Released: June 27, 1989

Songwriter: Danny Kortchmar Don Henley J. D. Souther

Producer: Don Henley Danny Kortchmar

Walkin' like a millionaire
Smilin' like a king
He leaned his shopping cart against the wall
He said, "I been a lot of places
And I seen a lot of things
But, sonny, I seen one thing that beats 'em all
I was flyin' back from Lubbock
I saw Jesus on the plane
...or maybe it was Elvis
You know, they kinda look the same
Hey, look out, Junior, you're steppin' on my bed"
I said, "I don't see nothin"
He just glared at me and said
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
I wouldn't worry anymore
Lookin' like a beauty queen
Loyal as a wife
She raised her little voice and testified
"I am a good girl
I've been one all my life"
But her virtue was as swollen as her pride
She should've had the Oscar
She must have been miscast
Her fifteen minutes went by so fast
I said, "Now, baby, have you got no shame?"
She just looked at me, uncomprehendingly
Like cows at a passing train
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
I wouldn't worry anymore
We got the bully pulpit
And the poisoned pen
We got a press no better
Than the public men
This brave new world
Gone bad again
God's finest little creatures
Looking brave and strong
Whistling past the graveyard
Nothing can go wrong
Quoting from the scriptures
With patriotic tears
We got the same old men
With the same old fears
Standing at attention
Wrapped in stars and stripes
They hear the phantom drummers
And the nonexistent pipes
These days the buck stops nowhere
No one takes the blame
But evil is still evil
In anybody's name
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
We'd all be in the black

Don Henley

Don Henley (22 July 1947 -) is an American singer-songwriter and producer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles and as a solo artist. Henley was the drummer and a lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up, and from 1994–present. He’s enjoyed the same success in his solo career, with five studio albums.

Henley is also well known for his political and social positions, and his philanthropy. He founded the Walden Woods Project to help protect “Walden Woods” from development, the Thoreau Institute provides for research and education regarding Henry David Thoreau, the Caddo Lake Institute underwrites ecological education and research, the Recording Artists' Coalition protects musicians' rights against certain music industry business practices, and he’s a major supporter of The Race to Erase MS.