Rich Girl (Hall & Oates song)
Encyclopedia
"Rich Girl" is a song by Daryl Hall and John Oates. On March 26, 1977, it became their first (of six) number one single on Billboard
Hot 100 chart. The single originally appeared on the 1976
album Bigger Than Both of Us
.
. In fact, the title character in the song is based on a spoiled heir to a fast-food chain who was an ex-boyfriend of Daryl Hall's girlfriend, Sara Allen. "But you can't write, 'You're a rich boy' in a song, so I changed it to a girl," Hall told Rolling Stone.
Hall elaborated on the song in an interview with American Songwriter:
Several years later, Hall read an interview with David Berkowitz
, the Son of Sam killer, in which Berkowitz claimed that "Rich Girl" had motivated him to murder (although the song was not released until after the Son of Sam murders had already begun, casting doubts on that suggestion). Hall & Oates later reflected this disturbing fact in the lyrics of the song "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear Voices)" on the album Voices.
's song "Rich Girl$
" borrows many elements from the original, and although not a full cover
, samples part of the original recording and also lifts the melody and some lyrics.
(on Meant To Be), by The Bird and the Bee
(on Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
) by Everclear
(on The Vegas Years
), by Nina Simone
(on Baltimore
), by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
(on Have Another Ball), and by Butch Walker
during concerts on his 2010 American concert tour with his backing band, the Black Widows. In 2009, Canadian group Down With Webster
sampled the Hall & Oates song for their song Rich Girl$
on their EP Time to Win, Vol. 1
.
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 chart. The single originally appeared on the 1976
1976 in music
-January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle....
album Bigger Than Both of Us
Bigger Than Both of Us
Bigger Than Both of Us is the fifth album by Daryl Hall and John Oates, released in 1976. The album included the first of their six #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100, "Rich Girl"...
.
Content
The song's lyrics are about a spoiled girl who can rely on her parents' money to do whatever she wants. The song was rumored to be about the then-scandalous newspaper heiress Patty HearstPatty Hearst
Patricia Campbell Hearst , now known as Patricia Campbell Hearst Shaw, is an American newspaper heiress, socialite, actress, kidnap victim, and convicted bank robber....
. In fact, the title character in the song is based on a spoiled heir to a fast-food chain who was an ex-boyfriend of Daryl Hall's girlfriend, Sara Allen. "But you can't write, 'You're a rich boy' in a song, so I changed it to a girl," Hall told Rolling Stone.
Hall elaborated on the song in an interview with American Songwriter:
"Rich Girl" was written about an old boyfriend of Sara [Allen]’s from college that she was still friends with at the time. His name is Victor Walker. He came to our apartment, and he was acting sort of strange. His father was quite rich. I think he was involved with some kind of a fast-food chain. I said, "This guy is out of his mind, but he doesn't have to worry about it because his father's gonna bail him out of any problems he gets in." So I sat down and wrote that chorus. [Sings] "He can rely on the old man’s money/he can rely on the old man’s money/he's a rich guy." I thought that didn’t sound right, so I changed it to "Rich Girl." He knows the song was written about him.
Several years later, Hall read an interview with David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz
David Richard Berkowitz , also known as Son of Sam and the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer and arsonist whose crimes terrorized New York City from July 1976 until his arrest in August 1977.Shortly after his arrest in August 1977, Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and...
, the Son of Sam killer, in which Berkowitz claimed that "Rich Girl" had motivated him to murder (although the song was not released until after the Son of Sam murders had already begun, casting doubts on that suggestion). Hall & Oates later reflected this disturbing fact in the lyrics of the song "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear Voices)" on the album Voices.
Sample by Down With Webster
Canadian Pop/Hip-Hop group Down With WebsterDown with Webster
Down with Webster, or DWW, is a 7-man Canadian rap rock band from The Beaches area of Toronto, Ontario who signed with Universal Motown in April 2009. During live shows the band occasionally uses a 3-piece horn section....
's song "Rich Girl$
Rich Girl$
"Rich Girl$" is the debut single by Canadian pop rock group Down with Webster from the band's 2009 EP, Time to Win, Vol. 1. The song was very successful in Canada, peaking at #21 on the Canadian Hot 100 and raising Down with Webster's popularity in their native country.In April 2010, the song was...
" borrows many elements from the original, and although not a full cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
, samples part of the original recording and also lifts the melody and some lyrics.
Cover versions
The song has been covered by SelwynSelwyn (singer)
Selwyn is an R&B singer from Perth, Western Australia. He was a contestant on the Australian reality series Popstars 2, but did not make it through to the final group lineup. He was re-discovered while working at a shopping centre as a trolley boy...
(on Meant To Be), by The Bird and the Bee
The Bird and the Bee
The Bird and the Bee is an American indie pop musical duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of musicians Inara George and Greg Kurstin...
(on Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates is the third studio album by American indie pop duo The Bird and the Bee. It was released on March 23, 2010 by Blue Note Records and is a tribute album to Hall & Oates....
) by Everclear
Everclear (band)
Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
(on The Vegas Years
The Vegas Years
The Vegas Years is a compilation of cover songs by American rock band Everclear. It was released on April 15, 2008, via Capitol Records.The album features tracks recorded throughout the band's career, including a few tracks that were previously released as B-sides. "American Girl" was recorded in...
), by Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
(on Baltimore
Baltimore (album)
Baltimore is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone. It is part of her later works and can be regarded alongside Fodder On My Wings as one of her better achievements of that period...
), by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
(on Have Another Ball), and by Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
during concerts on his 2010 American concert tour with his backing band, the Black Widows. In 2009, Canadian group Down With Webster
Down with Webster
Down with Webster, or DWW, is a 7-man Canadian rap rock band from The Beaches area of Toronto, Ontario who signed with Universal Motown in April 2009. During live shows the band occasionally uses a 3-piece horn section....
sampled the Hall & Oates song for their song Rich Girl$
Rich Girl$
"Rich Girl$" is the debut single by Canadian pop rock group Down with Webster from the band's 2009 EP, Time to Win, Vol. 1. The song was very successful in Canada, peaking at #21 on the Canadian Hot 100 and raising Down with Webster's popularity in their native country.In April 2010, the song was...
on their EP Time to Win, Vol. 1
Time to Win, Vol. 1
Time to Win, Vol. 1 is the first official EP from the Canadian band, Down with Webster. It released October 6, 2009 on Universal Motown. The album was successful in Canada, all three singles off the album charted in the top 25 on the Canadian Hot 100 and all three were certified Platinum...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Netherlands Singles Chart | 15 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 33 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 64 |