The Perfect Cut (Piece of Meat)

(And yet another perfect cut)
(Meat! Meat!)

Five billion dollars a year in the United States. That doesn't include personal appearance tours, doesn't include the merchandising, doesn't include the music publishing and the songwriting, and all of the ancillary tie-ins like a deal with Coca-Cola, five or ten or twelve million dollars to tie-in with a particular soft drink manufacturer
(I'd like a piece of meat)
(I'd like a piece of meat)

It depends upon at what point in their career. Certainly in the beginning of their career it could be eight percent of the retail selling price. Ten percent, twelve, it depends if their producer is included. A big superstar, you should figure, is getting about twenty percent the retail selling price of a record
(Perfect cut)
(I'd like a piece of meat)

I would think so, and maybe some kickers as well and some other bonuses, but they also get guarantees, and advances, they might get a five-million-dollar advance against their royalties, which means it's recouped against each unit they sell, but if they don't then they'd have to return that
(I said I'd like a piece of meat!)

That's the beginning of what's called a depersonalization of the artist, but that's also the beginning of the money-making process, because all of this is a business, it's making music but it's also making money
(Ten dollar bills) (Oh my God)
(Fifty dollar bills) (Oh, that's wonderful!)
(One hundred dollar bills)
(Making money, making money, making money...)
(Meat! Meat! Meat!...)

What's on everybody's lips today?
(You can cut your meat bill in half or eliminate it entirely)
Is it budget, budget, and budget, and budget
Is it budget, budget, and budget, and budget
Well...
Budget and budget, budget and budget...

Well, I suppose a little went over the high cost of eating
(I said I'd like a--)
And then he stopped
*growling*
Cut