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440:"Legal Tender" is an upbeat, synthesizer-based track with a drum machine and hand-clap rhythm. The lead vocals are shared by Pierson and Wilson. The song appears as the opening track on the band's third studio album,
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festival. When the band toured Brazil in 2009, omitting the song from the live set, fans chanted for them to play it. Because of the song's popularity in Brazil, it appeared on the
Brazilian version of
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Pierson and Wilson sing about counterfeiting cash in the basement, using it as a feminist metaphor for outsmarting the patriarchy. (New Wave girls love to sing about stealing.)
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on synthesizer, and horn parts added. The band has also performed the song on various occasions throughout the years.
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649:"B-52s - Shiny Happy People", SameSame, Interview with Kate Pierson, by Christian Taylor. July 27, 2009
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446:(1983), signifying that the band had altered their sound quite significantly for the record.
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chart entry, peaking at #81. The song also reached #9 on the U.S.
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The B-52's Time
Capsule: Videos for a Future Generation 1979–1998
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The lyrics of "Legal Tender" tell a story about printing
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Joel
Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012
620:"The 100 Best Songs of 1983, the Year Pop Went Crazy"
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46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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449:"Legal Tender" was performed live during the
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487:The song was a 1984 airplay and club hit in
978:Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation
594:Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia
501:Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation
395:" is the first single released by American
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106:Learn how and when to remove this message
1216:With the Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, GA
944:With the Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, GA
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136:
985:Nude on the Moon: The B-52's Anthology
437:, in wigs of many shapes and colors.
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618:Sheffield, Rob (February 24, 2023).
44:adding citations to reliable sources
1079:Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland
590:"The Deadbeat Club Edition, Part 1"
14:
1286:Songs written by Keith Strickland
588:Molanphy, Chris (June 29, 2018).
476:chart, along with album tracks "
465:The single was the band's third
20:
1276:Songs written by Fred Schneider
425:and rising prices. A companion
31:needs additional citations for
692:. Record Research. p. 34.
674:. Record Research. p. 79.
403:from their third studio album
1:
1291:Songs written by Cindy Wilson
1281:Songs written by Kate Pierson
419:counterfeit American currency
1065:Song for a Future Generation
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482:Song for a Future Generation
883:Bouncing Off the Satellites
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690:Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003
510:(2002) compilation album.
1301:Works about money forgery
1093:(Shake That) Cosmic Thing
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118:1983 single by the B-52's
55:"Legal Tender" song
429:was produced featuring
1296:Warner Records singles
1163:(Meet) The Flintstones
1142:Tell It Like It T-I-Is
1019:Dance This Mess Around
1191:Juliet of the Spirits
654:July 6, 2011, at the
1245:Athens Rock Lobsters
1135:Is That You Mo-Dean?
40:improve this article
1239:Rocko's Modern Life
1156:Hot Pants Explosion
1040:Give Me Back My Man
1033:Party Out of Bounds
564:Hot Dance Club Play
474:Hot Dance Club Play
333:Give Me Back My Man
714:(list of releases)
322:singles chronology
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796:Sterling Campbell
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461:Chart performance
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57: –
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51:Find sources:
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35:
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29:This article
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18:
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1266:1983 singles
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1047:Legal Tender
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1005:Rock Lobster
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962:Compilations
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890:Cosmic Thing
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843:Julee Cruise
818:Ricky Wilson
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782:Cindy Wilson
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761:Kate Pierson
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708:Legal Tender
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631:September 4,
629:. Retrieved
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601:. Retrieved
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435:Kate Pierson
431:Cindy Wilson
416:
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393:Legal Tender
392:
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342:Legal Tender
341:
284:Ricky Wilson
279:Cindy Wilson
264:Kate Pierson
247:Warner Bros.
150:
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96:January 2014
93:
83:
76:
69:
62:
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38:Please help
33:verification
30:
1233:Discography
1058:Whammy Kiss
935:Live albums
924:Mesopotamia
869:Wild Planet
833:Zack Alford
828:Paul Gordon
596:(Podcast).
494:Rock in Rio
478:Whammy Kiss
453:tour, with
427:music video
413:Description
368:Music video
351:Whammy Kiss
307:Producer(s)
295:Lyricist(s)
255:Composer(s)
1306:1983 songs
1260:Categories
1128:Good Stuff
1107:Love Shack
971:Party Mix!
897:Good Stuff
862:The B-52's
810:Greg Suran
803:Ken Maiuri
575:References
401:the B-52's
320:The B-52's
143:the B-52's
66:newspapers
1100:Channel Z
838:Pat Irwin
749:The B-52s
561:Billboard
534:Billboard
526:position
468:Billboard
423:inflation
212:Synth-pop
166:"Moon 83"
823:Sara Lee
688:(2004).
670:(2013).
652:Archived
603:July 30,
551:Top 100
409:(1983).
397:new wave
217:new wave
179:Recorded
171:Released
1184:Funplex
1051:Moon 83
996:Singles
904:Funplex
876:Whammy!
712:Discogs
548:Cashbox
536:Hot 100
480:" and "
470:Hot 100
451:Whammy!
443:Whammy!
406:Whammy!
380:YouTube
355:(1983)
346:(1983)
337:(1980)
152:Whammy!
80:scholar
1170:Debbie
489:Brazil
225:Length
197:Nassau
188:Studio
161:B-side
139:Single
82:
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710:" at
598:Slate
559:U.S.
545:U.S.
531:U.S.
399:band
242:Label
205:Genre
87:JSTOR
73:books
1201:DVDs
1114:Roam
633:2023
605:2023
524:Peak
433:and
182:1982
174:1983
59:news
1086:Wig
1049:"/"
915:EPs
554:81
540:81
484:."
378:on
141:by
42:by
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