Money For Nothing

From PoliceWiki
"Money For Nothing"
cover of the German 12" single
Recorded by Dire Straits with Sting
Released: June 1985
Recorded: RECORDED TIME PERIOD
Length: 8:26 (full-length)

7:04 (vinyl LP edit)
4:38 (official single edit)
4:05 (promo single edit)

Album(s): Brothers In Arms
Label(s): Vertigo (UK) / Warner Brothers (US)
Writer(s): Mark Knopfler, Sting
Producer(s): Mark Knopfler, Neil Dorfsman
Studio(s): AIR Studios
Released as single: YES

"Money For Nothing" is a song written by Mark Knopfler with Sting and recorded by Dire Straits and Sting in the first week of January 1985.

About the song

"Money For Nothing" is a song recorded by Dire Straits for their album, Brothers In Arms. The song features a cameo by Sting, who repeats then-commercial catchphrase, "I want my...I want my...I want my MTV" in the opening and choruses. The melody of Sting's vocals is the same as in the chorus of The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me."

Sting wasn't interested in writing credits for catchphrase, but Virgin Music disagreed.

Mark asked me to go in the studio and sing this line, "I want my MTV." He gave me the melody, and I thought, "Oh, great, 'Don't Stand So Close to Me', that's a nice quote, it's fun." So I did it, and thought nothing of it, until my publishers, Virgin -who I've been at war with for years and who I have no respect for - decided that was a song they owned, 'Don't Stand So Close to Me'. They said that they wanted a percentage of the song, much to my embarrassment. So they took it.<ref>Musician Magazine, December 2010</ref>


Both the song and its accompanying video were commercially successful and received a great deal of airplay. The video was notable for its use of computer animation interspersed with concert footage. The song, sung from the point of view of an appliance store worker, was also notable for its controversial use of language, in particular the use of the word "faggot," and its depictions of and commentary on both musicians and blue collar workers.

Personnel

This section needs more information.

Release History

Albums

"Money For Nothing" appears on the following album releases (please see links for further details on each title):

Cover art Album title Catalog no. Release country Format Release date
Brothers In Arms CD.jpg Brothers In Arms Catalog no. Release country CD 1985-MM-DD
Highlights From The Royal Concert CD.jpg Highlights From The Royal Concert (live version) Catalog no. Release country CD 1989-MM-DD

Singles

7" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song/B-side song Release date Release country
Stub.gif Catalog no. "Money For Nothing"/""Love Over Gold" (live)" 1985-06-28 UK

12" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song(s)/B-side song(s) Release date Release country
Money for Nothing German 12 inch single.jpg Catalog no. "Money For Nothing"/"Love Over Gold (live)" 1985-MM-DD Germany

Video

"Money For Nothing" appears on the following video and dvd releases:

Cover art Video title Release date Release country
Stub.gif Video or dvd title YYYY-MM-DD Country


Awards, nominations, and certifications

Awards

This section needs more information.

Year Winner Award Category
1985 Dire Straits Grammy Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
1986 Dire Straits MTV Video Music Awards Video of the Year

Nominations

This section needs more information.

Year Nominee Award Category
YYYY NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.) AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) CATEGORY

Certifications

This section needs more information.

Country Certifier Classification Certification
COUNTRY CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...) CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...) CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...)

Lyrics

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it 
You play the guitar on the MTV 
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it 
Money for nothin' and chicks for free 

Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it 
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb 
Maybe get a blister on your little finger 
Maybe get a blister on your thumb 

We gotta install microwave ovens 
Custom kitchen deliveries 
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's 

See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup 
Yeah buddy that's his own hair 
That little faggot got his own jet airplane 
That little faggot he's a millionaire 

We gotta install microwave ovens 
Custom kitchens deliveries 
We gotta move these refrigerators 
We gotta move these colour TV's 

I shoulda learned to play the guitar 
I shoulda learned to play them drums 
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera 
Man we could have some fun 

And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises? 
Bangin' on the bongoes like a chimpanzee 
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it 
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free 

We gotta install microwave ovens 
Custom kitchen deliveries 
We gotta move these refrigerators 
We gotta move these colour TV's 

Lord, now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it 
You play the guitar on the MTV 
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it 
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free 

Money for nothin' and chicks for free

Quotations and trivia

  • "Money for Nothing" was the first video ever played on MTV in the U.K.[1]

Alternative and cover versions

This section needs more information.

See also

External links

This section needs more information.

References

<references />