Welcome to the big time.
You’re bound to be a star
And even if you don’t go all the way,
I know that you’ll go far
This race is for rats, it can turn you upside down
Ain’t no one you can count on in this sleazy little town, Oh no
Lots of promises in the dark
But don’t you open your heart
Cause it don’t mean nothin’
The words that they say
Don’t mean nothin’
These games that people play
No, it don’t mean nothin’
No victim, no crime
It don’t mean nothin’
Till you sign it on the dotted line
The director smiles as you walk in the door
He says, “I love your work, babe” but
You’re just not what we’re looking for
It’s never what but who it is you know
So easy to get stuck in all that California snow
Take a good look around and you’ll find
People tryin’ to mess with your mind
Cause it don’t mean nothin’
The words that they say
Don’t mean nothin’
These games that people play
No, it don’t mean nothin’
No victim, no crime
It don’t mean nothin’
Till you sign it on the dotted line
Hollywood can be so lonely
Make you the winner of a losing fight
But the party is never over
Cause stars are always shining
Doesn’t matter if it’s day or night
The producer says, “let me change a line or two”
And a little bit of something can look awfully good to you
And you want to scream, but you gotta keep it all inside
When you’re trying to make a living,
There ain’t no such thing as pride, no
Lots of promises in the dark
But don’t you open your heart
Cause it don’t mean nothin’
The words that they say
Don’t mean nothin’
These games that people play
No, it don’t mean nothin’
No victim, no crime
It don’t mean nothin’
Till you sign it on the dotted line
It don’t mean nothing at all
Songwriters: Bruce Gaitsch / Richard Marx / Richard N. Marx
Don’t Mean Nothing lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, BMG Rights Management
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8E_dkESwzg&list=RDk8E_dkESwzg&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmCZmfyir2Y&list=OLAK5uy_nowkporGGXAx0rRzjGlfYRYNjjp7Ynxj4&index=82
Song Facts:
“Don’t Mean Nothing” is the debut single by Richard Marx from his triple platinum 1987 self-titled album. It hit #1 on Billboard’s Album Rock Tracks chart and #3 on the Hot 100. With the chart success of “Don’t Mean Nothing” and subsequent singles from his debut album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with four singles from a debut album.
The song was aided by a popular MTV music video and in 1988, Marx was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Rock Vocal Performance – Solo” for “Don’t Mean Nothing”. He competed against Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Bob Seger, and Joe Cocker.
Richard said about this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ymb3PBsvk8
Perhaps the ultimate Hollywood insider’s song, this is about the frustration of dealing with the phoniness and crass commercialism of the entertainment industry while trying to pursue one’s artistic calling. It’s what you might expect from a musician who had been around a while and built up some bitterness, but this was Richard Marx’ first single. He explained in our 2012 interview: “I got a lot of people saying, ‘Dude, you’re 22. How can you be so cynical?’ I think cynicism and gratitude can co-exist. And I was very grateful. I moved to L.A. when I was 18, and I definitely spent a lot of time sitting around doing nothing, trying to get something going and nothing was happening. I got rejected by every label multiple times, and I got a lot of doors slammed in my face and more than my share of rejection and all that stuff.
But when things did turn around for me, I was still really young. But it didn’t mean that I hadn’t already been exposed to the jive and the empty promises, and the thing that really makes up the music business in Hollywood and the film business, as well. But my chosen field was music. Guys at record companies telling me, ‘You’re signed, don’t worry about it,’ and then they won’t call you back, and all kinds of stuff that you count on. Right down to people that sent me notes stamped ‘Hobby’ on my demo tape.
So by the time I wrote ‘Don’t Mean Nothing,’ I was pissed off. I definitely had a little chip on my shoulder at that point. While at the same time being aware that at least I was making a living in some way, shape, or form. I was doing music. I didn’t have to work at McDonald’s or the car wash.”
* visit link for the SongFacts interview with Richard Marx
Chart Performance:
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Courtesy: https://www.songfacts.com/, https://www.azlyrics.com/