MILLION DOLLAR FACE       
(words and music by Rick Springfield)          

You were hungry for the lights, 
You spent your nights with socialites 
You're a million-dollar baby 
With the million dollar blues 
And you only gave your time to people you could use

Million dollar face with million dollar grace 
You got off to a real bad start 
Million dollar face in million dollar lace 
You wound up with a two cent heart

You were mine for just a  while 
But true to style and with a smile you said, 
"I have to leave you, baby, hold me one more time 
'Cause I know where I should be and it's a long hard climb"

Million dollar face with million dollar grace 
You got off to a real bad start 
Million dollar face in million dollar lace 
You wound up with a two cent heart 
Million dollar face with million dollar grace 
You got off to a real bad start 
Million dollar face with million dollar lace 
You wound up with a two cent heart

(total playing time: 2:49 )

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

According to US

I'm just going to start this one out with a bang and say this song reminds me of an After School Special. Do you remember those from the 70's and early 80's? I loved them, and would clear my schedule (ha! a teenager with a schedule) so as to be home to catch them when they aired. I don't know if it's the cheesy 70's music that accompanies this song that takes me back to the After School Special days - you know, it sounds all weepy & harpy like- or if it's the subject matter, but either will do. 

I picture this beautiful girl, born poor - or at least without the millions she desires- who is going to use her looks to get what she wants. A common theme for a lot of songs, and frankly I think Rick could've done better than this one if he really and truly wanted to tell this story. She uses people to climb the social ladder and Rick was one of her rungs. I'm thinking he's seen her type before. Just a hunch I have. 

So here's this girl from Podunk who wants to be a model, but has no "heart". Unlike those aforementioned television programs, there is no moral to the story (song) here. The moral would be that she realizes what a crappy person she's turned out to be and that's no way to live - and she's going home to Hank that she left on the farm, who loves her for who she is and not how beautiful she may be.

But wait! A revelation occurred to me whilst listening to this song for about the hundredth time..... could Rick be talking about himself? 
Nah... - Michelle P.

This is hands down my favorite song on the whole album. I'm a sucker for a slow song, and I love the music and the feel of this one. I really love his voice on this too. He's rhyming all over the place, but they just fit better for me in this song than in some of the others.
I can imagine that he did meet a lot of beautiful people with not much heart that were on a mission. My favorite line is:
I have to leave you baby, hold me one more time
Cause I know where I should be and it's a long hard climb 
It's like she wants one last moment of something real before she goes up that social ladder she's about to climb. I do think there are probably moments he could apply this to himself. Hopefully fleeting moments. - rlh

I adore this song. It is the first Rick song I ever really loved and listened to continuously. This was the one that kept me going until WCD came out. My friend actually had WFN (which is how I heard it) and I would always listen to this one song over and over when I’d spend the night with her. I was so upset for the longest time because I could not get a copy of my own. Once Rick took off and RCA released the remake, I was happy to own it, but so upset about the cover art change!!! I love the B&W cover – always makes me think “Australian Gigolo.” LOL 

This song is a personal one in that I have someone in my life who is just like this. A beautiful person physically, but not much of a human being – so the connection was instant. I love the dramatic music, the saxophone, the heavy piano, and Rick’s almost crooning mannerisms while he sings…(I have to leave you ba-a-by.) This just reeks of smoky piano bars, old 40’s movies, and “Bogart mystique.” Oh – I love it!!!

I categorize “Million Dollar Face” as vanity as opposed to say greed as I think that she *KNOWS* she can get by on her looks. (And you only gave your time to people you could use…) People who USE have a sense that they have some kind of quality other’s want. So, to a degree, they can not only get away with using others, but in their blind self-love, they do not realize or care that their actions are wrong. To my way of thinking, it does take a great amount of vanity to say “I know where I should be, so I am leaving you in order to do what I want.” I love to hate the woman in this song. And Rick’s soulful voice just makes me feel all the worse for him and his broken heart.

Favorite line… “But true to style and with a smile” – it just rolls off the tongue and says so much in so few words…I envy his ability to do that!!!  Overall on my personal Rick scale – this one is a strong 8 of 10! - Anna C.