Graceland
Tomb of a millionaire,
A multi-millionaire, ladies and gentlemen,
Place of the dead where they spend every year
The usury of twenty-five thousand dollars
For upkeep and flowers
To keep fresh the memory of the dead.
The merchant prince gone to dust
Commanded in his written will
Over the signed name of his last testament
Twenty-five thousand dollars be set aside
For roses, lilacs, hydrangeas, tulips,
For perfume and color, sweetness of remembrance
Around his last long home.
(A hundred cash girls want nickels to go to the movies to-night.
In the back stalls of a hundred saloons, women are at tables
Drinking with men or waiting for men jingling loose silver dollars in their pockets.
In a hundred furnished rooms is a girl who sells silk or dress goods or leather stuff for six dollars a week wages
And when she pulls on her stockings in the morning she is reckless about God and the newspapers and the police, the talk of her home town or the name people call her.)
poem by Carl Sandburg
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Hard Currency
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
A half, a million dollars
A million dollars
Fourteen million
Why?
Ten million
Fourteen million
Dont you ever think of money?
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why? !?
A half, a million dollars
A million dollars
Fourteen million
Why?
Ten million
Fourteen million
Dont you ever think of money?
As much cash as possible
As much cash as possible
As much cash as possible!!!
song performed by by Information Society
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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100,000 Pennies
I broke into the bank on Sunday,
You should see the money I got.
I couldn't drag it home 'til Monday,
'Cause it sure weighed an awful lot.
Then I sat down to count it,
And much to my surprise,
A whole lotta little brown, little round coins,
Rolled out before my eyes
Chorus:
I've got a hundred thousand dollars worth of pennies,
Not a solitary dollar or a dime,
And I don't believe there's many,
Rich men with a problem like mine.
And I don't think this is any
Kind of ending to a perfect crime.
I've got a hundred thousand dollars worth of pennies,
And I'm spendin' it a penny at a time!
Now a steak sure would taste delicious,
And I've forgot how a beer would feel,
But the man just might get suspicious,
If I gave him eight hundred pennies for a meal.
So I guess I'll just weigh myself again,
And buy me another stick of gum,
I've got a hundred thousand dollars worth of pennies, Lord!
And I'm livin' like a penniless bum!
Chorus:
I've got a hundred thousand dollars worth of pennies,
Not a solitary dollar or a dime,
And I don't believe there's many,
Rich men with a problem like mine.
poem by Sheldon Allan Silverstein
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I'll promise to go easier on drinking and to get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty thousand dollars, or two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars will I give up women. They're too much fun.
When we took on the name The Drifters, we became the new Drifters, and signed a contract to be put on salary, which I think was like a hundred dollars a week, a piece, five hundred dollars for all five of us.
quote by Ben E. King
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I don't gamble, because winning a hundred dollars doesn't give me great pleasure. But losing a hundred dollars pisses me off.
quote by Alex Trebek
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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One Hundred Thousand Marching
One hundred thousand marching
One hundred thousand men
One hundred thousand heading
To a place and a time when
One hundred thousand dying
One hundred thousand cold
One hundred thousand praying
Forever young and never old
One hundred thousand lives were lost
One hundred thousand felt the pain
One hundred thousand maimed and slaughtered
And yet those armies march again.
poem by David Keig
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Could Use A New Suit
I have misplaced twenty dollars.
And it drove me crazy,
That I could not find it.
But misplacing six hundred million dollars?
And claiming not to know where it is...
When it belongs to someone else too,
Smells of theft.
Misappropriation.
Fraud.
And, a willingness to publicly do it.
Call this whatever name it is given.
To describe the loss as a misunderstanding,
And a mistake of accounting procedures...?
That will be corrected and not happen again?
Uh...
But...
Where is the money?
Whose pockets did it line?
This...
Can not be blamed,
On the shift of unexpected bad weather!
'But...
Could that be used as a possibility? '
And...
If it is as easy as that to take and not find?
Who are these people...
That can get away doing this time after time?
I want in on this action.
