Filthy Rich

Album: yet to be titled (2024)
Charted: 58
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Filthy Rich" celebrates the richness of love, family, and friendships over material wealth. Ella Henderson encapsulates the song's ethos in the chorus:

    I don't need no money to be filthy rich
    Don't need nothing when I got all this


    The song is personal to Henderson, inspired by the people closest to her. "Writing 'Filthy Rich' brought me right back to my roots," she explained. "It's a constant reminder of the fact that yes, I do what I love, but without the people I love unconditionally surrounding me, it would all be for nothing."
  • The concept of associating wealth with filth dates back to the 16th century with the phrase "filthy lucre," which appeared in William Tyndale's 1526 Bible translation.

    The phrase "filthy rich," however, didn't saunter onto the scene until the early 20th century, debuting in William Allen White's 1909 novel A Certain Rich Man. There, it was used rather earnestly to describe the morally dubious antics of wealthy characters, rather than as the idiom we know today for vast fortunes.

    By the 1920s, though, "filthy rich" had made itself quite at home in American slang, shedding much of its literal baggage and taking on its more familiar meaning. A particularly colorful example comes from a 1929 edition of The Lima News during the lead-up to the Great Depression. The paper took aim at those who profited from others' misfortunes, sneering, "If any of our stock-gambling filthy rich want a winter home, now is the time to acquire it."
  • Ella Henderson wrote "Filthy Rich" with Maegan Cottone and Nicolas Rebscher.

    British-American songwriter Maegan Cottone is a regular Henderson collaborator, including her collaborations with Switch Disco ("React"), Nathan Dawe ("0800 Heaven") and Rudimental ("Alibi").

    German songwriter and producer Nicolas Rebscher's credits include songs with Alice Merton ("No Roots"), Aurora ("Running with the Wolves") and Zoe Wees ("Girls Like Us").
  • Rebscher co-produced the track with Shaboozey collaborator Sean Cook, whose influence shines through in the foot-stomping, hand-clapping rhythm. If you think you hear a hint of Cook's previous work on "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," you wouldn't be wrong.
  • "Filthy Rich" veers away from Henderson's earlier dance-centric collaborations. Instead, it embraces a rootsy vibe with country music influences, an apt match for the song's deeply personal message.
  • The music video, filmed by Henderson and director Luke O'Sullivan, incorporates home-movie footage from Henderson's family archives along with scenes shot in her hometown of Grimsby and Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire. It includes clips of Henderson spending time with her best friend, Georgia, who gets a lyrical shoutout:

    And no one knows me like my best friend Georgia
    Been my ride or die since we been ten (We been ten)
    And if friendship had a price, I couldn't afford her
    She's a diamond, she's a one in a million

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.