Discography:
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs (EP) (2002)
• Fever to Tell (2003)
• Show Your Bones (2006)
• It's Blitz! (2009)
• Mosquito (2013)
• Cool It Down (2022)
Rich
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a hot noise
Rich rich rich
I'll take you out, boy
So stuck up
I wish you'd stick in to me
Flesh ripped off
Raw
Hey!
Turnin' it
Beatin' no beat
The walls are always speakin'
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
She slipped
Down a rot drink
Unzipped
She doesn't exist
So unloved
I took 'em standin' up
So stuck up
Raw
I'm rich
Like a hot noise
Rich rich rich
I'll take you out, boy
I'll take you out, boy
Hey!
Turnin' it
Beatin' no beat
The walls are always speakin'
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
Turnin' it
Beatin' no beat
The walls are always speakin'
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
(Rich rich rich rich rich)
(Rich rich rich rich rich rich)
(Rich rich rich rich rich rich)
(Rich rich rich rich rich rich)
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' song "Rich" features Karen O's signature wailing singing style over a punk-inspired instrumental. The lyrics of the song are quite simple, with Karen O repeatedly asserting that she is rich "like a hot noise" and that she will "take you out, boy." These lyrics could be interpreted as Karen O reveling in her success as a musician and using it to attract men. However, the bridge of the song presents a darker tone, with Karen O singing about someone (presumably a woman) slipping down a rot drink and no longer existing, and how she (Karen O) took them standing up, suggesting she's unafraid and resilient.
The repetitive nature of the lyrics and the danceable beat may suggest that the song is simply a celebration of Karen O's success and a criticism of those who doubted her. The use of violent imagery in the bridge, however, points to a more complex interpretation. The line "I'm rich like a hot noise" could also indicate that Karen O is using her music to make a statement and make an impact, contrasting with the idea that she just wants to attract attention with her wealth.
Overall, "Rich" is a high-energy, catchy song with several possible interpretations. It celebrates Karen O's success as a musician while also suggesting that her wealth and power are a means to an end, rather than an end in themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm rich
I am wealthy
Like a hot noise
I am hot and trendy
Rich rich rich
I am very wealthy, repeating it to emphasize
I'll take you out, boy
I can afford to take you out because I am rich
So stuck up
You seem arrogant and full of yourself
I wish you'd stick in to me
I would like you to notice me and be interested in me
Flesh ripped off
I am revealing my vulnerable side
Raw
I am being honest and open
Hey!
An exclamation to get attention
Turnin' it
Changing something up
Beatin' no beat
Trying something new or different
The walls are always speakin'
There is always something going on or being talked about
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
I don't want to hear any gossip or rumors
She slipped
Someone made a mistake or did something wrong
Down a rot drink
Drinking something bad or toxic
Unzipped
Revealing something personal or private
She doesn't exist
Someone is gone or not present anymore
So unloved
Feeling neglected or unwanted
I took 'em standin' up
I handled the situation with confidence and strength
I'll take you out, boy
I can afford to take you out because I am rich
Rich rich rich rich rich
I am emphasizing my wealth
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
Continuing to emphasize my wealth
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
Repeating for effect
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN CHASE, KAREN LEE ORZOLEK, NICHOLAS JOSEPH ZINNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Konie Montalvo
Rich
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I'm rich
Like a hot noise
Rich rich rich
I'll take you out, boy
So stuck up
I wish you'd stick in to me
Flesh ripped off
Raw
Hey!
Turnin' it
Beatin' no beat
The walls are always speakin'
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
She slipped
Down a rot drink
Unzipped
She doesn't exist
So unloved
I took 'em standin' up
So stuck up
Raw
I'm rich
Like a hot noise
Rich rich rich
I'll take you out, boy
I'll take you out, boy
Hey!
