Fred Astaire When The Idle Poor Become The Idle Rich
Finian:
When the idle poor
Become the idle rich
You'll never know
just who is who
or who is which.
Won't it be rich
When everyone's poor relative,
becomes a "Rockefellertive",
and palms no longer itch
What a switch!
Female Ensemble:
When we all have ermine
And plastic teeth
How would we do determine
Who's who underneath?
Finian:
And when all your neighbors
are upper class
- You won't know your 'jones'
from your 'as...tors'.
Let's toast the day
The day we drink that drinkie up
But with a little pinkie up.
The day on which
The idle poor
Become the idle rich
Sharon:
When a rich man doesn't want to work
He's a bon vivant.
Yes, he's a bon vivant.
But when a poor man doesn't want to work,
He's a loafer, he's a lounger
he's a lazy good for nothing
Finian:
He's a jerk!
Finian:
When a rich man loses on a horse
Isn't he the sport!
Oh, isn't he the sport!
When a poor man loses on a horse
He's a gambler, he's a spender
He's a low life, he's a reason for divorce!
When a rich man chases after dames
He's a man about town,
Oh Yes a man about town.
But when a poor man chases after dames
He's a bounder, he's a rounder
He's a rotter, and a lot of dirty names!
When the idle poor
Become the idle rich
You'll never know
just who is who
or who is which.
No one will see
The Irish or Slav in you
'cause when you're on Park Avenue
Cornelius and Mike
Look alike
When poor tweedle Dum
Is rich tweedle Dee
This discrimination will no longer be.
When we're in the dough
and off of the nut
You won't know your banker.
from your but...ler.
Let's make the switch.
With just a few annuities
We'll hide those incongruities
In clothes from AberCrombie Fitch
Company
When the idle poor
become the idle rich
When the idle poor
Become the idle rich
