Gwen Guthrie's 'Ain't Nothing Going On But The Rent'. If she's having bill collectors at her door as she says, why don't she contact her branch of Citizens Advice to sort this or whatever the US was?

But I think that Ms. Guthrie is simply saying that, in her opinion, where romance is concerned, regardless of how sexy, handsome and suave a man is he needs to be financial solvent and that life (and its accompanying fiscal burdens) is too serious a proposition to place beneath the mysterious vagaries of love.

e.g.

Bill collector's at my door
What can you do for me?
Hey

No romance without finance
No romance without finance

Boy, nothin' in life is free
That's why I'm askin' you what can you do for me
I've got responsibilities
So I'm lookin' for a man whose got money in his hands

'Cause nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You got to have somethin' if you wanna be with me
Oh, life is too serious, love's too mysterious
A fly girl like me needs security

'Cause ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent
You got to have a J-O-B if you wanna be with me
Ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent
You got to have a J-O-B if you wanna be with me

No romance without finance
I said no romance without finance

Boy, your silky ways are sweet
But we're only wastin' time if your pockets are empty
I've got lots of love to give
But I will have to avoid you if you're unemployed

'Cause nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You got to have somethin' if you wanna be with me
Oh, life is too serious, love's too mysterious
A fly girl like me needs security

'Cause ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent
You got to have a J-O-B if you wanna be with me
Ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent
You got to have a J-O-B if you wanna be with me

No romance without finance
I said no romance without finance
No romance without finance
I said no romance without finance
Oh, you look good to me

Your silky words are sweet
But your pockets sure look empty

Ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent

Basically, she sounds like a right cow.

She's suddenly going on about a bill collector at her door out of the blue, right?

Are the lyrics an opening diatribe directed at a man she's gone on a date with who has all the above mentioned positive traits?

However, has he then made the fatal mistake of taking her to a low-to-mid priced restaurant, thus belying his modest financial status?

Also, when she starts singing does she get up and start strutting around the restaurant pointing her manicured fingernails in his face and doing that 'uh uh, no you d'in't' gesture with her head, do all the other women also on dates with their broke-ass boyfriends also get up and in a menacing choreographed dance routine along with Guthrie torment and humiliate these poor men who thought a £12 pizza was a good idea for a casual meal?


I don't think CAB would bother with her concerns to be honest.

Nightjar wrote:

Basically, she sounds like a right cow.

She's suddenly going on about a bill collector at her door out of the blue, right?

Are the lyrics an opening diatribe directed at a man she's gone on a date with who has all the above mentioned positive traits?

However, has he then made the fatal mistake of taking her to a low-to-mid priced restaurant, thus belying his modest financial status?

Also, when she starts singing does she get up and start strutting around the restaurant pointing her manicured fingernails in his face and doing that 'uh uh, no you d'in't' gesture with her head, do all the other women also on dates with their broke-ass boyfriends also get up and in a menacing choreographed dance routine along with Guthrie torment and humiliate these poor men who thought a £12 pizza was a good idea for a casual meal?


I don't think CAB would bother with her concerns to be honest.

That's an absolute good anaylsis there. I just put it, she was a gold-digger and needs to sort her debts out or get a job / claim social security herself.

I'm surprised that Butternuts hasn't created a thread for Gwen Guthrie and her particular brand of cynically misandrist soul-dance-R&B yet.

Nightjar wrote:

I'm surprised that Butternuts hasn't created a thread for Gwen Guthrie and her particular brand of cynically misandrist soul-dance-R&B yet.

I have her album with this song on it, but I don't think her cover of (They Long to Be) Close to You would go down very well with most people.

Delilah. My advice is stop singing about what you’ve done, and go immediately to somewhere without an extradition treaty. Brazil traditionally. You followed them, stared at the shadows on the curtains, broke in, now they’re dead on the floor - you need to go to Rio.