I could use a new suit!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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We can pay teachers a hundred thousand dollars a year, and we'll do nothing to improve our schools as long as we keep the A, B, C, D, F grading system.
quote by William Glasser
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Factory Girl
She wasn't the least bit pretty,
And only the least bit gay;
And she walked with a firm elastic tread,
In a business-like kind of way.
Her dress was of coarse, brown woollen,
Plainly but neatly made,
Trimmed with some common ribbon
Or cheaper kind of braid;
And a hat with a broken feather,
And shawl of a modest plaid.
Her face seemed worn and weary,
And traced with lines of care,
As her nut-brown tresses blew aside
In the keen December air;
Yet she was not old, scarce twenty,
And her form was full and sleek,
But her heavy eye, and tired step,
Seemed of wearisome toil to speak;
She worked as a common factory girl
For two dollars and a half a week.
Ten hours a day of labor
In a close, ill-lighted room;
Machinery's buzz for music,
Waste gas for sweet perfume;
Hot stifling vapors in summer,
Chill draughts on a winter's day,
No pause for rest or pleasure
On pain of being sent away;
So ran her civilized serfdom --
Four cents an hour the pay.
"A fair day's work," say the masters,
And "a fair day's pay," say the men;
There's a strike -- a rise in wages,
What effect to the poor girl then?
A harder struggle than ever
The honest path to keep;
And so sink a little lower,
Some humbler home to seek;
For living is dearer -- her wages,
Two dollars and a half a week.
A man gets thrice the money,
But then "a man's a man,
"And a woman surely can't expect
"To earn as much as he can."
Of his hire the laborer's worthy,
Be that laborer who it may;
If a woman can do a man's work
She should have a man's full pay,
Not to be left to starve -- or sin --
On forty cents a day.
Two dollars and a half to live on,
Or starve on, if you will;
Two dollars and a half to dress on,
And a hungry mouth to fill;
Two dollars and a half to lodge on
In some wretched hole or den,
Where crowds are huddled together,
Girls, and women, and men;
If she sins to escape her bondage
Is there room for wonder then.
poem by John Arthur Phillips
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A man has one hundred dollars and you leave him with two dollars, that's subtraction.
Twenty-nine Thousand Four Hundred Seven Sunsets
Twenty-nine thousand four hundred seven sunsets
With one same sun on the one same sea.
In the early days by my mother’s side,
Though she’d often tell me of the sun and of the sea,
I seldom watched, and never for long,
The slow dissolve,
The melt and plunge,
Now you see it, now you don’t-
So many sunsets lost.
Twenty-nine thousand four hundred seven sunsets
With one same sun on the one same sea.
The years of my youth were marked by friends and sport,
Often whole days on the beach-
Raging winds and mammoth waves
Or a still, glass sea, not a cloud in the sky,
And every shade in between.
I rarely fathomed the myriad shapes and colors,
An ever-changing landscape-
So very many sunsets lost.
Twenty-nine thousand four hundred seven sunsets
With one same sun on the one same sea.
The middle-aged years pinned me to my work;
Yet through a window from time to time,
Or on holiday, if I risked the break,
I’d notice how lovely a sunset could be-
So very many sunsets lost forever.
Twenty-nine thousand four hundred seven sunsets
With one same sun on the one same sea.
At last, in these final days, each sunset is anticipated, craved.
Regardless the mood of the sea, it will receive the sun.
No matter the face of the sky, it will let go the same.
The sun itself, always churning, always burning,
Swells with new brilliance, new radiance and splendor
Each time it approaches the sea,
Then morphs into a molten pool on the sea’s surface
Before plunging from view-
Never more a sunset lost.
Twenty-nine thousand four hundred seven sunsets
With one same sun on the one same sea.
Then one glorious day,
The day of my twenty-nine thousand four hundred and sixth sunset,
And I at my usual place along the shore,
Saw the sun rise out of the sea from where it had just set!
The sun rose back up into the sky, and
In the very next moment on the very same day, it set again.
I experienced my twenty-nine thousand four hundred and seventh sunset,
The second in one day!
