What inspired Roger Waters' cynical lyrics on 'Money'?

Waters wrote “Money” out of a mix of personal disgust and sharp observation. He’d watched the record industry turn art into product after the band signed with Harvest/EMI, and he’d seen friends and acquaintances get chewed up by the chase for wealth. The line “Money, it’s a crime / Share it fairly but don’t take a slice of my pie” came directly from watching managers, promoters, and even bandmates squabble over percentages while the music itself took a backseat.

But the cynicism ran deeper than just industry gripes. Waters’ father died in World War II, and he grew up in a working-class family that distrusted the wealthy elite. He was also reading about post-war British austerity and the widening gap between social classes – themes that later exploded on The Wall. That tension between needing money to survive and loathing what money does to people is the whole engine of the song. The cash-register and coin sounds at the start weren’t just gimmicks; they were a warning.