do the Money Shuffle
Can't find your money if you want to
My God, the market's in a free fall
I'll save my arse and skip the country
Wish I knew the hell what I was doing

This year, think I'll skip Monte
One tires of the same old social scene
With all the problems in the world today
They'll notice if my bonus is obscene
Spread it wide, wide as you can
To get the full benefit of my plan

Come on and do the Money Shuffle
I've got you right there where I want you
Come on and do the Money Shuffle
Can't find your money if you want to
Stock market going through the roof now
So rich I'll never add it up now
I've got your savings here somewhere

Come on and do the Money Shuffle
Come on and do the Money Shuffle

Come on and do the Money Shuffle
Come on and do the Money Shuffle

Overall Meaning

The Money Shuffle is a satirical song by Richard Thompson about the corrupt practices of financial institutions and their dishonest brokers. The song's lyrics reveal the ironic and two-faced nature of these brokers. The opening lines of the song where the broker says "I love kittens and little babies," suggest that he is a good and caring person, but the next line shows that it's a façade to gain the trust of the clients. The next three lines emphasize the honesty of the broker and the safety of the money with him, which is again too good to be true.

Thompson uses the metaphor of a dance, "the Money Shuffle," to describe the manipulation by the broker for their financial gain. The lyrics "I've got you right there where I want you" and "spread it wide, wide as you can" indicate the predatory nature of the broker, who exploits his clients' trust to serve his own interests. The Stock Market's rise and fall reflects the unpredictability of the market and the broker's opportunistic behavior of making profits regardless of the conditions of the market.

The song is a commentary on the greed and dishonesty that has come to be associated with the financial sector. Through "The Money Shuffle," Thompson exposes the hidden motivations of the brokers and the manipulative techniques they use to dupe their clients.

Line by Line Meaning

I love kittens and little babies
I'm telling you how good and honest I am so that you'll trust me with your money.

Can't you see that's the guy I am
I'm trying to convince you of my honesty.

And your money is so safe with me
You can trust me with your money.

You never met such an honest man
I'm trying to convince you that I'm trustworthy.

Glossies on my office wall
I surround myself with images of wealthy and powerful people to establish my credibility.

The rich and famous, I know them all
I use connections with rich and powerful people to give myself credibility.

Come on and do the Money Shuffle
I want you to trust me with your money.

I've got you right there where I want you
I'm trying to gain control over your assets.

Can't find your money if you want to
I'm intentionally making it difficult for you to keep track of your money.

Stock market going through the roof now
The market is doing well now and I'm going to capitalize on it.

So rich I'll never add it up now
I'm making a ton of money and don't even know how much.

I've got your savings here somewhere
I have control of your money.

Here at Warbrook and Jones it's all tradition
I'm using the reputation of my firm to bolster my own credibility.

We never pimp and we don't hustle
I'm trying to convince you that my firm is trustworthy.

If you'll just bend over a little
I'm manipulating you into giving me more control and access to your assets.

I think you'll feel my financial muscle
I'm letting you know that I have power over your finances.

Spread it wide, wide as you can
I'm exploiting my power over you and taking advantage of your vulnerability.

To get the full benefit of my plan
I'm using your money for my own benefit.

My God, the market's in a free fall
The market is declining and I need to figure out how to avoid losing money.

I'll save my arse and skip the country
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect my assets, even if it means leaving the country.

Wish I knew the hell what I was doing
I'm admitting that I don't have all the answers and I am capable of making mistakes.

This year, think I'll skip Monte
I'm deciding to avoid a certain social event for financial gain.

One tires of the same old social scene
I'm explaining that the reason I'm avoiding social gatherings is because I'm focused on my financial interests.

With all the problems in the world today
I'm using current events to justify my self-centered behavior.

They'll notice if my bonus is obscene
I am expectant of a large financial bonus and will be disappointed if it's not significant enough.

Come on and do the Money Shuffle
I am continuously trying to manipulate you into giving me control over your assets.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD THOMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Ken Soehn

on Love in a Faithless Country

33w

At a show at the Culch (The Vancouver East Cultural Centre) decades ago, Thompson said the song was inspired by two British serial killers, who seemed to be inspiring each other through the newspapers. Now you know why it sounds so spooky.