Monday, August 25, 2014

The Rich Man and the Poor Man

The Rich Man and the Poor Man:



by Bob Miller, native Memphian, who died on August 26 in 1955.

lyrics:
There's just two kind of people, the sinner and the saint;
There's one that gets and always got while the other poor one ain't.
Oh, the rich man drives his Lincoln past the red light with a grin,
And the poor man follows right behind in his little hunk of tin.
There's a motorcycle copper following upon their trail;
Oh, the rich man tears his ticket, but the poor man goes to jail.
Oh, the rich man takes the high road anywhere that he may go,
But when the poor man's travelin' he must always take the low.
So if you're rich you'll travel snug as peas are in the pod;
Oh, the rich man rides a cushion and the poor man rides the rods.

Oh, the rich man when he's ailing stays at home and calls the doc,
But the poor man has to go to work, be in time to punch a clock.
The rich man takes his medicine, has his doctors and his nurse;
So the rich man he gets better but the poor man he gets worse!

Oh, the rich man steals a million from the bank that he controls,
While the poor man steals a loaf of bread or a penny's worth of rolls.
They take them to the courthouse, one is laughing, one's in tears;
Oh, the rich man gets an apology while the poor man gets ten years!

Oh, the rich man gets a lawyer and the lawyer pleads his case,
While the poor man asks for sympathy but of that there is no trace.
So if you're rich don't worry but the poor must give up hope;
Oh, the rich man gets acquitted while the poor man gets the rope!

Oh, the rich man when he kicks off has a casket made of gold,
While the poor man has a wooden box and his grave looks mighty cold.
The rich man gets a sermon but here's one thing that's sure,
When the rich man takes that last long ride he's as much dead as the poor!

4 comments:

  1. That last line says it all. When you're dead, you aren't any better off than the poor man. I thought those were lovely lyrics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looks like it's an age-old problem. The song is just as relevant now as when it was written.

      Delete
  2. I hadn't heard this before, but I just love the lyrics. I don't think it'll ever lose relevance,.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't hear these kinds of protest or social commentary songs any more, but maybe I just don't know where to look.

      Delete