Rich Man Poor Manners
J. M. Smig Lyrics


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Rich man take a poor mans fashion
Rich man take a poor mans music
Rich man take a poor mans passion
To utilize it for his amusement
Poor man take a rich mans actions
Poor man take a rich mans tool kit
Poor man take a rich mans assets
To utilize it for revolution

Hard times take strong men
Strong men make easy times
Easy times make soft men
But soft men made these times
Hard times take strong men
Strong men make easy times
Easy times make soft men
But soft men made these times

Example
Check in the pocket this morning I'm feeling
The calling the feening that any moment I'ma cash
Feeling like I made a deposit and paid to the prophets
Of markets the paper so I can profit off of rap
Crash caught'em in their mourning men in mort age selling mortgage
Telling all they couldn't coordinate the graph
cccording to the fall but now they're crawling up the wall
While they be holding up the straw that'll be falling on your back
Crack step on the fable the men who enabled the lending
Disabled the many warnings of the math
Falling like a man on all fours the family walls
The men it involved were then absolved from the act
Fact call it what you want but when they crawling in your wallet
On the polls you know the same old song and dance
cccording to the fall but now they're crawling up the wall
While they be holding up the straw that'll be falling on your back

Rich man take a poor mans fashion
Rich man take a poor mans music
Rich man take a poor mans passion
To utilize it for his amusement
Poor man take a rich mans actions
Poor man take a rich mans tool kit
Poor man take a rich mans assets
To utilize it for revolution
Rich man take a poor mans woman
Rich man take a poor mans pride
Rich man say a war is looming
Rich man say fight fight fight
Poor man gettin raised by a woman
Poor man see the rich mans wife
Poor boy gotta rage a blooming
Poor boy gonna pay the price

Hard times take strong men
Strong men make easy times
Easy times make soft men
But soft men made these times
Hard times take strong men
Strong men make easy times
Easy times make soft men
But soft men made these times

cgain
Check in the pocket this morning I'm feeling
The calling the feening that any moment I'ma cash
Feeling like I made a deposit and paid to the prophets
Of markets the paper so I can profit off of rap
Crash caught'em in their mourning men in mort age selling mortgage
Telling all they couldn't coordinate the graph
cccording to the fall but now they're crawling up the wall
While they be holding up the straw that'll be falling on your back
Crack step on the fable the men who enabled the lending
Disabled the many warnings of the math
Falling like a man on all fours the family walls
The men it involved were then absolved from the act
Fact call it what you want but when they crawling in your wallet
On the polls you know the same old song and dance
cccording to the fall but now they're crawling up the wall
While they be holding up the straw that'll be falling on your back

They getting the best of me
Pushing and prying and stressing me
The push to be violent is temping
They lying and testing me trying to lessen me
High up and hiding they lesson me
On how to make kind the aggressive me
cll while denying they've been fortifying
cnd then codifying this recipe
But I'll co-defy in this recipe
Never behind all the bars that they set for me
Never behind cause I'm always ahead of thee
Up in your mind I mean really a head of me
They got a head only good for confetti I
Swing at it blindly until I have emptied see




I can go Mayan and climb up that triangle eye
Then it's *slice I am beheading thee

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of J. M. Smig's song "Rich Man Poor Manners" explore themes of inequality, exploitation, and resistance. The first verse reflects on how the rich often appropriate and commodify aspects of poor people's lives, such as fashion, music, and passions, for their own amusement. Conversely, the poor take actions, tools, and assets from the rich to utilize them for revolution, suggesting a desire for social change and redistribution of power.


The chorus emphasizes the cyclical nature of societal conditions. Hard times require strong individuals to overcome challenges, but when easy times come, people become complacent and soft. This pattern ultimately leads to the creation of the current state of affairs, where the soft men have contributed to shaping the present circumstances.


The example verse delves into the consequences of the greed and corruption within economic systems. It criticizes those who profited from the housing market crash and manipulated lending practices, highlighting their disregard for warnings and the impact on ordinary people. The verse suggests that while the rich continue to benefit, the poor bear the burden and face the consequences of these actions.


The second half of the song echoes similar themes as the first verse, emphasizing the rich exploiting poor people's possessions, pride, and even their lives for their own gain. The lyrics also touch on gender dynamics, with a poor man being raised by a woman while experiencing the presence of the rich man's wife, symbolizing the imbalance of power across social classes.


In the bridge section, the lyrics express frustration with those in power who push, pry, and stress the singer. The temptation to resort to violence is mentioned, highlighting the oppressive tactics used to suppress resistance. However, the singer remains defiant, refusing to be diminished or constrained by the manipulations of the powerful. The lyrics imply a determination to overcome the challenges through resilience and an unwillingness to conform to the expectations set by the ruling class.


Line by Line Meaning

Check in the pocket this morning I'm feeling
Searching through my pockets this morning, I'm experiencing


The calling the feening that any moment I'ma cash
The urge, the craving that at any moment I will succeed


Feeling like I made a deposit and paid to the prophets
Feeling as if I have invested and paid homage to the leaders


Of markets the paper so I can profit off of rap
Of the business world and the money so I can benefit from my music


Crash caught'em in their mourning men in mort age selling mortgage
The crash exposed them, those who were mourning, men caught up in selling mortgages


Telling all they couldn't coordinate the graph
Admitting their failure to accurately predict the market trends


cccording to the fall but now they're crawling up the wall
Following the economic decline, but now they're desperately trying to recover


While they be holding up the straw that'll be falling on your back
While they're holding onto the straw that will eventually burden you


Crack step on the fable the men who enabled the lending
Crack down on the lies and deception of those who facilitated the lending


Disabled the many warnings of the math
Ignored the numerous warning signs of the calculations and statistics


Falling like a man on all fours the family walls
Falling like a man who is desperate, on his hands and knees, his family being affected


The men it involved were then absolved from the act
The men who were part of causing the issue were then relieved of responsibility


Fact call it what you want but when they crawling in your wallet
Fact, call it what you want, but when they're digging into your finances


On the polls you know the same old song and dance
When it comes to politics, you know the repetitive tactics


They getting the best of me
They are overpowering me


Pushing and prying and stressing me
Pushing, prying, and causing me stress


The push to be violent is temping
The temptation to resort to violence is being pushed onto me


They lying and testing me trying to lessen me
They are lying and testing me, attempting to diminish my worth


High up and hiding they lesson me
Being in positions of power and hiding the lessons I should learn


On how to make kind the aggressive me
On how to make me, who is inherently kind, become aggressive


cll while denying they've been fortifying
Continuing to deny that they have been strengthening their own position


cnd then codifying this recipe
And then formalizing this method or plan


But I'll co-defy in this recipe
But I will defy the norms set by this plan


Never behind all the bars that they set for me
Never trapped by the restrictions they impose on me


Never behind cause I'm always ahead of thee
Never trailing behind because I am always one step ahead


Up in your mind I mean really a head of me
In your mind, I am truly ahead of you


They got a head only good for confetti I
Their head is only good for celebration, like confetti


Swing at it blindly until I have emptied see
I will swing at it blindly until I have exhausted all my efforts


I can go Mayan and climb up that triangle eye
I can rise like the Mayans and reach the pinnacle of enlightenment


Then it's *slice I am beheading thee
Then it's a swift strike, I am overthrowing you




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jérémy Souillart

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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J. M. Smig


on Hey Hey My My

Wrong lyrics. Neil Young cover. Listen at jmsmig.bandcamp.com. Hail Satan.

J. M. Smig


on Black Coffee Waltz

My compliments to the genuine schizophrenics imagining lyrics to my instrumental music. I love this site.