Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) - Pet Shop Boys, 1986

 
 

I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
You've got the brawn, I've got the brains
Let's make lots of -

I've had enough of scheming and messing around with jerks
My car is parked outside, I'm afraid it doesn't work
I'm looking for a partner, someone who gets things fixed
Ask yourself this question: do you want to be rich?

I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
You've got the brawn, I've got the brains
Let's make lots of money

You can tell I'm educated, I studied at the Sorbonne
Doctored in mathematics, I could have been a don
I can program a computer, choose the perfect time
If you've got the inclination, I have got the crime

Oh, there's a lot of opportunities
If you know when to take them, you know
There's a lot of opportunities
If there aren't, you can make them
Make or break them

I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
Let's make lots of -
(aahhhhh) money
(aahhhhh)
(aahhhhh - di du da di da bu di ba)

You can see I'm single-minded, I know what I could be
How'd you feel about it, come and take a walk with me
I'm looking for a partner, regardless of expense
Think about it seriously, you know it makes sense

Let's (got the brains)
Make (got the looks)
Let's make lots of money (oohh money)
(let's) you've got the brawn
(make) I've got the brains
Let's make lots of money (oohh money)

I've got the brains (got the brains)
You've got the looks (got the looks)
Let's make lots of money (oohh money)
Money

 
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The Pet Shop Boys are an English Electropop/House/Pop duo who's songs greatly influence the '80s music scene. Formed in 1981, they first made themselves noticed with the release of Please. This 1986 album featured hit songs such as West End Girls, Suburbia and Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money).

Opportunities became almost an anthem for the greedy eighties. Vocalist Neil Tennant said he was somewhat inspired by Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, after his partner Chris Lowe suggested a song containing the phrase "let's make lots of money". Tennant intended his lyrics to reflect the irony of the song's two losers - they obviously aren't who they say they are, and will never make it rich.

I think everybody knows, or has met individuals who are always trying to get rich despite any possibility of success. In my case, I was actually working for two such capitalists in 1986, and as far as I know, they never made the Forbes list of the top 500 most successful businessmen.

Possibly more ironic was the Pet Shop Boys release of an ironic song about success... just as the two talented individuals were about to become very rich and successful, indeed...