"Money's Too Tight (to Mention)" (sometimes stylized as "Money$ Too Tight (to Mention)" in some of its single and album releases) is a song written and first recorded by

The Valentine Brothers The Valentine Brothers were an American recording act in the late 1970s and 1980s, comprising brothers John and William "Billy" Valentine. One of their biggest hits, as singers and songwriters, was "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)", which reache ...

, John Valentine and Billy Valentine, and released as a single in 1982. Their version peaked at number 41 on the '' Billboard'' R&B chart. The song was ranked at number six among the top 10 "Tracks of the Year" for 1982 by ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

''. "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)" was covered by British pop and soul group

Simply Red Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since th ...

in 1985 as their debut single. The single went to number 13 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in July 1985 and number 28 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1986. The song was also an international hit, reaching the top 40 in several countries. The lyrics concern a person with economic problems, and mention

Reaganomics Reaganomics (; a portmanteau of ''Reagan'' and ''economics'' attributed to Paul Harvey), or Reaganism, refers to the neoliberal economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. These policies are commonly associat ...

, a set of economic policies implemented by

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

president Ronald Reagan in order to encourage the growth of the American economy. The lyrics include the lines "the old man that's over the hill", and "did the earth move for you, Nancy?" He wants to borrow money, first from his brother who responds,"Brother I'd like to help you but I'm unable to", then to his "Father, Father, almighty Father" who then responds "Money's too tight to mention". A pastiche of the song was recorded and used as the theme song for the Australian investment television program ''

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...

'' (1993–2002). Another pastiche was recorded for '' Bo Selecta'' in segments featuring

Leigh Francis Leigh Izaak Francis (born 30 April 1973), known professionally as Keith Lemon, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for creating and starring in Channel 4's sketch comedy show '' Bo' Selecta!'' (20 ...

's impression of Hucknall.

Track listings

* 7" single # Money's Too Tight (To Mention) 3:38 # (Open Up the) Red Box 3:55 * 12" single # Money's Too Tight (To Mention) (The Cutback Mix) 8:40 # Money's Too Tight (To Mention) (Single Version) 3:38 # Money's Too Tight (To Mention) (Dub Version) 6:43

Charts

The Valentine Brothers version

Simply Red version

References

1982 songs 1985 debut singles Elektra Records singles Simply Red songs Songs about poverty Songs about Ronald Reagan {{1980s-single-stub

Track listings

Charts

The Valentine Brothers version

Simply Red version

See also

References