Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV?

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town?
I'm counting on you, Lord, please don't let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town?

Everybody!
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

That's it!



Lyrics submitted by Balthasar

Track duration: 02:12

"Mercedes Benz" as written by Ruth Maria Renner, Vincent Graf Von Schlippenbach, David Conen, Jerome Bugnon

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Mercedes Benz song meanings
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30 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This song is seriously entertaining when you turn it up loud and drive with the windows down in your Mercedes-Benz. Or it could make you look like you're not in touch with reality. Or just plain greedy to ask for it when you've already got one. Save some prayer room for the poor git who only has a beemer.
    Flag superbadkittyon May 23, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think Janis is spoofing on people who pray for material luxuries.

    Prayer is supposed to be deeply spiritual. But here in the USA, we have ranting, raving, televangelists who tell us that if we give them enough money, god will reward us financially. It's shameful, and it really is a joke.
    Flag walterbyrdon February 29, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:One interesting part is her "Everybody!". It seems to me that she is not making an exception in her criticism of materialism, and bringing it to the end. Materialism seems to be a part of everyone of us, even in her, or the audience she is singing to, and that thinks that it is so enlightened and knowing.

    This could even be interpreted as an allusion to, at her time popular, dialectical materialistic thinking (although I admit, this could be a bit far fetched ;-)).
    Flag FallenWestwallon May 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Janis was actually a big fan of my father in law who did many different things which included playing Mm. Fortune on dialing for dollars in port arthur. While spending some time back home she was watching the show and wrote this song.
    Flag MrsHinsonon October 07, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:(this is a joke guys...)

    Shes CLEARLY asking Jesus to buy her a Mercedes, a color tv, and to go out to some partys cause jesus is just pimpin like that.
    Flag Ath20wjon August 23, 2008   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:I really don't want to offend anyone and I think Janis Joplin is great but this song is just...aweful. I can't listen to it. She sounds so bad.
    Flag Evil Timon April 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song was written how people tend to believe money and material posessions make them happy. I mean, kind-of ironic how she talks about wanting a Mercedes Benz, when she had her dream car, which was a Porsche..? Haha.
    Flag xbizzyxon January 04, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:She is making fun of the materialistic desires of the majority of society. Our infatuation with spiffy cars, fancy meals and drinks, as well as high-tech gadgets. This world is full of greedy bastards.
    Flag brighteyes602on January 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is clearly a song of great social and political import.
    Flag artsluton April 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I absolutly love this song. And how it's accapela.
    Flag jdeppsfavfan1on March 30, 2007   Link

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