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31 Mar 00 - 11:54 AM (#204576) Subject: Rich get richer, poor get children From: GUEST,Ethan and Anais 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. |
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31 Mar 00 - 12:00 PM (#204578) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: thosp sounds like a Sophie Tucker song to me --- i'll see if i can track it down peace (Y) thosp |
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31 Mar 00 - 12:05 PM (#204583) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: dick greenhaus 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 |
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31 Mar 00 - 12:38 PM (#204601) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: The Shambles 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'. |
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31 Mar 00 - 12:49 PM (#204607) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: GUEST,Ethan and Anais 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. |
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31 Mar 00 - 12:59 PM (#204610) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: M. Ted (inactive) 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" |
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31 Mar 00 - 01:28 PM (#204623) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: The Shambles M. Ted Was there a rhyme for children? |
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31 Mar 00 - 03:48 PM (#204716) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: Rick Fielding 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 |
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31 Mar 00 - 04:05 PM (#204731) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: Songster Bob 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 |
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31 Mar 00 - 04:15 PM (#204734) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: The Shambles 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. |
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31 Mar 00 - 06:02 PM (#204788) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: M. Ted (inactive) "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--
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31 Mar 00 - 06:10 PM (#204791) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: SDShad 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 |
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31 Mar 00 - 06:19 PM (#204795) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: wildlone I have heard said "you get the children you deserve". |
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01 Apr 00 - 11:02 AM (#205090) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: Rick Fielding Unfortunately my parents (who were hard working straight arrows) didn't. Rick |
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01 Apr 00 - 09:59 PM (#205433) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: Susan of DT From dick greenhaus--
Ev-'ry morn-ing Ev-'ry eve-ning Ain't we got fun, Don't blame me--Gus Kahn wrote it. |
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02 Apr 00 - 05:22 AM (#205539) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: GUEST,Paul Crawte 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. |
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02 Apr 00 - 05:51 AM (#205544) Subject: RE: Rich get richer, poor get children From: The Shambles The rich get rich the poor get children The rich get children, and then get 'nannies'. |
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08 Apr 04 - 02:44 AM (#1157230) Subject: Lyr Add: AIN'T WE GOT FUN (Kahn, Egan, Whiting) From: Jim Dixon 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? |
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26 Apr 04 - 12:30 AM (#1170888) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rich get richer, poor get children From: GUEST,Passerby 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? |
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26 Apr 04 - 06:34 AM (#1171052) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rich get richer, poor get children From: GUEST,noddy boys will be boys and girls wil be mothers. |
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26 Apr 04 - 05:23 PM (#1171657) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rich get richer, poor get children From: Joe_F 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. |
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02 Sep 11 - 12:55 AM (#3216860) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't We Got Fun? (Kahn/Egan/Whiting) From: Jim Dixon 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. |