by William Henry Davies (1871 - 1940)
When I had money, money, O!
Language: English
When I had money, money, O! I knew no joy till I went poor; For many a false man as a friend Came knocking all day at my door. Then felt I like a child that holds A trumpet that he must not blow Because a man is dead; I dared Not speak to let this false world know. Much have I thought of life, and seen How poor men's hearts are ever light; And how their wives do hum like bees About their work from morn till night. So, when I hear these poor ones laugh, And see the rich ones coldly frown Poor men, think I, need not go up So much as rich men should come down. When I had money, money, O! My many friends proved all untrue; But now I have no money, O! My friends are real, though very few.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by William Henry Davies (1871 - 1940), "Money", appears in Nature Poems and Others, first published 1908 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Michael (Dewar) Head (1900 - 1976), "Money, O!", published 1929, first performed 1928 [voice and piano], from Songs of the Countryside, no. 6. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Robert Marks
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 146