GOLDFEVER        
(words and music by Rick Springfield)          

That's not the way, that's not the way of the world 
Late night creeper with a Saturday Night, 
Saturday Night Special 
After some poor storekeeper,
You need more and more just to stay alive 

Ooh it's a sin, baby you fight to win 
But the rich get richer 
And the poor keep living in ditches

Goldfever, let me tell you about goldfever 
Don't you know that it's on old fever 
And I tell you it's a cold killer 
Said I'm talking about Goldfever 
Don't you know that it's an old fever 
And I tell you it's a heartbreaker 
Yeah I'm talking about Goldfever 
Let me tell about, let me tell you about Goldfever

Big business man, incorporate this,
Incorporate that, yeah 
You're making all them dollar bills 
But you no longer see humanity needs love 
Ooh, it's a crime, baby in 3/4 time 
Go on dance with your billions 
While the people keep on dying in millions

Goldfever, let me tell you about Goldfever 
Don't you know that it's on old fever 
And I tell you it's a cold killer 
Said I'm talking about Goldfever 
Don't you know that it's an cold fever 
And I tell you it's a heartbreaker 
Yeah I'm talking about Goldfever 
Let me tell you about Goldfever

And it hits you like a cold fever 
It comes on like a real sensation 
But it'll leave you in desolation 
Yeah, I'm talking about Goldfever 
And though I know that it's an old fever 
It's a number one best seller 
And it can put you in heaven or hell 

Let me tell you about Goldfever 
Don't you know that it's an old fever 
And I tell you it's a cold killer 
Let me tell you about Goldfever 
Let me tell you about, let me tell you about Goldfever 

(total playing time: 2:56 )

Song Facts: This can be found on Wait for Night. 

According to US

I've been beating myself up on this one knowing it was coming. I don't get this one. It's frustrating for me to not have something to say about one of Rick's songs. 

Goldfever. The title brings to mind the California Gold Rush. That's not what this song is about apparently. Is this Rick's anti-CEO, big corporation hating anthem...all wrapped up with a catchy hook? I do find myself singing along with the chorus, even though it doesn't make sense to me. I keep thinking Rick must've had this word stuck in his head and then decided to see how many words he could rhyme with each other on top of the repeating "fever".

So an old storekeeper gets robbed with a gun. (Saturday Night Special, right?)
The robber needs more and more just to stay alive. More money? For drugs? But it sounds like he's addicted to Gold. Is that a metaphor for a drug here? It's a cold killer, old fever, heartbreaker. Yeah, maybe it is drugs. Comes on like a real sensation, but it will leave you in desolation. Yep. Drugs.

Big business man. Incorporate this, incorporate that yeah. Huh? I thought we were talking about drugs. Wait...he's on drugs...here's the line that proves it: "Ooh it's a crime, baby in 3/4 time." I'm not even going to try that one. Something about people dancing with billions, yet millions of people are dying. Again, Huh?

There's a lot of repetition that I didn't notice before I decided to really listen to this one. Did that make sense? I think I have a fever coming on......Michelle P.

 This song seems to be about greed or love of money. This was written before Rick had any success, so it's hard to say exactly what the motivation and message was, but was coming from someone who didn't have a lot. Was he angry with himself for wanting it, or just angry with society for making it so important?

The first line kind of sets the mood - this is NOT the way things are supposed to be. The world should not be ruled by the pursuit of wealth.....but it is.

"The Rich get Richer".......it's an old cliché, but one that seems to hold true a lot. You have to have money to make money. The more you have the more you want.....

"It's an old fever"......greed has been around forever. Back to the original 7 deadly sins.

It's been a long time since I read "The Seat of The Soul" but it's a book about the theory of karma and it talks about one of the things that causes people a lot of trouble is their wanting what others have, wanting power, wanting material things. It's the want of things that causes people such unhappiness. So it's interesting to see this song coming from that point of view 20 years before "Karma" was ever released. - rlh

I like this one because of the words. The music does not do much for me, but I like that Rick is again (as always) rolling around in his self-created contradictions (he is our little enigma boy, isn’t he?, but I so love that about him.) Going with my afore mentioned Seven Deadly Sins of WFN theory, I categorize this song as avarice/greed. Although one having Goldfever makes one an obvious candidate for a greedy sinner, there is a little bit more to the song. Specifically, there are several contradictions that I love.

The first one – “That’s not the way of the world” – but actually, it IS the way of the world, sadly. And at this point in his career and life, I would imagine Rick already knows that all too well. So why does he put it in there? Heck if I know, but maybe it is the wishful thinking before the truth the song explores, at least that is how I see it.

I also like the line – “ooh it’s a sin, baby you fight to win.” You know what I wish we had? Rick’s actual hand written lyrics. I would love to know how he punctuates some of his lines; because sometimes a comma or a period makes a big difference. In this line, for example, if he wrote “Ooh it’s a sin. Baby you fight to win.” He is allowing no excuses for the fact that people are greedy in the face of poverty and suffering. (The poor keep on living in ditches.) With the right punctuation, he is saying, “dang it, this is wrong, and you are just out for yourself trying to ‘win’.” However, if it was all one phrase, i.e. “Ooh it’s a sin, baby you fight to win”, maybe the person fighting is actually fighting against the sin, maybe “baby” is fighting against Goldfever. Either way, it is another of his twists that can be interpreted as either an admonishment or a warning or even a compliment depending on how you read it, and again, I love it when he does that.

The other big contradiction I like is “it can put you in heaven or hell.” I love how he takes what he calls a sin (which most who subscribe to the concept of sins and heaven and hell would assume could lead only to hell) and makes heaven a possible destination. Many of Rick’s songs deal with religious imagery and his clear confusion/frustration about religious issues, and here is a great early example. Perhaps he intends to say simply that initially greed leads us to heavenly bliss but then we pay for the greed in hell. But maybe it is more complex than that, perhaps he is making a case for the rich thinking they can buy their way into heaven, or maybe even (way out there on a limb) he is saying that there is a good greed that can lead to heaven…maybe greed of faith? Love? Compassion? **Sigh** It is yet another riddle – and I like it. 

Overall, I like the song. It is a little “bouncy” for my taste musically, but the words are deceptively simple (another contradiction) and the message is a good one. Favorite line…”Go on dance with your billions while the people keep on dying in millions.” It is an early indication of the world destruction theme that continues with him to this day, and I like the imagery I get when I hear this line: Donald Trump dancing around naked in his obnoxious gold apartment, singing “I’m Too Sexy”. Somehow, I think “The Donald” is the exact type of person Rick had in mind when he wrote the second verse. - Anna C.