Lets get all clues from Dire Straits who have left us so much clues about the future.
Musical and lyrical themesThe recording of the song contains a very recognizable hook, in the form of the guitar riff that begins the song proper.
(The song is also notable for its extended overture, which was shortened for radio and music video). The guitar riff continues throughout the song,
played in full during each chorus, and played in muted permutation during the verse.
The song's lyrics are written from the point of view of a working-class man watching music videos and commenting on what he sees. To achieve the
effect of such a layman making such casual everyday commentary envying the superior lives of rock stars, Dire Straits' lead singer and songwriter Mark
Knopfler used a vocal style known as Sprechstimme.
Knopfler described the writing of the song in a 1985 interview with critic Bill Flanagan:
The lead character in "Money for Nothing" is a guy who works in the hardware department in a television/custom kitchen/refrigerator/microwave
appliance store. He's singing the song. I wrote the song when I was actually in the store. I borrowed a bit of paper and started to write the song
down in the store. I wanted to use a lot of the language that the real guy actually used when I heard him, because it was more real....
In 2000, Knopfler appeared on Michael Parkinson's interview program and explained again where the lyrics originated. According to Knopfler, he was in
New York and stopped by an appliance store. At the back of the store, they had a wall of TVs which were all tuned to MTV. Knopfler said there was a
man working there dressed in a baseball cap, work boots, and a checkered shirt delivering boxes who was standing next to him watching. As they were
standing there watching MTV, Knopfler remembers the man coming up with classic lines such as "what are those, Hawaiian noises?...that ain't
workin" etc. Knopfler asked for a pen to write some of these lines down and then eventually put those words to music. I have lots of clues but let me
hear what you gor so far.
First thing first and we can start with the song money for nothing and its full of it:
Money for Nothing
Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb
We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's
See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he's a millionaire
We gotta install microwave ovesns
Custom kitchens deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's
I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?
Bangin' on the bongoes like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free
We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's, Lord
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Money for nothin' and chicks for free
As a fan of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits I must say this..........
Dire Straits has nothing to do with nor have they ever been a part of the Illuminati.
"Money For Nothing" was written down by Knopfler because of how he interpreted the meaning of the words. The man that he heard this from was stating
his opinion on how people were making money for doing nothing, hence the title. This man was only stating his opinion on people who didn't have to do
a thing to make a living. Yet, people like him were having, and are still having, to bust their asses just to make ends meat. This man was also
stating his opinion on celebrities and the well to do. Not only does this song deal with the struggles of the common man. It also deals with how
peoples' opinions about other of different sexual orientations that were changing. It just so happened to be that Knopfler was in the store when this
guy was saying this. Being the musical genius that Mark Knopfler is, he just had to put it to song.
I'll give you another fine and legendary example if you are not convinced yet.
The song "Brothers In Arms" also by Dire Straits was done as a tribute to the soldiers that lost their lives in the Falkland War with Argentina in
1982. When Knopfler got the idea for the song, the war with Argentina over the tiny islands was still going on. This song did not appear until the
album of the same name, in which "Money For Nothing" is on, was released in May of 1985. This song reappeared in 2007 on the 25th anniversary of the
Falklands War. In which proceeds from the from the sale of the re-released single went to a program that had been set up to help British veterans of
that war to help them deal with "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" that they had suffered during the war. These proeeds also used to fund a trip that
this program had been set up for to help these veterans deal with the stress that the war had placed upon them.