Turnin' it
Beatin' no beat
The walls are always speakin'
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
Turnin' it
Beatin' no beat
The walls are always speakin'
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
Rich rich rich rich rich rich
Alexander Mendoza
soy rica
I'm rich
Como un ruido caliente
Like a hot noise
Rico, rico, rico
Rich, rich, rich
¡Te sacaré chico!
I'll take you out boy!
tan engreído
So stuck up
Desearía que me lo pegaras
I wish you'd stick it to me
carne arrancada
Flesh ripped off
¡Raaaar!
Raaawr!
girándolo
Turnin' it
Beatin 'sin ritmo
Beatin' no beat
Las paredes siempre están hablando
The walls are always speakin'
No quiero no quiero no quiero no hablar en absoluto
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
Bueno, ella se resbaló
Well she slipped
Abajo una bebida de podredumbre
Down a rot drink
Descomprimido
Unzipped
¡Ella no existe!
She doesn't exist!
tan poco amado
So unloved
Los tomé de pie
I took 'em standin' up
tan engreído
So stuck up
¡Raaaar!
Raaawr!
soy rica
I'm rich
Como un ruido caliente
Like a hot noise
Rico, rico, rico
Rich, rich, rich
¡Te sacaré chico!
I'll take you out boy!
¡Te sacaré chico!
I'll take you out boy!
¡Girándolo!
Turnin' it!
Beatin 'sin ritmo
Beatin' no beat
Las paredes siempre están hablando
The walls are always speakin'
No quiero no quiero no quiero no hablar en absoluto
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
¡Girándolo!
Turnin' it!
Beatin 'sin ritmo
Beatin' no beat
Las paredes siempre están hablando
The walls are always speakin'
No quiero no quiero no quiero no hablar en absoluto
No want no want no want no speakin' at all
Rico Rico Rico Rico Rico Rico
Rich Rich Rich Rich Rich Rich
Rico Rico Rico Rico Rico Rico
Rich Rich Rich Rich Rich Rich
Rico Rico Rico Rico Rico Rico
Rich Rich Rich Rich Rich Rich
Paul Hunter
This is the track that first turned me on to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Twenty years later i am still immensely Aroused by everything that they do.
Down and Dirty Sounds, love it❤ The last true Rock Goddess
Still Standing!!
Commander CheapSkate
She breaks free from Aesthetic Perfection, and achieves a higher level of it :) Nothing more beautiful than a person being unapologetically them!
Michele Michele
She is such a freaking unbelievable genius goddess shes ooh my God she's so out of this world phenomenal
Goatlips
Erm, no. Just ends up looking like a demented lady-boy. Funny how absolutely no one is allowed to be themselves on social media any more - hence all the hollow virtue signalling.
T-1000
she became WOKE
mangobirdpicker
❤ well said 👏🏽 nothing is better than being authentic and expressing your true self
Garbage Hair
I first heard Maps on the radio but later found a cd without a case at a flea market when i was 15. I picked it out of hundreds of CDs with no cases, no identities. I listened to the first few seconds of this album at the market. The first song was this song, Rich. Later at home after popping the disc into my cd player I realized the artist when I finally got to Maps. I looked up Yeah Yeah Yeahs Maps and found out the album name and titles of all the other tracks including this one. A couple years later when I was in my first band we voted to cover Cheated Hearts. A decade later you can still find an embarrassing video of our performance at school, ha ha.
Jack Bilsky
These two pieces pair together so well! Nice job! (and she's gorgeous both ways)
Mychael Helmz
ThanXz... I've Just Loved This Song For Fucking Ever And Thought It Needed A Halfway Decent Vid... Then John Wick II Came Out, And It Blew The Hell Up... Anyways, I'm Glad You Fully Digg...
Llaneel Yort
holy crap. best and most original video ive ever had the pleasure of watching. and the music is still my favorite whenever i here. but im not gonna lie, I heard this group in a pre evening set by a local DJ and if I hadnt had "shazam" i would have never figured out who this band was. So... I guess paying attention and noticing new things(music and people) can be very satisfying sometimes. thanks YYY FFL !!!