Simply Red

Released: May 1, 1985

Songwriter: William Valentine John Valentine

Producer: Stewart Levine

[Verse 1]
I've been laid off from work
My rent is due
My kids all need
Brand new shoes
So I went to the bank
To see what they could do
They said son looks like bad luck
Gotta hold on you

[Chorus]
Money's too tight to mention
I can't get an unemployment extension
Money's too tight to mention

[Verse 2]
I went to my brother
To see what he could do
He said brother like to help you
But I'm unable to
So I called on my father, father
Oh, my father
He said

[Chorus]
Money's too tight to mention
Oh money, money, money, money
Money's too tight to mention
I can't even qualify for my pension

[Verse 3]
We talk about Reaganonics
Oh lord down in the congress
They're passing all kinds of bills
From down capitol hill, we've tried them

[Chorus]
Money's too tight to mention (cut-back!)
Money, money, money, money

[Bridge]
We're talkin' about money money (x6)
Money, money, money, money!
We're talkin' 'bout the dollar bill
And that old man that's over the hill
Now what are we all to do
When the money's got a hold on you?

[Chorus]
Money's too tight to mention
Oh money, money, money, money
Money's too tight to mention
Dinero, money, oh yeah

[Outro]
I'm talkin' about money, money (x4)
Eh, I'm talkin' money
I'm talkin' about running, running (x3)
Did the earth move for you, Nancy? (x4)
Yeah, I'm talking, Nancy (x5)
Yeah, I'm talking 'bout it
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, I want some money, money, money
Read my heaven, oh my
The sight of all that money

Simply Red is a British soul and pop band. The first incarnation of the band was a punk group called The Frantic Elevators, whose seven-year run produced limited releases on local labels and ended in 1984 upon critical acclaim for their final single, “Holding Back the Years”.

By early 1985, Mick Hucknall and manager Elliot Rashman had assembled a band of local session musicians and begun to attract record company attention. The group adopted the name “Red” (after Hucknall’s nickname, denoting his hair colour) but then Mick decided it would sound better with the addition of the word ‘Simply.’

Since the mid 1980s, the band has sold more than 50 million albums.

more tracks from the album

Picture Book

From the albums

NOW That’s What I Call Music 5 [UK] (1985)
Picture Book (1985)

Simply Red popular songs

Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)Simply Red

Simply Red

Picture Book