‘Money’: Roger Waters’ Cynical Masterstroke — Personal Grudge or Social Critique?

Waters has said “Money” was directly inspired by the music industry’s greed he witnessed firsthand after Dark Side of the Moon started selling. The line “share it fairly but don’t take a slice of my pie” isn’t just a general swipes at capitalism — it’s a dig at the record labels and managers who took huge cuts while the band did the work. So it’s both: a personal industry rant that happens to double as a broader social critique.

The 7/4 time signature came from Waters wanting to avoid a standard rock groove. He liked the lopsided, uneasy feel — it mirrors the song’s lyrical discomfort with money. Paul McCartney once joked it was impossible to tap his foot to. The band then overdubbed the cash-register sound effects in 7/4, making the whole thing sync with the odd meter in a way that feels almost natural — until you try to count it.