Money's Too Tight (To Mention)

"Money's Too Tight (To Mention)"
Single by Simply Red
from the album Picture Book
B-side	"Open Up The Red Box"
Released	March 28, 1985
Format	7" vinyl, 12" vinyl
Recorded	1984
Genre	New Wave, Synthpop, Blue-eyed soul
Length	3:38
Label	Elektra
Writer(s)	John Valentine, William Valentine
Producer	Stewart Levine
Simply Red singles chronology
"Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" (1985) "Come to My Aid" (1985)

"Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" is a song written and first recorded by The Valentine Brothers, John Valentine and Billy Valentine, and released as a single in 1982. It was covered by the British pop/soul group Simply Red in 1985. The Valentine Brothers' version peaked at #41 on the Billboard R&B charts, while the Simply Red single went to #13 on the UK charts in 1985 and #28 on the Billboard U.S. pop chart in 1986. It was Simply Red's first UK single.

The song relates to the economic problems of the 1970s and 1980s, and specifically mentions Reaganomics, a set of economic policies implemented by U.S. president Ronald Reagan in order to encourage the growth of the American economy. It also refers to Reagan himself indirectly as "the old man that's over the hill", and at the end makes sexual references to his wife, saying, "did the earth move for you, Nancy?"

A pastiche of the song was recorded and used as the theme song for the Australian investment TV series Money (1993–2002).

Track listings

7" single

1. Money's Too Tight (To Mention) 3:38
2. Open Up The Red Box 3:55

Charts

Simply Red version

Chart (1985)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	28
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	2
UK Singles Chart	13
Irish Singles Chart	9
Canadian Singles Chart	51
Dutch Top 40	22
French Singles Chart	29
New Zealand Singles Chart	8
Australian Singles Chart	21
Italian Singles Chart	4