Oh glorious day!
A sunset gained.
Twenty-nine thousand four hundred seven sunsets
With one same sun on the one same sea.
(In 2 Kings 20: 9-11 the Lord made the shadow go back 10 steps. Certainly, at that exact moment, somewhere in the world, someone saw the sun dissolve on the horizon and then rise again.)
See-line Woman
George bass
Yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Alright ye
See-line woman
She drink coffee
She drink tea
And then go home
See-line woman
See-line woman
Dressed in green
Wears silk stockings
With golden seams
See-line woman
See-line woman
Dressed in red
Make a man lose his head
See-line woman
See-line woman
Black dress on
For a thousand dollars
She wail and she moan
See-line woman
Wiggle wiggle
Turn like a cat
Wink at a man
And he wink back
Now child
See-line woman
Empty his pockets
And wreck his days
Make him love her
And shell fly away
See-line woman
Take it on out now
Empty his pockets
And she wreck his days
And she make him love her
Then she sure fly away
She got a black dress on
For a thousand dollars
She wail and she moan...
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sea Line Woman
George Bass
yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
alright ye
see-line woman
she drink coffee
she drink tea
and then go home
see-line woman
see-line woman
dressed in green
wears silk stockings
with golden seams
see-line woman
see-line woman
dressed in red
make a man lose his head
see-line woman
see-line woman
black dress on
for a thousand dollars
she wail and she moan
see-line woman
wiggle wiggle
turn like a cat
wink at a man
and he wink back
now child
see-line woman
empty his pockets
and wreck his days
make him love her
and she'll fly away
see-line woman
take it on out now
empty his pockets
and she wreck his days
and she make him love her
then she sure fly away
she got a black dress on
for a thousand dollars
she wail and she moan...
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I can't stand cheap people. It makes me real mad when someone says something like 'Hey, when are you going to pay me that hundred dollars you owe me' or 'Do you have that fifty dollars you borrowed' Man, quit being so cheap
Jack Handey in Deep Thoughts
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dust Bowl
[ music: robert buck/words: natalie merchant ]
I should know to leave them home.
They follow me through the store with these toys I cant afford.
Kids, take them back, you know better than that.
Dolls that talk, astronauts, t.v. games, airplanes, they dont understand and how can I explain?
I try and try but I cant save.
Pennies, nickels, dollars slip away.
Ive tried and tried but I cant save.
My youngest girl has bad fever, sure.
All night with alcohol to cool and rub her down.
Ruby, Im tired, try and get some sleep.
Im adding doctors fees to remedies with the cost of three days work lost.
I try and try but I cant save.
Pennies, nickels, dollars slip away.
Ive tried and tried but I cant save.
The hole in my pocketbook is growing.
Theres a new wind blowing they say, its gonna be a cold, cold one.
So brace yourselves my darlings, it wont bring anything much our way but more dust bowl days.
I played a card in this weeks game.
Took the first and the last letters in three of their names.
This lotterys been building up for weeks.
I could be lucky me with the five million prize, tears of disbelief spilling out of my eyes.
I try and try but I cant save.
Pennies, nickels, dollars slip away.
Ive tried and tried but I cant save.
The hole in my pocketbook is growing.
Theres a new wind blowing they say, its gonna be a cold, cold one.
So brace yourselves my darlings, it wont bring anything much our way but more dust bowl days.
song performed by by 10000 Maniacs
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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You'll Get Over It
I seem to be less concerned about your anguish?
I tell you what...
Take twenty years off of my life.
Put one hundred thousand dollars cash in my hand.
Tell me things are going to smell like 'Begonias'
For the rest of my life.
And I'll even make you a batch of my homemade pancakes,
To throw in on the side.
Until further notice...
If you do not see me doing a foxtrot,
With the sounds of a polka.
You can bet...
I am experiencing a happiness shortage.
And your anguish,
Somehow...
Has lost a few beats with my rhythm.
