The Drums – “Money”: Broke Boy Blues with a Smile
If you’ve ever stood in front of something you wanted—gift for your girl, food for your stomach, a hoodie that made you feel like you—and couldn’t buy it, Money by The Drums hits like a brick wrapped in bubblegum.
Dropped back in 2011 but aging like heartbreak and cheap wine, this track has found a new home in 2025. Why? Because being broke is more common than Wi-Fi, and this song isn’t about flexing. It’s about that uncomfortable, hilarious, tragic space between wanting to give and not having enough.
It’s the soundtrack for every broke romantic walking through a mall pretending to window shop while eyeing the price tags like they’re death sentences.
“I want to buy you something… but I don’t have any money.”
That one line says everything. Not in a sad, pity-me way. It’s too honest for that. The Drums play it cool, wrapping real pain in sunny guitars and dreamy surf-pop. The contrast is what makes it slap. You’re bouncing your head, maybe even smiling—then you realize the lyrics are calling you out. Loud.
That’s the genius of it. The Drums didn’t come here to lecture. They came to vibe. But somehow, Money ends up saying more about love and struggle than most of the “deep” ballads out there.
Because what’s more raw than love with no resources? Wanting to spoil someone you care about and not being able to. Showing up every day, broke as hell, but still present. Still trying.
And that’s why this song keeps coming back. TikTok edits. Malls. Cheap apartments. Bad dates with good people. You hear that first riff and it’s like a memory starts playing in your chest.
It doesn’t try too hard. It just is.
Simple, direct, devastating.
The production? Clean, but not fake. Bright, but not soft. You could play it driving through the city or sitting on the floor of your room, calculating what bill you can skip this week. And it still fits.
In a world that keeps asking for more—more hustle, more money, more results—Money reminds you that sometimes, showing up broke with love in your heart is the realest thing you can do.
And yeah, it’s funny. Funny like laughing at the pain because if you don’t, it might eat you alive. That awkward smile when your card declines but you still act like you meant to walk away. That feeling of being full of care, but with empty pockets.
This isn’t just an indie track. It’s a mirror. A moment.
You might’ve heard it years ago and not felt it.
But now you do.
Because Money by The Drums?
It’s not about cash.
It’s about all the times you had none—and still gave everything you had.
Explore The Drums
Feeling broke but want to support the band anyway? Stream their deluxe album and follow their latest work below:
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Stream “Jonny (Deluxe)”: thedrums.ffm.to/jonnydlx
Here’s the link to the song “Money” by The Drums on YouTube:
Watch “Money” – The Drums (Official Video)