Lyr Req: Ain't We Got Fun? (Kahn/Egan/Whiting)

Subject: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: GUEST,Ethan and Anais
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 11:54 AM

Hallo, Mudcats!

We're looking for some lyrics to a song which contains the line:

"The rich get richer and the poor get children"

My brother thinks it was a jazz or bigband song. Can you help? Or can you direct us to a directory that could direct us to it? Thanks awfully.

Love, Ethan and Anais.

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: thosp
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 12:00 PM

sounds like a Sophie Tucker song to me --- i'll see if i can track it down

peace (Y) thosp

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 12:05 PM

AIN'T WE GOT FUN Words by Gus Kahn & Raymond B. Egan Music by Richard Whiting 1921

you can find the lyrics at several sites: Try a search for "Ain't We Got Fun" at google.com

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: The Shambles
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 12:38 PM

In the song above, is it not, 'the rich get rich and the poor get poorer'? Rather than children? It rhymes with line before 'there's nothing surer'.

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: GUEST,Ethan and Anais
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 12:49 PM

HEY! That was speedy- Thanks a bunch. There's a lot of smart Cats in this CyberMud.

We expected someone to start something political: "You know, the rich really do get richer..." or something. Maybe there's still hope. Take it away, Mudcats.

Love, Ethan and Anais.

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 12:59 PM

I have a recording of the original Van and Shenck hit, from August, 1921, and they sing "The rich get rich and the poor get children"

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: The Shambles
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 01:28 PM

M. Ted

Was there a rhyme for children?

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 03:48 PM

Sham, actually that WAS the joke in the song. Listeners were expecting the word "poorer" and got "children" instead. It's true through ain't it?

Rick

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: Songster Bob
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 04:05 PM

Another line, not from that song (nor any song I know, other'n one I'm working on) that hits the spot:

The rich and the poor can both get free ice -- the rich in the summer, and the poor in the winter.

Bob Clayton

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: The Shambles
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 04:15 PM

Well the best things in life (like children) are not exactly free but they don't cost money.

Rick

Thanks for explaining the joke but M. Ted said that was on the original recording, so would we be expecting anything? All the times I have heard subsequent versions, it has always been 'poorer'? So I am still a little puzzled.

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 06:02 PM

"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" one of those "old sayings", even in those days--Van and Shenk were a musical comedy team and had had a string of hits, including "For Me and My Gal" and "Mandy" and some lesser ditties like "In the Land O' Yamo Yamo" and "After You Get What You Want, You Don"t Want It"

I may be force to look for the record and relate the lyrics, which I believe, are more elaborate than the ones that tend to be archieved--

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: SDShad
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 06:10 PM

Surely, Shambles, you're not suggesting that children don't cost money?

Well, okay, technically, the actual miniature human being might not come with a price tag, but man, prenatal care alone.....

Chris

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: wildlone
Date: 31 Mar 00 - 06:19 PM

I have heard said "you get the children you deserve".

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 11:02 AM

Unfortunately my parents (who were hard working straight arrows) didn't.

Rick

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: Susan of DT
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 09:59 PM

From dick greenhaus--

Ev-'ry morn-ing Ev-'ry eve-ning Ain't we got fun,
Not much mon-ey, Oh but hon-ey, Ain't We Got Fun
The rent's un-paid dear, We have-nt a bus,
But smiles were made dear, for peo-ple like us
In the win-ter, in the sum-mer, Don't we have fun,
Times are bum and get-ting bum-mer, Still we have fun
There's nothing sur-er, The rich get rich and the poor get child-ren
In the mean-time, In be-tween time, Ain't we got fun.

Don't blame me--Gus Kahn wrote it.

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: GUEST,Paul Crawte
Date: 02 Apr 00 - 05:22 AM

Rory Mcleod did a song called "Collector Man", about the problems of poverty for kids and the like. This includes a line like "The rich get lots of money, and the poor get lots of kiddies..."

Great song.

Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: The Shambles
Date: 02 Apr 00 - 05:51 AM

The rich get rich the poor get children

The rich get children, and then get 'nannies'.

