The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I wanna be a billionaire so fuckin' bad
Buy all of the things I never had
Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen
Oh, every time I close my eyes
I see my name in shining lights, yeah
A different city every night, oh I
I swear the world better prepare
For when I'm a billionaire
Yeah, I would have a show like Oprah
I would be the host of, everyday Christmas
Give Travie a wish list
I'd probably pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt
And adopt a bunch of babies that ain't never had shit
Give away a few Mercedes like here lady have this
And last but not least grant somebody their last wish
It's been a couple months that I've been single so
You can call me Travie Claus minus the Ho Ho
Get it, hehe, I'd probably visit where Katrina hit
And damn sure do a lot more than FEMA did
Yeah, can't forget about me stupid
Everywhere I go I'ma have my own theme music
Oh, every time I close my eyes (what you see, what you see?)
I see my name in shining lights, oh yeah-yeah (uh-huh, and what else?)
A different city every night, oh I (uh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I swear the world better prepare (for what?)
For when I'm a billionaire
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (oh), when I'm a billionaire
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (let's go)
I'll be playing basketball with the President
Dunking on his delegates
Then I'll compliment him on his political etiquette
Toss a couple milli in the air just for the heck of it
But keep the five, twenties, tens, and Bens completely separate
And yeah, I'll be in a whole new tax bracket
We in recession but let me take a crack at it
I'll probably take whatever's left and just split it up
So everybody that I love can have a couple bucks
And not a single tummy around me would know what hungry was
Eating good sleeping soundly
I know we all have a similar dream
Go in your pocket, pull out your wallet
Put it in the air and sing
I wanna be a billionaire so fuckin' bad
Buy all of the things I never had, uh (buy everything, haha)
I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen (what up, Oprah?)
Oh, every time I close my eyes (what you see, what you see, bruh?)
I see my name in shining lights, oh yeah-yeah (uh-huh, and what else?)
A different city every night, oh I
I swear the world better prepare (for what?)
For when I'm a billionaire (yeah)
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (sing it)
When I'm a billionaire
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (oh)
I wanna be a billionaire (uh-huh)
So fuckin' bad
Buy all of the things I never had
Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen
Oh, every time I close my eyes
I see my name in shining lights, yeah
A different city every night, oh I
I swear the world better prepare
For when I'm a billionaire
Yeah, I would have a show like Oprah
I would be the host of, everyday Christmas
Give Travie a wish list
I'd probably pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt
And adopt a bunch of babies that ain't never had shit
Give away a few Mercedes like here lady have this
And last but not least grant somebody their last wish
It's been a couple months that I've been single so
You can call me Travie Claus minus the Ho Ho
Get it, hehe, I'd probably visit where Katrina hit
And damn sure do a lot more than FEMA did
Yeah, can't forget about me stupid
Everywhere I go I'ma have my own theme music
Oh, every time I close my eyes (what you see, what you see?)
I see my name in shining lights, oh yeah-yeah (uh-huh, and what else?)
A different city every night, oh I (uh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I swear the world better prepare (for what?)
For when I'm a billionaire
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (oh), when I'm a billionaire
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (let's go)
I'll be playing basketball with the President
Dunking on his delegates
Then I'll compliment him on his political etiquette
Toss a couple milli in the air just for the heck of it
But keep the five, twenties, tens, and Bens completely separate
And yeah, I'll be in a whole new tax bracket
We in recession but let me take a crack at it
I'll probably take whatever's left and just split it up
So everybody that I love can have a couple bucks
And not a single tummy around me would know what hungry was
Eating good sleeping soundly
I know we all have a similar dream
Go in your pocket, pull out your wallet
Put it in the air and sing
I wanna be a billionaire so fuckin' bad
Buy all of the things I never had, uh (buy everything, haha)
I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen (what up, Oprah?)
Oh, every time I close my eyes (what you see, what you see, bruh?)
I see my name in shining lights, oh yeah-yeah (uh-huh, and what else?)
A different city every night, oh I
I swear the world better prepare (for what?)
For when I'm a billionaire (yeah)
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (sing it)
When I'm a billionaire
Oh-ooh, oh-ooh (oh)
I wanna be a billionaire (uh-huh)
So fuckin' bad
Lyrics submitted by tugboatlove1
Billionaire Lyrics as written by Peter Gene Hernandez Ari Levine
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
The part where he disses Katy Perry owns