“Money, Money, Money” is a song from the 1976 Rankin/Bass Christmas sequel special The Little Drummer Boy, Book II. It is sung by Brutus, his lackey Plato and the Roman soldiers, as Brutus explains through song the value of money and how people used to trade before money was invented. It has a brief reprise when Aaron enters their camp with his animals to hopefully distract them in order to steal back the bells the soldiers stole from Simeon.
Lyrics[]
Original[]
Brutus: When they invented money
They invented greed
Now we’ve no longer trading
For all the things we need
I give you an egg
And get some butter back
Now I give you a coin
For all the things I lack
Hey!
I give you a pg
And get a sack of wheat
Now I give you some gold
When I desire to eat
Hey!
I give you a hat
And get a pair of shoes
Now there’s no more of that
You pay for what you use
Money, money, money
Makes you poor or makes you rich
Money, money, money
It’s the gold and silver itch
Tax collectors: Money, money, money
Makes you poor or makes you rich
Money, money, money
It’s the gold and silver itch
Plato: Would you take an egg
And give some butter back?
Solider #1: No, I’d prefer a coin
For anything you lack
Hey! Would take a pig
If I gave you some wheat?
Solider #2: No, I would like some gold
If you would like to eat
Plato: Hey!
I’ll give you a hat
If you give me some shoes
Brutus: Now there’s no more of that
You pay for what you use
Money, money, money
Brutus, Plato and tax collectors: Makes you poor or make you rich
Brutus: Money, money, money
Brutus, Plato and tax collectors: It’s the gold and silver itch
Hey!
Money, money, money
Makes you poor or makes you rich
Money, money, money
It’s the gold and silver itch!
Reprise[]
Aaron: You give me a coin
A ballad will I sing
Fill my bag with gold
While I am minstrel-ling
Tax collectors: Hey!
Aaron: You give me that pig
I’ll sing your favorite song
For a sack of wheat
I’ll make it twice as long
Tax collectors: Hey!
Aaron: I will trade that hat
For “fa, so, la, ti, do”
Brutus: Now, there’s no more of that
You’ll sing for free, boy-o!
You collect money from us? Now there’s a twist!
(all laughing)
Tax collectors: Money, money, money
Makes you poor or makes you rich
Money, money, money
It’s the gold and silver itch!
Videos[]
