About The Song
“Money Changes Everything” is a song by American rock band the Brains from their eponymous debut studio album (1980). Originally released in 1978, the song was reissued as the lead single from the album in 1980, by Mercury Records. Frontman Tom Gray is credited as the sole writer of the song, while production was collectively helmed by the Brains and Bruce Baxter. The song was popularized in 1984 by Cyndi Lauper, who released a cover version of the song as a single from her debut studio album, She’s So Unusual (1983).
Cyndi Lauper’s recording of “Money Changes Everything” was released as the fifth US single from her album She’s So Unusual. It has been released in over 27 variations across the world, the most common being a two track 7″ vinyl single (with varying covers). There was also a less common 12″ vinyl single version. Lauper’s cover features an appearance by Rob Hyman of the band the Hooters, playing his “hooter” (a Hohner Melodica) on the song’s solo.
Lauper recorded an acoustic version, with guest artist Adam Lazzara (from the band Taking Back Sunday), for her 2005 album The Body Acoustic. “Money Changes Everything” became She’s So Unusual’s first release to fail to achieve top 10 status on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 27.
Stewart Mason of AllMusic praised Lauper’s cover version, stating that the song’s arrangement “is brighter, sharper and much more commercial than the Brains’ rather weedy, comparatively lo-fi and dullish take on their own song.” He further praised Lauper’s singing abilities, particularly the long note she holds at the climax of the song. Billboard described the song as “hard rock meets hard realities” and designated it as one of the new releases with the greatest chart potential. Cash Box called the song “a hard rocking effort which forgoes any novel vocal twist” that provides “a sad look at the realities of cash and its effects.” In Peru’s most prestigious radio station, Radio Panamericana, “Money Changes Everything” was in the Top 20 year end charts.
Video
Lyrics
She said, I’m sorry, baby, I’m leaving you tonight
I found someone new, he’s waitin’ in the car outside
Ah honey, how could you do it
We swore each other everlasting love
She said, well yeah, I know, but when we did
There was one thing we weren’t really thinking of and that’s money
Money changes everything
I said money, money changes everything
We think we know what we’re doin’
That don’t mean a thing
It’s all in the past now
Money changes everything
They shake your hand and they smile
And they buy you a drink
They say, we’ll be your friends
We’ll stick with you till the end
Ah, but everybody’s only looking out for themselves
And you say, well, who can you trust
I’ll tell you, it’s just nobody else’s money
Money changes everything
I said money, money changes everything
Ya think ya know what ya doin’
We don’t hold the strings
It’s all in the past now
Money changes everything
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Money, Money changes everything
I said money, money changes everything
We think we know what we’re doing
We don’t know a thing
It’s all in the past now
Money changes everything
Hey, yeah, yeah
Money changes everything
Money changes everything now
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
Money