On episode 151 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, I discuss the upward mobility mantra and conservative idiom, “Money Don’t Grow On Trees,” a vault track from late 1981 released on the 1999 Super Deluxe.
“Unless U can dance like Fred Astaire, U better think about a college degree.”
With its more traditional R&B sound, “Money Don’t Grow On Trees” feels like an anomaly compared to the music Prince had just written and recorded for Controversy and would soon write for 1999. The electronic and sometimes psychedelic landscapes he created for those albums are nowhere to be found here. Just a rollicking good time with financially conservative and practical life lessons within. An early example of Prince showing his working-class midwestern roots.
The goal of each episode of Press Rewind is to:
- Take a track by track look at the lyrical content of Prince’s discography
- Discuss my own interpretation of each song’s lyrics along with any guest I may have
- If submitted, discuss listener’s interpretations of each song’s lyrics
Thank you for joining me on this journey through Prince’s catalog!
