Money to Burn

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Does anyone else hear "way of life" instead of "a real life"? I've listened to the song repeatedly and I've always thought it was said: "People say it's suicide, but nothing for nothing is a way of life."

Thoughts? haha

this is such a cool song. it has a great beat. i cant make much sense of the lyrics though.

you guys should listen to Roger.. its a great song!! go to youtube and search for roger by mgmt :]

I think this song is about letting corporations and people with money control you (but if youve got some money to burn you can do the talking and ill wait my turn) and how that leads to the chaos of your life (but when the wheels stop turning your in trouble head for the rubble and close your eyes).

I signed up so I could post this:

Does anyone else hear "way of life" instead of "a real life"? I've listened to the song repeatedly and I've always thought it was said: "People say it's suicide, but nothing for nothing is a way of life."

Thoughts? haha

money to burn... all i can think just burn some cigs or weeds share the joints while talking about bad stuffs that happened recently i kinda imagine, while MGMT already graduated but haven't join Columbia they spent their times smoke pots and nothing pretty much to do just spend time smoking weeds, talking about depressing stuffs that happend recently

my old lyric correction doesn't show up anymore, so here it is again:

changing lanes on a saturday breaker, breaker, did you hear about the fire? it's such a tragedy lives lost, mothers crying no time to react, it's getting down to the wire but when the wheels stop turning, you're in trouble head for the rubble and close your eyes

standing on the interstate i can see you coming from a mile away but if you've got some money to burn you can do the talking and i'll wait my turn people say it's suicide but nothing for nothing is a way of life, yeah people say it's suicide

watch it rain on a saturday, a saturday breaker, breaker, did you hear about the ship? it's such a tragedy, lives lost, fallen hero so close to the end of a successful trip but when the wheels stop turning you're in trouble head for the rubble and close your eyes

standing on the interstate i can see you coming from a mile away but if you've got some money to burn you can do the talking and i'll wait my turn people say it's suicide but nothing from nothing is a way of life, yeah people say it's suicide

standing on the interstate i can see you coming from a mile away but if you've got some money to burn you can do the talking and i'll wait my turn people say it's suicide but nothing from nothing is a way of life, yeah people say it's suicide

ooh

I think its about a young Christopher Walken's monologue in Annie Hall. How sometimes he imagines driving over the yellow line.

Given that this song was a demo, I think: “People say its suicide, but nothing from nothing is a real life.” Refers to people telling the band that trying to make a career of music is financial suicide. MGMT then counters with “but nothing from nothing is a real life,” which I think refers to the observation that it is possible to create a real life in our modern era that is in fact comprised of nothing. It is possible to create commodities (such as brilliant pop confections like this one) that make people happy and generate wealth for the band. This observation was prescient, given the subsequent success and fame which the band has now enjoyed.

Obviously MGMT has had some experience with drugs in their life...so they've been in the environment. I believe the song is about an encounter between two people who plan to make a drug deal, with general realizations of what those ignore in their day to day lives. the line,"but if you've got some money to burn you can do the talking and i'll wait my turn," is saying that he can wait to talk because they have a greater priority--getting high. the line, "but nothing from nothing is a a way of life, yeah," is saying that 'you aren't bettering yourself by getting high, since you had little or no value for your life in the first place'

And then the verses that talk about the tragedies that happen, from the way it's sung and presented, it seems like they're saying these types of people ignore the terrible things that happen in the world from day to day, but if situations in their area got bad enough they would have to do something to protect their own lives. (the "changing lanes on a saturday" line makes it seem carefree, regardless of the tragedy that occured.)

In all, this seems to be an expression of their feelings for people that fit these profiles.