As with almost everyone who is invested in the American stock markets, the past nine months have been a boon. Since everything that goes up must come down, at least a little, I’ve been looking for ways to manage this risk.

Listening absent mindlessly to cable TV blues and rock-n-roll channels, I was astonished to hear financial and life planning advice from singers and musicians. Since most of them are card carrying members of American counterculture, I expected to hear them be dismissive of money; but, I heard them express not just pain and suffering but excellent advice.

Here are a few of the many gems of financial and life planning wisdom I found in their lyrics and in various interviews with musicians of note.

Money for nothing, chicks for free
-Dire Straits on making it big as MTV rock stars, Money for Nothing

Money makes the world go around
. . . the world go around
. . . the world go around.
Money makes the world go around
Of that we both are sure
-Liza Minelli in the movie Cabaret

Don’t let, don’t let, don’t let money fool you
Money can fool people sometimes
People! Don’t let money, don’t let money change you
It will keep on changing, changing up your mind
-O’Jays, For the Love of Money

Cause I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love
-The Beatles, Can’t Buy Me Love

Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it.
-David Lee Roth

And if I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
Well I’d buy you some art
A Picasso or a Garfunkel
-Barenaked Ladies, If I Had a Million Dollars

What you got (ain’t necessarily what you own)
-Doug McLeod in the song of the same title

The focus on my appearance has really surprised me. I’ve always been a size 14 to 16. I don’t care about clothes. I’d rather spend my money on cigarettes and booze.
-Adele

My doctor tells me I should start slowing it down, but there are more old drunks than there are old doctors, so let’s all have another round.
-Willie Nelson

A lot of young musicians get the money at the wrong time. They get it for something they don’t feel great about, and it’ll make you feel so bad it’ll destroy you and kill you.
-Iggy Pop

Money, it’s a gas
Grab that cash with both hands
And make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream
Think I’ll buy me a football team
-Pink Floyd, Money

If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat
If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet
-The Beatles, Taxman

Cash Rules Everything Around Me
C. R. E. A. M. Get the money, dollar, dollar bill y’all
-Wu-Tang Clan, C.R.E.A.M.

You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need
-Rolling Stones, You can’t always get what you want

Oh Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends
So oh Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz
-Janis Joplin, Mercedes Benz

I try to do the right thing with money. Save a dollar here and there, clip some coupons. Buy ten gold chains instead of 20. Four summer homes instead of eight.
-LL Cool J on diversification

Money doesn’t talk, it swears.
-Bob Dylan, I’m Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

Money like people comes in two varieties – saved and lost.
-Anon gospel singer

You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You’ll never remember class time, but you’ll remember time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday with your friends when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don’t have. Drink ’til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does . . .
-Tom Petty on life in college

If Time is Money, our lives are worth their weight in gold.
-Anon

Got no checkbooks, got no banks
Still, I’d like to express my thanks
I’ve got the sun in the morning
And the moon at night
-Irving Berlin, I Got the Sun in the Morning

If you’ve got the money, I’ve got the time
-Lefty Frizzell, If You’ve Got the Money (I’ve Got the Time)

If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer
-Miller Beer commercial song

Most of America’s problems can be solved by money. As for the rest, there’s alcohol.
-Marlow

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