Money For Nothing
| "Money For Nothing" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Recorded by Dire Straits with Sting | |
| Released: | June 1985 |
| Recorded: | RECORDED TIME PERIOD |
| Length: | 8:26 (full-length) 7:04 (vinyl LP 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.
Contents
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 | Catalog no. | Release country | CD | 1985-MM-DD |
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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
- 1985-07-04
- 1985-07-13
- 1985-11-28
- 1986-06-20
- 1988-11-04
- Highlights From The Royal Concert
- Prince's Trust Rock Gala Volume 1
External links
This section needs more information.
References
<references />
- Brothers In Arms on the Official Community of Mark Knopfler
- Money For Nothing on Wikipedia
- Money For Nothing #1 on Billboard Hot 100, 1985-09-21
- Grammy Awards 1985
- MTV Video Music Awards 1986
- Sounds - June 22, 1985 (UK 7" release date)
