>You make it sound like the meaning of this, um, text is transparent. It sounds pretty complicated and ambivalent to me. E.g., the
conclusion:
I only wanted to quote the directly relevant part of the song, but you're right--there's a definite ambivalence to the song as a whole (unlike "The Great Nations of Europe" from the same album, which is pretty darn straightforward).
This one, from his most personal album, is straightforward, too (I think--but note the situation that gives rise to the conversation at the end): http://www.randynewman.com/tocdiscography/disc_land_of_dreams/lyricslandofdreams#itsmoneythatmatters
(By the way, is it true, as I've heard, that he's Garrison Keillor's son-in-law?)
It's Money that Matters
Of all of the people that I used to know Most never adjusted to the great big world I see them lurking in book stores Working for the Public Radio Carrying their babies around in a sack on their back Moving careful and slow
It's money that matters Hear what I say It's money that matters In the USA
All of these people are much brighter than I In any fair system they would flourish and thrive But they barely survive They eke out a living and they barely survive
When I was a young boy, maybe thirteen I took a hard look around me and asked what does it mean? So I talked to my father, and he didn't know And I talked to my friend and he didn't know And I talked to my brother and he didn't know And I talked to everybody that I knew
It's money that matters Now you know that it's true It's money that matters Whatever you do
Then I talked to a man lived up on the county line I was washing his car with a friend of mine He was a little fat guy in a red jumpsuit I said "You look kind of funny" He said "I know that I do"
"But I got a great big house on the hill here And a great big blonde wife inside it And a great big pool in my backyard and another great big pool beside it Sonny it's money that matters, hear what I say It's money that matters in the USA It's money that matters Now you know that it's true It's money that matters whatever you do"