Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous by Good Charlotte

Album: The Young And The Hopeless (2002)

Charted: 8 20

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With allusions to hometown ne'er do wells OJ Simpson and Marion Barry, "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous" takes on materialism in Hollywood and looks at how money can corrupt the legal system. Also mentioned are movie stars and singers who are always complaining about their lives.

Good Charlotte are from Maryland but did a lot of their recording in Los Angeles, so they got an outsider's perspective on this lifestyle, which can seem truly bizarre if you weren't born into it.
Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous was the name of a syndicated TV show that provided an inside look at the lives of celebrities. Hosted by a very loud and proudly pretentious Robin Leach, it ran from 1984-1995 and showed famous people enjoying expensive cars, jewelry, and other luxury items that most of us can't afford.

The album title, The Young And The Hopeless, is also a TV reference, a play on the soap opera The Young And The Restless.
"Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous" was the first hit for Good Charlotte, which formed in 1995 when they were high school students. After writing some songs and doing time as an opening act for bands like Sum 41 and Goldfinger, they signed with Epic Records and released their first album, Good Charlotte, in 2000. It didn't get much attention, but the band refined their sound and wrote catchier songs for their next album, The Young And The Hopeless. "Lifestyles" was the first single. Released in the summer of 2002, it didn't catch on until early 2003 after MTV started playing the video. Somewhat ironically, the song made them rich and famous. They embarked on a co-headlining tour with New Found Glory and watched as their next single, "The Anthem" also took took off. The album ended up selling over 5 million copies just in America.
All of the songs on The Young And The Hopeless were written by Good Charlotte's leaders, the twins Benji and Joel Madden. Joel, the lead singer, told Kerrang! (January 29, 2011) how this song came together: "We wrote the whole of The Young And The Hopeless in about three weeks, and that song was one that came towards the end of the process. There was a bench in front of the studio so, while the band were doing their thing inside, me and Benji would sit there and write songs - we wrote 'Lifestyles' in about 10 minutes! We're not really precious about our songwriting unless it's something that's really precious to us; we mostly just write songs that make us feel good. I never thought this one was particularly special but it was probably the best thing we ever did for our career. It was the song that broke us, it changed everything."
Joel Madden told Kerrang! why he thought the song struck a chord: "I think it's something nearly everyone can relate to. We came out to LA to make the record after touring non-stop for two years and we saw a lot of things we weren't used to - people with a lot of money, famous people. We tended to notice how unhappy a lot of them were. You'd hear all this complaining and we were like, 'Well, if it's making you unhappy we'll take it.' The point of the song often gets misconceived: we're not criticizing, we're saying we'd happily live that life if you don't want it - and there are a lot of people thinking exactly the same thing. Singing it every night reminds me to be grateful."
The video, directed by Bill Fishman, shows the band taking over a Beverly Hills mansion and going to jail for their deeds. It did very well on MTV at a time when they still played at least some videos, especially on the show Total Request Live, which fans voted on. At the 2003 Video Music Awards, it took the prize for Viewer's Choice.
The dog that appears in the video was Benji Madden's pooch Cashdogg. The guitarist reportedly bought him with his first-ever band paycheck when Good Charlotte got signed in 1999.
Another irony in this send-up of celebrity culture: Joel and Benji Madden both married rich, famous women. Joel married the reality TV star Nicole Richie (Lionel's daughter) in 2010; Benji married the actress Cameron Diaz in 2015.

