[Verse 1]
All these years, all this time
We have been messin' with your mind
You thought us noble, rad and true
You just don't have a fucking clue
A heaping, steaming pile of shit
We make believe our poop don't stink
Rip the system, revolution
Adding fuel to your confusion
Gobble up the crap we feed you
We don't really love and need you
We just want your cold hard cash
Get our hands into your stash
Now shut up, listen and behold
Finally the truth be told
[Chorus]
We're only in it for the money
To dip our fingers in your honey
We pretend to no end
We are bitches for your riches
[Verse 2]
Blindsided by audacity
Of a handsome crook from Germany
A million sheets of patient paper
Chronicle his every caper
You never had us figured out
Lent stature, relevance and clout
When really we were privateers
You reveled in our plagiarism
Joined into the onanism
Your pompousness and indecorum
Spewed on every online forum
How you dribbled, how you drooled
Priceless how we had you fooled
We hijacked your bedazzled soul
For ransom to be paid in gold
[Chorus]
We're only in it for the money
To dip our fingers in your honey
We pretend to no end
We are bitches for your riches
We're only in it for the gain
Sex and drugs, and rock'n'roll fame
The parade the charade
We are jammin' for your mammon
We're only in it for the encore
We want it all, then some more
Men of deeds, for proceeds
[Bridge]
We just want your cold, hard cash
Get our hands into your stash
Now shut up, listen and behold
Finally the truth be told
[Chorus]
We're only in it for the money
To dip our fingers in your honey
We pretend to no end
We are bitches for your riches
[Outro]
We are bitches for your riches
“We’re Only in It for the Money” is an album by The Mothers of Invention, a band which Frank Zappa was a crucial part of. Sascha Konietzko frequently makes reference to Frank Zappa lyrics, and uses the phrase “conceptual continuity,” which was used by Zappa to describe his albums.
‘Greased palm’ is an idiom for bribery, and ‘burned’ sometimes means ‘screwed over.’
In the old ‘play with fire, get burned’ idiom, the literal interpretation warns of the danger of bodily harm caused by carelessness around open flames. It’s safe to assume that’s not what this line references since a literally greasy palm exposed to flame most certainly will burn – severely. Figuratively, however, the idiom cautions against the potential risks and consequences of recklessness.
Corrupt officials seldom turn on their corruptors, making it safe for them to engage in unscrupulous activity – to play with fire without getting burned.
In what seems to be an intentional dose of “humor, pun and wit,” throughout the song are multiple references to a certain type of bodily waste.
Shit, poop and crap are all mentioned, in that order.
Phonetically, the word ‘duty’ is almost identical to a slang term for poop, ‘doody.’
And while dipping one’s fingers in another’s honey can be thought of as an act of greed – partaking of someone else’s wealth – consistent with the main theme of the song, this too relates to poo; tanker truckers who collect and empty waste matter from porta-potties and septic tanks are sometimes called ‘honey dippers.’
A privateer is essentially a pirate hired by a nation to do work for them, so they’re sarcastically stating that they didn’t do anything new and legally “stole” from other artists…
Smiling and winking convey different meanings depending on context. Most often, smiling indicates friendliness while winking serves as a sly signal. Together, these gestures usually show special affection towards another. But they are, on occasion, used more nefariously – in an ironic manner, which causes the meaning to become parodic of itself; an outcome that is alternatively likely if the expression is perceived as disingenuous for any reason, mistakenly or not.
For example, a skilled con artist might convincingly employ such body language to reassure the unsuspecting victim he plans to hoodwink, or dupe. Perhaps he’s selling products door-to-door and winks as he offers ‘exclusive’ discounts to people to make them feel special – knowing that whatever fraudulent items they order, they will never receive, and planning to quickly leave town with all of their money – and follows up with a smile at the point of sale, possibly due to Dupers Delight, which manifests the thrill of getting away with deception in the form of a smile at that moment.
Given “Bitches” overall message of greed, insincerity, and betrayal, it seems certain that in the context of the song these expressions denote sarcasm and negativity of the likes of that which is described in detail above.