"Legal Tender" is the first single released by

the B-52's The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, ...

from the 1983 album ''

Whammy! ''Whammy!'' is the third studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released on April 27, 1983 in the United States, with Warner Bros. Records as the primary label. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, in December ...

''.

Description

The lyrics of "Legal Tender" tell a story about counterfeiting American dollars by outfitting a basement with "heavy equipment" and learning to print bills because of rising prices. A companion music video was produced featuring

Cindy Wilson Cynthia Leigh Wilson (born February 28, 1957) is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of new wave rock band the B-52's. She is noted for her distinctive contralto voice and also plays percussion during ...

and

Kate Pierson Catherine Elizabeth Pierson (born April 27, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52's. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the B-52s, she has performed alongside Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneid ...

in wigs of many shapes and colors. "Legal Tender" is an upbeat synthesizer-based track with a drum machine and hand-clap rhythm. The lead vocals are shared by Pierson and Wilson. The song appears as the opening track on the band's third studio album ''

'', signifying that the band had altered their sound quite significantly for the album. "Legal Tender" was performed live during the ''

'' tour, with

Keith Strickland Julian Keith Strickland (born October 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and one of the founding members of The B-52s. He was born in Athens, Georgia. Originally the band's drummer, Stricklan ...

on synthesizer and with horn parts added.

Chart performance

The single was the band's third ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entry, peaking at #81. The song also reached #9 on the U.S.

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart, along with album tracks "

Whammy Kiss "Whammy Kiss" is the second single released by The B-52's from their 1983 album ''Whammy!''. The song reached number nine on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, along with the album tracks "Legal Tender Legal tender is a form of money that ...

" and " Song for a Future Generation." The song was an airplay and club hit in Brazil in 1984, and was performed during the band's set at the 1985

Rock in Rio ''Rock in Rio'' is a recurring music festival originating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas. Nine incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, ...

music festival. When the band toured Brazil in 2009 and omitted the song from their live set, fans chanted for them to play it."B-52s - Shiny Happy People", SameSame, Interview with Kate Pierson, by Christian Taylor. July 27, 2009
Because of the song's popularity in Brazil, it appeared on the Brazilian version of '' Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation'', on which it replaced "52 Girls." It was also included on the '' Nude on the Moon'' compilation some years later.

Chart positions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Legal Tender (Song) 1983 singles The B-52's songs Songs written by Fred Schneider Songs written by Kate Pierson Songs written by Keith Strickland Songs written by Cindy Wilson Warner Records singles Works about money forgery 1983 songs