This song is probably my earliest memory of a Van Morrison song as a kid. I didn’t find out about him though until my senior year in high school. Somehow I never heard Brown Eyed Girl until I was eighteen.
Blue Money was a top 40 hit but you don’t hear it as much now. It’s a song that is off of his album His Band and the Street Choir released in 1971. The song became Morrison’s third best selling single of the 1970s, remaining on the charts for three months.
The album peaked at #32 in the Billboard Album Charts.
What Blue Money refers to in the song, and in most uses of the term, is money earned from racy photographs and images.
Blue Money
The photographer smiles
Take a break for a while
Take a rest, do your very best
Take five, honey
Five, honey
You search in your bag
Light up a fag
Think it’s a drag, but you’re so glad
To be alive honey
Alive honey
Said when this is all over
You’ll be in clover
We’ll go out and spend
All of your blue money
Blue money
Blue money
Do-do-you-do, n’-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do-do-you do, n’ do-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do
Alright, (do-do) do-it
Do-do-you-do, n’-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do-do-you do, n’ do-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do, do-do
Alright, (do-do) do-it
Well the cameraman smiles
Take a break for a while
Do your best, do your very best
Take five, honey
Take five
You search in your bag
Light up a fag
Say it’s a drag, but you’re so glad
To be alive honey
Alive honey
Said when this is all over
You’ll be in clover
We’ll go on out and spend
All of your blue money
Blue money
Blue money alright
Do-do-you-do, n’-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do-do-you do, n’ do-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do
Alright, (do-do) do-it
Do-do-you-do, n’-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do-do-you do, n’ do-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do, do-do
Alright, (do-do) do-it
One more time
Do-do-you-do, n’-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do-do-you do, n’ do-do-do-you-do
‘N-do-do (do-do)
Hey (do-do)
Do-do-you-do, n’-do-do-you-do
N’ do-do-do-you-do, n’ do-do-do-you-do
‘N-do-do
Alright, do-do
Say, when this is all over
We’ll be in clover
We’ll go out and spend all your
(Blue money) blue money
Blue money (blue money)
Ooh juice money, loose money
Juice money, loose money, honey
(Do-do-do, do-do-do-do)
What kind a money, honey?
(Do-do-do, do-do-do-do)
Juice money, loose money
Blue money (do-do-do, do-do-do-do)
Juice money
Loose money (do-do-do, do-do-do-do)
Blue money
Hey, alright
Juice money
Ow
Long as you wanna be
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
If you look closely at a 100$ bill you will find a blue line that goes up and down the bill.
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That could be it also…it reminds me of the Sesame Street theme
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Van is easily in my top 5 singers of all time. This song is an interesting example of his stuff. It’s kinda jazzy, bluesy, with some scat. Funny thing is, I’ve never owned one of his studio albums…just learned about him via radio and The Last Waltz.
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When I was 18 I heard Brown Eyed Girl…in 1985…how I went that long without it is a mystery to me. I started to get his albums…from Astral Weeks to Hard Nose The Highway…and was an instant fan. I did see him before on SNL before that but it was Brown Eyed Girl that did it.
I did get to see him live…which if you ever get a chance…do it.
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Hmm, that’s not bad. I literally don’t think I’ve ever heard it before though…not a prominent hit, at least in Canada! then again, of late the one and only song I ever hear by him on radio or in stores is “Brown Eyed Girl”… years ago, used to hear “Into the Mystic” and one or two more from time to time.
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I heard this when I was a kid on AM radio mixed in with the others. It always reminded me of the Sesame Street theme for some reason.
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It is kind of bouncy…especially the brass?
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I agree…Domino and this one goes great together.
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“Domino”‘s a real good one – hadn’t thought of that in awhile.
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I’m not a big Van Morrison fan, but I liked this one. I heard it when it first came out.
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This one and Domino I liked a lot off of the album.
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My first Van Morrison was the magnificent “Moondance” album, which I dig to this day. I also really like his music with Them.
Have you ever heard their cover of “Route 66”? While I love the Stones’ version, I think Them’s take is even better!
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I LOVE Them. I bought a British import of their greatest hits in the 80s… Yes I love their version of Route 66 and Bright Lights Big City… I like their version of Richard Cory also.
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They had a nice raw garage sound. G.L.O.R.I.O.U.S. !😀
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Never got into this record as much as the surrounding ones – only hear it recently while I got all the other early 1970s records on CD twenty years ago.
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I remember after I got it I was thinking the same thing.
It was weaker than Moondance and Tupelo Honey to me. The other two albums blend together well…this one seems more like a collection of songs. Blue Money and Domino have some good horns though.
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Lord. I haven’t heard this in YEARS.
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