Gold is an element used in many aspects of society for different reasons. It has been glamorized and regarded as a sign of wealth and prosperity.
This precious element has been used as a currency in many different cultures. It is also used in ornaments and jewelry. Hence it’s an essential aspect of many cultures and civilizations.
Many musicians and songwriters have written songs about it to celebrate its value. In this article, we will rank the top ten songs about gold.
Best Songs About Gold
“Goldie” – A$AP Rocky
Recently, A$AP Rocky has been hitting news outlets due to his love life. This makes him a perfect starting point for our list.
In 2013, A$AP Rocky released an album titled Long. Live. ASAP. In the album, there is a song named Goldie. The hip-hop artist talks about how gold and money could make a man lovable.
In an attempt to explain what makes the persona so adorable, Rocky says it’s because he’s got cash and a mouth full of gold.
“Gold Digger” – Kanye West Ft Jamie Foxx
In 2004, Kanye West released his album titled Ye Late Registration, in which he featured the track Gold Digger. The Grammy Award-winning piece of music shows how money can be an essential factor in a relationship and that sometimes a woman could just be attracted to a man because of his money.
In this song, Kanye West narrates the ordeals of a relationship between a man and his gold-digging girlfriend. A gold digger is someone who uses material goods to gain social status. The girl in this song seems to be after the money and not the man himself.
“Gold” – Imagine Dragons
In their 2015 album, Smoke + Mirrors, Imagine Dragons released a track titled Gold.
The persona in this song is fortunate enough to be wealthy. His fortune is fast growing. It is equated to gold. As the song puts it, whatever he touches turns to gold. The metaphor is very fitting because gold is a precious metal with immense value. It symbolizes wealth.
Unfortunately, the song informs us of the insecurities of having a great deal of money. The piece suggests that the persona is suffering from paranoia.
“House of Gold” – Twenty One Pilots
The 2011 pop song featured in the House of Gold’s album, Regional at Best, shows the real value of gold.
It is a conversation between a mother and her son where the son promises to look after his mom in old age. The promise includes buying her a house of gold, which is a symbol of well-being.
“The Golden Age” – Beck
This melody is featured in the 2002 album called Sea Change.
In this song, Beck includes several themes related to gold, such as an idealized future where everything is perfect.
The narrator is driving all night long. He suffers a headache while in the desert. He is at the peak of desolation, where he is feeling the weight of all troubles of his present life. He is looking forward to the golden age.
“Gold” – Owl City
This 2012 track involves a nostalgic theme. The narrator here addresses someone with potential, someone he believes in, and who inspires him.
Due to his admiration for that person, the narrator refers to him as gold. He then charges the person to go out there, make the most out of his ability, and realize his dreams.
The use of gold as a metaphor in this song is effective. Gold has a great value and is sought after by many.
“Golden Ring” – George Jones and Tammy Wynette
They say old is gold, and this tune is a testament to that maxim. This old masterpiece is as golden as the message it passes along.
In this 1976 song, George Jones and Tammy Wynette address the vanity of golden wedding rings in cementing a good relationship.
The story is about a young couple that set out to get married. They shop for a wedding ring in one of Chicago’s pawn shops. Unable to purchase an expensive ring, the groom goes for the alternative of a used golden ring, and what follows is a marriage in a chapel the same afternoon.
The golden ring, however, doesn’t serve them permanence. They disagree, and the wife gives back her ring to the husband and walks away. The ring ends up in the same Chicago pawn shop where it was purchased, ready to serve another couple.
“Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold” – Dan Seals
In this 1986 hitmaker, Dan Seals tells the story of a woman who gives up on her relationship pursuing a music career. Her husband is forced to bring up their child alone.
When the child begins asking questions about her mother, the husband reflects on his wife’s behavior. While her career is glittering, it doesn’t match a mother’s heart. However much it glitters, it is not gold.
“Gold Rush” – Death Cab for Cutie
This is the latest track on our list. Released in 2018, the narrator in the song narrates how apartments have taken hold of his neighborhood. Where all the old buildings stood, he can only see new condominiums.
Excavations have heaved down all neighboring ground in the name of a gold rush. The narrator remembers the old environment with love and longing.
He remembers how he would make out with his lover below the street lamp and outside the bar in the vicinity of the record store. All of that is gone now.
“Golden” – Jill Scott
In the chorus of this tune, Jill Scott sings that she is living her life like it’s golden. She is enjoying every moment of it and hence the name golden.
Jill is speaking about her newly found freedom and how she must and will take advantage of it.
The message is clear, and I think most of us would agree. If given the opportunity to live out our dreams, we should enjoy this rare gift to the maximum.
Born and raised in Austin, David is a dedicated writer and avid fragrance lover. When he's not trying out perfumes, he enjoys traveling and exploring new restaurants.