Of all of the people that i used to know
Most never adjusted to the great big world
I see them lurking in book stores
Working for the public radio
Carrying their babies around in a sack on their back
Moving careful and slow

(chorus)
It's money that matters
Hear what i say
It's money that matters
In the usa

All of these people are much brighter than i
In any fair system they would flourish and thrive
But they barely survive
They eke out a living and they barely survive

When i was a young boy, maybe thirteen
I took a hard look around me and asked what does it mean?
So i talked to my father, and he didn't know
And i talked to my friend and he didn't know
And i talked to my brother and he didn't know
And i talked to everybody that i knew

(chorus)
It's money that matters
Now you know that it's true
It's money that matters
Whatever you do

Then i talked to a man lived up on the county line
I was washing his car with a friend of mine
He was a little fat guy in a red jumpsuit
I said "you look kind of funny"
He said "i know that i do"

"but i got a great big house on the hill here
And a great big blonde wife inside it
And a great big pool in my backyard and another great big pool
Beside it
Sonny it's money that matters, hear what i say
It's money that matters in the usa
It's money that matters
Now you know that it's true
It's money that matters whatever you do"