You'll Get over it!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Token Back To Brooklyn
The token back to brooklyn fell between the grating
And were just watching it sinking
The fare went up to one hundred dollars
And we can never go home again
The bill collectors drinking lighter fluid
And says hell tell our parents
Our feet start running at a furious pace
But we cant get away
Notes
The dial-a-song demo version (sometimes called get away):
Get away
Get away
The token back to brooklyn fell between the grating
And were just watching it sinking
The fare went up to one hundred dollars
And we can never go home again
The fare collectors drinking lighter fluid
And claims he killed our parents
Our feet start running at a furious pace
But we cant get away
song performed by by They Might Be Giants
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sitting On A Barbed-wire Fence
I paid fifteen million dollars, twelve hundred and seventy-two cents
I paid one thousand two hundred twenty-seven dollars and fifty-five cents
See my hound dog bite a rabbit
And my footballs sittin on a barbed-wire fence
Well, my temperature rises and my feet dont walk so fast
Yes, my temperature rises and my feet dont walk so fast
Well, this arabian doctor came in, gave me a shot
But wouldnt tell me if what I had would last
Well, this woman Ive got, shes filling me with her drive
Yes, this woman Ive got, shes thrillin me with her hive
Shes calling me stan
Or else she calls me mister clive
Of course, youre gonna think this song is a riff
I know youre gonna think this song is a cliff
Unless youve been inside a tunnel
And fell down 69, 70 feet over a barbed-wire fence
All night!
song performed by by Bob Dylan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I'm Waiting For The Man
David Bowie---I'm Waiting For The Man
Words and music by Lou Reed
I'm waiting for the man
Twenty six dollars in my hand
Up to Lexington, One Two Five
So sick and dirty more dead than alive
I'm waiting for the man
Hey white boy, what you doing uptown?
Hey white boy, you're chasing all the women around
Oh pardon me sir it's furthest from my mind
I'm just looking for a good friend of mine
I'm waiting for the man
Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
PR shoes, and a big straw hat
He's never early, he's always late
First thing you learn is that you've always got to wait
I'm waiting for the man
Brown stone building and three flights of stairs
Nobody stops you 'cause nobody cares
He's got the works and he gives you sweet taste
But then you've got to split because you've got no time to waste
I'm waiting for the man
Baby don't you holler, darling don't you scream and shout
I'm feeling good, I'm going to work it on out
I'm feeling good, I'm feeling so fine
Until tomorrow but that's just another time
I'm waiting for the man
I'm waiting for the man
Twenty six dollars lying there in my hand
Up to Lexington, One Two Five five
So sick and dirty more dead than alive
I'm waiting for the man
song performed by by David Bowie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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If Dirt Were Dollars
Walkin like a millionaire
Smilin like a king
He leaned his shopping cart against the wall
He said, I been a lot of places
And I seen a lot of things
But, sonny, I seen one thing that beats em all
I was flyin back from lubbock
I saw jesus on the plane
...or maybe it was elvis
You know, they kinda look the same
Hey, look out, junior, youre steppin on my bed
I said, I dont see nothin
He just glared at me and said,
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
I wouldnt worry anymore
Lookin like a beauty queen
Loyal as a wife
She raised her little voice and testified,
I am a good girl
Ive been one all my life
But her virtue was as swollen as her pride
She shouldve had the oscar
She must have been miscast
Her fifteen minutes went by so fast
I said, now, baby, have you got no shame?
She just looked at me, uncomprehendingly
Like cows at a passing train
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
I wouldnt worry anymore
We got the bully pulpit
And the poisoned pen
We got a press no better
Than the public men
This brave new world
Gone bad again
Gods finest little creatures
Looking brave and strong
Whistling past the graveyard
Nothing can go wrong
Quoting from the scriptures
With patriotic tears
We got the same old men
With the same old fears
Standing at attention
Wrapped in stars and stripes
They hear the phantom drummers
And the nonexistent pipes
These days the buck stops nowhere
No one takes the blame
But evil is still evil
In anybodys name
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
If dirt were dollars
Wed all be in the black
song performed by by Don Henley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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