Comments: 39

Jennifer from Moline, IlI like this song a lot because it's true! And yeah they r rich and famous but that dusint mean they can't still write a song about it!!
Jacob from Chicago, Ilthis one their awsome songs and since they are rich and famos they know what they are talking about
AnonymousOK this song ROCKS! they maybe rich and famous themselves but they know what it feels like to watch some twit like paris hilton say "my lifes sooo hard" and shes drivin a nice car and is wearing dimonds. SO dont bag on them bout that. oh and its true what they sing. If they were to live in a smalltown and try to get by on almost nothing they would fall.
Brittany from Townsville, AustraliaLike Ashley and Madison, yeah it dosen't sound like Good Charlotte it's more emo then befor, it's more Linkin Park and Fall Out Boy and Simple Plan, it just aint Good Charlotte. WHERE HAS THE OLD GOOD CHARLOTTE GONE!!!. YEAH why make a song called 'Lifestyles Of the Rich and Famous" when they are rich and famous (with a little bit of help this song). But I still love this song.♫♪♫♪
Hannah from Madison, WiI think it's really hypocritical that Good Charlotte could chastise those who are "rich and famous" when they sold their souls (and any musical talent they may have had)to become rich and famous.
Ashley from Newton, Ksgood charlotte rocks!!...personally though...i like the "older" good charlotte, their new stuff doesnt sound like them at all.
Madison from Blackwell, Okgood charlotte rocks!!...personally though...i like the "older" good charlotte, their new stuff doesnt sound like them at all..more like green day or sumthin..
Jordan from --, Inlove the song. it is ironic but still, they have a point. most famous people like paris hilton think that they're better than everyone else.
Hannah from Maple Grove, Mnthe MV for this song is hilarious!!!!
Jorge from Codoba, South Americafor once someones lyrics that come fromt he new millenium have some truth, two thumbs up for idea, the rest all sucks
Rebka from Crapville, WyThis song is very true!!! It's also funny how GC is a famous band, and they sing this song. I think they're making fun of themselves as well as the whole hollywood scene. I hate most celebrities. They think just because their plastic face is on a magazine, that they are better than any other person. I love this song!!
Melissa from Toledo, OhI agree with Lauren from pa, y come on a site of a band you hate to put them down. Why would you come on the site just to say they sold out or that u hate them... I don't get it.
Maria from Nowhere, OtherI think Rach from England has a good point!
"Does it matter what genre they r in anyway? Its the music that counts!"
its impossible for everyone to agree on one genre that they are in, i mean, people that listen to britney probably think they're hardcore, people that listen to metallica probably think they're pop and someone else might think they're country... lol :P
theres no point in arguing about it...
Sandra from Detroit, MiGood Charlotte is a good band and I enjoy them, just wish they hadn't kind of sold out on Chronicles of Life and Death. But Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was their first song I heard, and I liked it
Lauren from Prospectpark, Pai love this song along with GC. and all you GC haters, why do you bother to look up their songs just too say you hate them. doesn't make sense to me.
Tony from Bolingbrook, IlI agree with you Rabi from Zionsville in I think it is nuts that they would do that
I think it is odd that they would even say something bad about rich and famous ppl
Rach from Norfolk, Englandyeah Avril aint punk! Gc have never said they are punk either so waht u going on bout? GC r a pop-punk band! No one called them punk!
For goodness sake grow up! Does it matter what genre they r in anyway? Its the music that counts!
Rach from Norfolk, EnglandGC wrote this song after there first album! It did ok but not nough to get them rich and famous, so don't start saying tha they how ironic it is!
They had had the chance to meet rich people and they didn't like what they saw! These rich and famous perople were complaining about being famous. This upset the gc guys cos they would have willing taken their place.
Good Charlotte rock and i'm a proud fan!
Christa from Makati, OtherThis song is very true. If you don't think that, read newspapers, watch television, etc...
Matt from Millbrae, Cai think emma mite like good charlotte...just a hunch...
Renee from Sydney, AustraliaI can see how people might hate GC, but those people can't see two feet in front of them.
Renee from Sydney, AustraliaI think certain people should just give GC a break. They wouldn't have made a band if they didn't love doing it, and they only do it for the fans, cause if they had no fans they couldn't anyways. These songs are just about what the band have noticed in life, and since everybody lives, that's what they sing about.Give them a break cause GC rox!!!!!!
Rach from Norfolk, EnglandGood Charlotte wrote this song after releasing their first album, which rocks. They ahd had the chance to hang out with celebraties and they were dissappointed. All the celebrities seemed to do was moan. At this time GC just wanted to be a successful band. They couldn't understand why these people were moaning. They had achieved their goals, GC still hadn't achieved their goals. All they wanted to do was to play muic, tour and make a differance to peoples lifes. Gc do complain about things, doesn't everybody, but they never complain about their fans, they love talking to the fans, they occassionly complain when the press print rumours about them, wouldn't you?
GC relaise that they can only be in a band because of the fans so they see the fans as the main players in the band. Other celebrities seem to have forgtton this.
Amanda Couch from Manhattan, Ksthe band GC is original. They have their own style and they do what they do for the fun of doing it and not for the money. I dont care what all you haters say Im proud to say...

"I LOVE GOOD CHARLOTTE".
Matt from Millbrae, CaOriginal??? Good Charlotte (and almost every other poor excusefor a band today)rips off the styles of great bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. God won't you people learn that the only rock bands today worth listening to are Green Day, Velvet Revolver, Nickelback, Switchfoot, the Vines, and the White Stripes?
Chase from Pasadena, CaI do not know any non-white kids who like this song.

Terrible.
Jeremy from Charlottetown, CanadaGC is the most original band ever. Ive never heard punk artists rip conformity and write lyrics about feeling alone. Like i said, soooooo original.
Rob from Castaic, Cathese guys are pathetic. any magazine with gc in it and they're complaining. i read a blender magazine in the dentists office and guess what, they were complaining about being hated. i hate them because they get decked out in tatoos and studs and look like tough punkers even though they're as poppish as can be. and now that emo seems to be in style in the music world, they seem to have gone completely emogoth... come on people, these guys are sellouts and really just pathetic
Brooke from Armagh, PaFirst of all i would like to say that GC's first album was a lot better. It kind of sucks that they went totally mainstream, but im not like all the other fans who would desert them after they get famous. FIRST GC ALBUM ROCKED!! :)
Naomi from Oswestry, Englandlifestyles of the rich and famous rocks,gc have talent
Amber from Birmingham, AlThey did not write the song to get rich and famous. They just do what they love
Kathryn from Wiltshire, EnglandThey didn't write this song to get rich and famous. They're more interested in writing songs for their fans and performing live. Love this song!
Alex from St Louis, Moits an awesome song but totally ironic
Gabe from Utica, NyI don't think there can be any other song talking about celebrities in general in a better way. This song is awesome!
Will from Portland, OrThats as ironic as "New kids from the Block" naming their album "hangin' tough"
Will from Portland, OrHow can thesse guys sell out if they started out playing pop music anyways?

How ironic that they sing about lifestyles of the rich and famous, seeing that they are rich and famous. And they probably piss and moan in the rolling stone
Levy from Starkweather, NdThey wrote that song before they sold out.......
Bobby from Salmon, Idi liked the song
Rabi from Zionsville, InI fnid it odd that GC wrote a song complaining about rich and famous ppl when this song was written to get rich and famous.

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