Subject: Lyr Add: AIN'T WE GOT FUN (Kahn, Egan, Whiting)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Apr 04 - 02:44 AM

Lyrics copied from http://www.geocities.com/dferg5493/aintwegotfun.htm

You can also hear a sound file of the first 2 verses at The Virtual Gramophone.

AIN'T WE GOT FUN
(Words, Gus Kahn and Raymond B. Egan. Music, Richard Whiting. 1921.)

VERSE 1: Bill collectors gather round and rather haunt the cottage next door,
Men the grocer and butcher sent and men who call for the rent;
But within, a happy chappie and his bride of only a year
Seem to be so cheerful. Here's an earful of the chatter you hear:

CHORUS 1: Ev'ry morning, ev'ry evening, ain't we got fun?
Not much money, oh, but honey, ain't we got fun?
The rent's unpaid, dear. We haven't a bus.
But smiles were made, dear, for people like us.
In the winter, in the summer, don't we have fun?
Times are bum and getting bummer. Still we have fun.
There's nothing surer: the rich get rich and the poor get children.
In the meantime, in-between-time, ain't we got fun?

VERSE 2: Just to make their trouble nearly double, something happened last night.
To their chimney a gray bird came. Mister Stork is his name.
And I'll bet two pins a pair of twins just happened in with the bird.
Still they're very gay and merry. Just at dawning I heard:

CHORUS 2: Ev'ry morning, ev'ry evening, don't we have fun?
Twin and cares, dear, come in pairs, dear. Don't we have fun?
We've only started at mommer and pop.
Are we down-hearted? I'll say that we're not.
Landlord's mad and getting madder. Ain't we got fun?
Times are bad and getting badder. Still we have fun.
There's nothing surer: the rich get rich and the poor get laid off.
In the meantime, in-between-time, ain't we got fun?

VERSE 3: When the man who sold 'em carpets told 'em, he would take them away,
They said "Wonderful! here's our chance! Take them up, and we'll dance!"
And when burglars came and robb'd them, taking all their silver, they say,
Hubby yell'd "We're famous, for they'll name us in the papers today!"

CHORUS 3: Night or daytime, it's all playtime. Ain't we got fun?
Hot or cold days, any old days, ain't we got fun?
If wifie wishes to go to a play,
Don't wash the dishes. Just throw them away!
Street car seats are awful narrow. Ain't we got fun?
They won't smash up our Pierce Arrow. Ain't we got fun?
They've cut my wages, but my income tax will be so much smaller.
When I'm paid off, I'll be laid off. Ain't we got fun?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: GUEST,Passerby
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 12:30 AM

This song is used in Fitzgerald's book The Great Gatsby (chapter 5), but the lyrics are listed as "One thing's sure and nothing's surer- something I've never seen before. Any explanations?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 06:34 AM

boys will be boys



and girls wil be mothers.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rich get richer, poor get children
From: Joe_F
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 05:23 PM

One does get the impression that this song has entered the folk tradition. The following lines are heard on _The Music of the 1920`s_ (Enoch Light & the Charleston City All Stars, MCA2-4176):

Although we can't pay the grocer
Ain't we got fun?
Tax collector's getting closer --
Ain't we got fun?

Also, it has "We haven't a car" & "We'll stay as we are". Probably these changes were meant for the American market.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't We Got Fun? (Kahn/Egan/Whiting)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 12:55 AM

You can see the sheet music to AIN'T WE GOT FUN at the Archive of Popular Music at UCLA. (Click for a PDF.) The lyrics in the sheet music are the same as the lyrics to the first 2 verses and choruses posted above. I don't know where the 3rd verse and chorus came from.

You can also hear Billy Jones sing it at YouTube. (The YouTube entry misidentifies it as being by Billy Jones & Ernest Hare.)

www.78discography.com reports that Billy Jones recorded this song on the Vocalion Aeolian label (14191B) in 1921; also on the Okeh label (4325). I can find no evidence that Jones & Hare recorded this song together.