More Love For The Money


More Love For The Money
Written by Styx
Lead vocals by Lawrence Gowan

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The cats were on the table
They were waiting for their dinner
‘til the children came and shooed them all away

Daddy’s at the racetrack
Desperate just to pick one winner
Will he ever be their hero of the day

Mom paid the price
She sacrificed for nothing of value
And why is it I buy this shit
That nobody wants to?

More love for the money
That’s all I’m after
More Buzz for the honey
And a bit more laughter

Why is that so much to ask
More for the money
Baby better get mine fast

At the mall again
I’m feeling desperate and uncertain
God it’s got to be here somewhere I believe

My demographic profile
Knows it’s show time
Raise the curtain
Start the comedy and let me be naïve

A circus flea from A to B
I jump for my keeper
In search of true enlightenment
For ten percent cheaper

More love for the money
That’s all I’m after
More Buzz for the honey
And a bit more laughter

Why is that so much to ask
More for the money
Price had better come down fast

If there's a place beyond these shadows
Of this dreary road I tread
Then for me that’s all that matters
Just the promise of arriving
Maybe getting there before I’m dead

More love
More love for the money
Now keep it coming
More buzz for the honey
They’ll all come running

Put it right here in my hand
More for the money
Get me to the promised land
More for the money
Get me to the promised land

Interpretation 

A husband and father in a lower income family struggles to provide for his family. 

The cats were on the table. They were waiting for their dinner ‘til the children came and shooed them all away.

Even the cats are hungry, waiting for dinner. 

Daddy’s at the racetrack, desperate just to pick one winner. Will he ever be their hero of the day?

Desperate for some extra cash, he goes to the racetrack and blows what little extra he has, hoping to win more money.

Mom paid the price. She sacrificed for nothing of value. And why is it I buy this shit that nobody wants to?

His wife sacrificed her career and possibly her dreams to stay home and raise a family. He's feeling the pressure to make it up for her while looking at the clearance section for deals. 

More love for the money. That’s all I’m after. More Buzz for the honey, and a bit more laughter. Why is that so much to ask? More. for the money, baby, better get mine fast.

When money is tight it seems that all you need is a little more to make life better.  

At the mall again, I’m feeling desperate and uncertain. God, it’s got to be here somewhere, I believe. My demographic profile knows it’s show time, raise the curtain. Start the comedy, and let me be naïve. A circus flea from A to B, I jump for my keeper. In search of true enlightenment for ten percent cheaper

Perhaps looking for a gift for Christmas or a birthday, and running out of time, he's at the mall, not sure where to find what he's looking for, hoping it's on sale. He knows that he is likely to look like a fool in the process.

Why is that so much to ask? More for the money, price had better come down fast.

He wants to be able provide for his family and have a little extra to make life better, and he's just hoping for a break. 

If there's a place beyond these shadows of this dreary road I tread, then for me that’s all that matters, just the promise of arriving, maybe getting there before I’m dead.

Life seems like a never ending search for happiness, and right now it's a dark and dreary road he's on. He just wants to move up to the next level, with some financial freedom, before he dies, to leave a legacy for his family.

More love for the money. Now keep it coming.  More buzz for the honey. They’ll all come running. Put it right here in my hand. More for the money. Get me to the promised land.

If only he can get more money, he feels his family will love and respect him. and he will reach the promised land (a reference to the Biblical story of the Israelites wandering for 40 years after escaping slavery in Egypt before being allowed into the promised land of Canaan).

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