Tesla's music fit well with the blasting sounds of their 80s hair metal and glam rock contemporaries. Yet it was more bluesy and lyrics dealt with other themes than just the usual, girls, alcohol and violence. But what set them even more apart from their contemporaries was their t-shirt and jeans image, a 'street' look reminiscent of the Ramones (and other 70s punk groups) that was in strong contrast of the leather, spandex, and flashy-make type look of the time.
The band's early lifespan as City Kidd brought them considerable frustration, with them failing to break into the musical mainstream while also competing with another band with the same name. Their mutation into Tesla provided a clear shot at success. 'Mechanical Resonance', their debut that the boys released in 1986, became a commercial smash while also receiving significant critical praise. That album was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 5, 1989.
In total, the group has released six studio albums with original music, the latest of them being 2008's 'Forever More'. They have also created a a double-disc covers album, titled 'Real To Reel', as well as a number of compilations and live albums. Their sound has focused on a particularly melodic and accessible kind of hard rock with strong shades of classic heavy metal as well.
Tesla's popular 1990 remake of Signs, originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band (who also inspired the album which the remake came from, Five Man Acoustical Jam), is probably the most mainstream of Tesla's hits. However, many fans remember fondly Tesla's other hits such as Gettin' Better, Modern Day Cowboy, Little Suzi, Edison's Medicine and Love Song.
The band derived their name, certain album and song names (e.g. The Great Radio Controversy, Mechanical Resonance, etc), and some song content from events relating to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer born in the 19th century in Smiljan, Austria-Hungary, modern day Croatia.
Did It For The Money
Tesla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She smiles for ev'ryone she meets.
He's not a man, no, he's just another trick.
She'd do it all just to get that fix.
Did you do it for love?
Did you do it in the name of love?
No, it ain't love she's gonna find.
She's got just one thing on her mind:
Money. She did, she did it for the money.
All in the name of money.
All for the dirty green.
Cold in the city with the traffic slow.
He's got nobody, no place to call home.
Takin' hard earned money from a poor, helpless soul.
Didn't do it for love.
Didn't do it in the name of love.
No, it ain't love he's out to find.
He's got just one thing on his mind:
Money. He did, he did it for the money.
All in the name of money.
All for the dirty green.
[Bridge]
And the young girl, she gets down on her knees, she's there to please.
She wants her money.
And then the young man says, "Now, put your hands in the air.
Give me what I want, Give me what I need. Now don't you see?
All I want, all I want, all I want is your money, yeah. Give it to me!"
He's got the money, left the scene of the crime.
Not a clue would he leave behind.
One's bad misfortune make for another's eats.
And now the young girl's trick's his treat.
Money. He did, he did it for the money.
All in the name of money.
All for the dirty green.
For the money. He did it, did it for the money.
All in the name of money.
All for the dirty green.
The song "Did It For The Money" by Tesla is about two different characters who are willing to do whatever it takes to get money. The first character is a woman who is willing to sell her body to get her fix. The second character is a man who robs people to get his hands on some cash. Both characters are motivated solely by money and are willing to sacrifice anything, including their own morals and values, to get it.
The song speaks to the desperation that some people feel when they are struggling financially. The woman feels that selling her body is the only way to get the money she needs to survive, while the man feels that robbing others is the only way to make ends meet. Neither character is portrayed as being evil or immoral; they are simply doing what they feel they have to do to survive.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the importance that money plays in our society and the lengths that people will go to get it. It is a dark and honest reflection on the realities of poverty and financial struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Down on the corner, walkin' the streets.
She walks around the streets, looking for people to meet.
She smiles for ev'ryone she meets.
She is friendly to everyone she meets.
He's not a man, no, he's just another trick.
The man is not considered a person, only a means to an end.
She'd do it all just to get that fix.
She will engage in any activity as long as it helps her to get money to buy drugs.
Did you do it for love?
Did you engage in this activity because of love?
Did you do it in the name of love?
Did you engage in this activity because of your love for someone?
No, it ain't love she's gonna find.
She is not looking for love in this activity.
She's got just one thing on her mind:
Her only motivation for this activity is money.
Money. She did, she did it for the money.
Her primary motivation for this activity is money.
All in the name of money.
She engages in this activity solely for financial gain.
All for the dirty green.
She is willing to do anything for money, even if it's considered unethical.
Cold in the city with the traffic slow.
The city is dreary with slow traffic.
He's got nobody, no place to call home.
The man is homeless and has nowhere to go.
Takin' hard earned money from a poor, helpless soul.
He steals money from someone who is vulnerable and in a difficult situation.
Didn't do it for love.
He did not engage in this activity because of love.
Didn't do it in the name of love.
He did not engage in this activity because of his love for someone.
No, it ain't love he's out to find.
He is not looking for love in this activity.
He's got just one thing on his mind:
His only motivation for this activity is money.
Money. He did, he did it for the money.
His primary motivation for this activity is money.
And the young girl, she gets down on her knees, she's there to please.
The young girl will do anything to please the man and get money.
She wants her money.
Her sole motivation for this activity is money.
And then the young man says, "Now, put your hands in the air.
The man threatens the girl to give him the money.
Give me what I want, Give me what I need. Now don't you see?
He demands the money, trying to convince the girl of its importance.
All I want, all I want, all I want is your money, yeah. Give it to me!
His only desire is to get the money from the girl.
He's got the money, left the scene of the crime.
After getting the money, he quickly left the location of the incident.
Not a clue would he leave behind.
He ensured that there was no evidence linking him to the incident.
One's bad misfortune make for another's eats.
The girl's misfortune becomes a benefit to the man.
And now the young girl's trick's his treat.
The girl's actions were a trick to get money, and the man benefitted from it.
Money. He did, he did it for the money.
His primary motivation for this activity is money.
All in the name of money.
His actions were solely for financial gain.
All for the dirty green.
He is willing to do anything for money, even if it's considered unethical.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANK HANNON, JEFF KEITH, TOM SKEOCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher N. Savage
on Getting' Better
A shame that you can't see the original video, but this tune has the passion and power to lift you up and brighten your day!!!!!