British pop group founded in 1973, featuring Phil Pickett, Georg Kajanus, H… Read Full Bio ↴British pop group founded in 1973, featuring Phil Pickett, Georg Kajanus, Henry Marsh and Grant Serpell. The band was still performing in 2007, albeit with personnel changes.

The group's musical line-up incorporates such diverse instruments as mandolins, glockenspiels, accordion, military bass-drum, and the legendary Nickelodeon, an extraordinary instrument designed and built for the purpose of delivering Sailor's definitive sound.

Their first album, released in 1974, included the hit "Traffic Jam". The album achieved Gold status in Holland. But it was the second album "Trouble" that established Sailor throughout the world. "A Glass of Champagne" was a massive hit throughout the world in 1975, followed by "Girls Girls Girls" in 1976.

The original line-up changed regularly from the end of the 1970s. In 1980 Phil and Henry released a new album together with Gavin David and Virginia David. In 1989 a new album was released after a ten year silence, featuring two singles "The Secretary" and "La Cumbia", so after a long gap they went back on tour again. In 1995 Georg Kajanus departed the band to pursue a solo career, leading to the introduction of Peter Lincoln, a respected guitarist and singer. Original member Henry Marsh left the band in late 1999, to be replaced by Anthony England. He was replaced in turn by Rob Alderton in 2001.

In 2004 Sailor were voted the 45th most successful pop band of the last 40 years in Germany.

In July 2005 Rob Alderton departed, but a few weeks later, original member Henry Marsh returned to his place at the Nickelodeon. In 2006 Peter Lincoln decided to leave after ten years to join The Sweet. Afterwards, Henry's son Oliver Marsh joined the band as their new singer to continue the journey...

Put Your Mouth Where The Money Is
Sailor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Marsh-Serpell

The Santa Rosa fair is in, with that 'Iron Man McGinn
Who's gonna challenge the two
The man you can't knock down
But Danny Becker's gonna try
For his needs are kind of high
So he's gonna take on the 'Iron Man' tonight

(Chorus):
Come and get your money, it's a hundred dollars a round
Put your mouth where the money is tonight
Lots and lots of money if you knock the champion down
Put your mouth where the money is tonight
Weighing in at Smokey Joe's, where the conversation's slow
There is 'Iron Man' McGinn
He's always odds on to win
He got his name in Idaho
Where upon a single blow
He knocked the door off the Maled city jail
(Repeat chorus)
Oh, put your mouth where the money is (Repeat 3x)
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
But Danny Becker's little friend, she knew how the fight would end
So she handicapped McGinn
By slipping 'Mickeys' in his gin
And so the might of 'Iron Man'
Will rust away like iron can
For Danny Becker's the winner here tonight

(Repeat chorus)
Yeah!

Overall Meaning

The song "Put Your Mouth Where The Money Is" by Sailor is an upbeat, playful song that describes a boxing match between two fighters, the challenger Danny Becker and the seemingly invincible 'Iron Man' McGinn. The lyrics describe the excitement and tension leading up to the fight and how Danny Becker's little friend helps him cheat by drugging 'Iron Man' McGinn so that he can win. The chorus of the song invites people to bet on the match and encourages them to participate by "putting their mouth where the money is". Overall, the song is a fun and lively description of a high-stakes boxing match.

Line by Line Meaning

The Santa Rosa fair is in, with that 'Iron Man McGinn
The Santa Rosa fair is currently taking place and featuring the infamous fighter 'Iron Man McGinn.

Who's gonna challenge the two
Who is brave enough to challenge the two fighters?

The man you can't knock down
Iron Man McGinn is a formidable fighter who is difficult to defeat.

But Danny Becker's gonna try
Danny Becker is willing to attempt to defeat Iron Man McGinn.

For his needs are kind of high
Danny Becker has something driving him, perhaps a financial or personal need.

So he's gonna take on the 'Iron Man' tonight
Danny Becker has decided to fight Iron Man McGinn tonight.

Come and get your money, it's a hundred dollars a round
Audience members are encouraged to bet on the outcome of the fight at a rate of one hundred dollars per round.

Put your mouth where the money is tonight
If you want to win big, you need to bet big on the outcome of the fight tonight.

Lots and lots of money if you knock the champion down
There is a large amount of money to be won if you successfully defeat the reigning champion, Iron Man McGinn.

Weighing in at Smokey Joe's, where the conversation's slow
The fighters are weighing in at Smokey Joe's bar, where the talk is dull and uninteresting.

There is 'Iron Man' McGinn
Iron Man McGinn is present at Smokey Joe's bar.

He's always odds on to win
Iron Man McGinn is frequently predicted to emerge victorious in his fights.

He got his name in Idaho
Iron Man McGinn became known for his fighting prowess in the state of Idaho.

Where upon a single blow
By landing a single punch, Iron Man McGinn secured his reputation as a tough fighter.

He knocked the door off the Maled city jail
Iron Man McGinn was so powerful that he knocked the door off of a jail in Maled City.

Oh, put your mouth where the money is
Once again, the audience is encouraged to take financial risks in order to win big.

But Danny Becker's little friend, she knew how the fight would end
Danny Becker's acquaintance has insider knowledge about how the fight will end.

So she handicapped McGinn
The acquaintance of Danny Becker was able to give McGinn a disadvantage in the fight.

By slipping 'Mickeys' in his gin
The acquaintance of Danny Becker was able to give McGinn a disadvantage in the fight by secretly drugging his drink.

And so the might of 'Iron Man'
Iron Man McGinn's strength as a fighter is fading, possibly as a result of the drugged drink.

Will rust away like iron can
Iron Man McGinn's fighting abilities are deteriorating, much like metal that can rust over time.

For Danny Becker's the winner here tonight
Due to the drugging of Iron Man McGinn and his weakened state, Danny Becker has emerged as the winner of the fight tonight.

Yeah!
An expression of excitement or joy about the outcome of the fight.

Contributed by Tyler M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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