Where did "Whaddaya want for nothin'?" start?

[Benzadmiral]

Hey, all,

I know the line was in the Blues Brothers movie, in the "Rubber Biscuit" song. But did it originate with Aykroyd and Belushi, or was it a favorite saying somewhere? Anybody have an idea?

 

[Cogito]

Sounds like something Yogi Berra would have said.

 

[Shannow]

Something that seems to have been around forever in my recollection is the rally chanting...

"what do we want ?
[insert issue here] !
when do we want it ?
NOW !!!"

Got co-opted quickly, and can be summarised

"what do we want ?
Something for Nothing !
when do we want it ?
NOW!!"

 

[eljefino]

When I was in elementary school in the early 1980's the coolest thing to do was pound out the start of Queen's "We will rock you" on the cafeteria tables. Could get the whole room rocking while the adults wished for riot gear.

Was only years later that I heard the song.

 

[PRND3L]

Not sure where the OP's quote originated, but my grandfather had a refrigerator magnet I remember that read:

"You can't get something for nothing unless someone, somewhere, somehow is getting nothing for something."