The track plays as both a touching love song and a bitter reminder of the country’s extreme wealth disparity, written from the point of view of a fairly rich musician.
"Rich Man" serves as a moment of self-awareness for Koenig and the band, as they continue to reflect upon wealth and privilege.
"I actually remember when I first started writing that; it was when we were at the Grammys for [2013’s] "Modern Vampires of the City". Sometimes you work so hard to come up with ideas, and you’re down in the mines just trying to come up with stuff. Then other times you’re just about to leave, you listen to something, you come up with a little idea. On this long album, with songs like this and ‘Big Blue,’ they’re like these short-story songs –they’re moments. I just thought there’s something funny about the narrator of the song being like, ‘It’s so hard to find one rich man in town with a satisfied mind. But I am the one.’ It’s the trippiest song on the album."
— Ezra Koenig on Beats One
Rich Man
Vampire Weekend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One rich man in ten has a satisfied mind
And I'm the one
100 to one says I wouldn't react
But I'm the 1 in 100 who will swing right back
Yes I'm the one
Thousands of men you'd most likely decline
And yet I'm the one
10,000 to 1, could I possibly bet?
I'm compelled by your love and I haven't lost yet
Clearly you're the one
One in a million don't mean what it meant
And these millions of gold coins won't gleam when they're spent
And you're left with none
Ten million dollars
Could win the whole lot
But if ten million dollars is all that you got
You won't be the one
Hundreds of millions of papers to sign
Hundreds of millions of souls left behind
And yet we're the ones
A billion to one
Don't the odds make you sick?
To be one in a billion's a terrible trick
You're the wretched one
The lyrics of "Rich Man" by Vampire Weekend speak of being the chosen one and the desire to have a satisfied mind in a world full of materialism. The song mocks the stereotype of the rich man, suggesting the idea that money doesn't equate to happiness. The song's opening line speaks of the traditional belief that finding one wealthy person in ten with a satisfied mind, and the singer claims to be that person or the one in a hundred who can swing right back, setting themselves apart from others. The line "thousands of steps and staircases to climb" emphasizes the effort required in pursuing wealth.
The chorus expresses the singer's love for someone, saying they are the one, regardless of the odds. The lyrics also assert that money has little value, and those who pursue it are eventually left with nothing. The "ten million dollars" line is a metaphor that alludes to the idea of obtaining everything one desires but ultimately feeling unfulfilled. The song's bridge shifts to focus more on the societal implications of wealth, commenting on the hundreds of millions of people who will never see the same success, and those who do are the "wretched" ones.
Overall, "Rich Man" is a commentary on the idea that wealth and success do not bring true happiness and fulfillment. The song encourages listeners to focus on what truly matters and not get caught up in the pursuit of material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was young, I was told I'd find
As a child, I was promised that someday, I would come across
One rich man in ten has a satisfied mind
Only one affluent individual amongst ten is ever fully content with their life
And I'm the one
For some reason, I seem to be the exception to this rule
100 to one says I wouldn't react
If the odds were a hundred to one against me, most people would expect me to not respond at all
But I'm the 1 in 100 who will swing right back
However, I'm the rare individual who would indeed retaliate in such circumstances
Yes I'm the one
It might seem unlikely, but I truly am that person
Thousands of steps and staircases to climb
There are numerous obstacles and hardships one must overcome
Thousands of men you'd most likely decline
Out of many men, there are very few whom you would consider favourably
And yet I'm the one
But somehow, against all odds, I am still the chosen one
10,000 to 1, could I possibly bet?
Even if the odds were ten thousand to one against it, can I realistically bet against this?
I'm compelled by your love and I haven't lost yet
I'm driven by my love for you, and so far, I haven't been disappointed
Clearly you're the one
It's evident that you are the exceptional person I've been searching for
One in a million don't mean what it meant
Being one in a million is no longer as exceptional as it once was
And these millions of gold coins won't gleam when they're spent
Having millions of dollars may seem wonderful, but it ultimately brings no real happiness
And you're left with none
When all is said and done, you're ultimately left with nothing
Ten million dollars
Having ten million dollars
Could win the whole lot
Could potentially earn you everything you've ever wanted
But if ten million dollars is all that you got
But if that's all you end up with
You won't be the one
You'll never truly be the chosen one
Hundreds of millions of papers to sign
There are countless legal documents and agreements to take care of
Hundreds of millions of souls left behind
There are multitudes of people who will ultimately be left out or ignored
And yet we're the ones
Despite all of this, we're still the chosen ones
A billion to one
Even if the odds are one in a billion
Don't the odds make you sick?
Don't those terrible odds make you feel ill?
To be one in a billion's a terrible trick
Being the one in a billion is an unenviable situation
You're the wretched one
You're the one who is unlucky and miserable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ariel Zvi Rechtshaid, Ezra Koenig, Sooliman E. Rogie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@isaacdiaz4668
LYRICS
When I was young, I was told I'd find
One rich man in ten has a satisfied mind
And I’m the one
100 to one says I wouldn't react
But I'm the 1 in 100 who would swing right back
Yes, I’m the one
Thousands of steps and staircases to climb
Thousands of men you'd most likely decline
And yet I'm the one
10,000 to 1, could I possibly bet?
I'm compelled by your love and I haven't lost yet
Clearly, you're the one
One in a million don't mean what it meant
And these millions of gold coins don't gleam when they’re spent
You’re left with none
Ten million dollars could win the whole lot
But if ten million dollars is all that you got
You won't be the one
Hundreds of millions of papers to sign
Hundreds of millions of souls left behind
And yet, we’re the ones
A billion to one, don't the odds make you sick?
To be one in a billion's a terrible trick
You're the wretched one
When I was young, I was told I’d find
One rich man in ten has a satisfied mind
And I'm the one
@Pride317
Lyrics
When I was young, I was told I'd find
One rich man in ten has a satisfied mind
And I’m the one
A hundred to one says I wouldn't react
But I'm the one in a hundred who would swing right back
Yes, I’m the one
Thousands of steps and staircases to climb
Thousands of men you'd most likely decline
And yet I'm the one
Ten thousand to one, could I possibly bet?
I'm compelled by your love and I haven't lost yet
Clearly, you're the one
One in a million don't mean what it meant
And these millions of gold coins don't gleam when they’re spent
You’re left with none
Ten million dollars could win the whole lot
But if ten million dollars is all that you got
You won't be the one
Hundreds of millions of papers to sign
Hundreds of millions of souls left behind
And yet, we’re the ones
A billion to one, don't the odds make you sick?
To be one in a billion's a terrible trick
You're the wretched one
When I was young, I was told I’d find
One rich man in ten has a satisfied mind
And I'm the one
@killerkimm
this whole album feels like a happy and sad love letter. it's beautiful.
@elinorboese5818
Lovin the violin in this
@zhoulennon
I think this one is a love letter to Donald Trump ;)
@jarrydlinwood6607
Best description!!
@izdotcarter
I really didn’t enjoy the song with Haim. Just wasn’t my style at all.
@Batman_Fan
the african influence, the violins, the themes of wealth: this sounds like something straight off their first album. I LOVE it.
@angelinap.3840
sounds like M79's lost sibling
@nwmposula9814
Yes, it has that South African Mbaqanga music feel, Its the same sound that influenced Paul Simon's Graceland album.
@andrewvictor881
@@nwmposula9814 thank you. I’m 29, grew up listening to vampire weekend my whole life. My dad is very music oriented and he once played me Paul Simon. My automatic thought was that VW sounded exactly like him. There’s no vampire weekend without Paul Simon. More people need to realize that.
@ghostgraft3rr95
@@nwmposula9814 it’s Sierra Leonean palm wine music and the sample comes from se rogie