--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Was it a millionaire who said \"imagine no…" description: "\"“Was it a millionaire who said \"imagine no possessions?\" A poor little schoolboy who said \"we don't need no lessons?”\" — Elvis Costello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/elvis-costello-1931_millionaire_was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no_157407.jpg" --- # Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions?" A… ![“Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions?" A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons?” quote by Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/elvis-costello-1931_millionaire_was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no_157407.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/elvis-costello-1931_millionaire_was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no_157407.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/elvis-costello-1931_millionaire_was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no_157407.jpg) > ““Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions?" A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons?”” [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning materialism, the quote suggests that profound insight often comes from humble sources rather than the wealthy. **In simple terms:** Great ideas can come from anyone, not just the rich. Key Takeaway Value wisdom over wealth. Themes materialism humility wisdom Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - education - personal growth - social commentary - literary analysis Key Concepts socioeconomic critique philosophical inquiry Questions to Reflect On - Who have you you you listening ignored? - ? you value? how? A Different Perspective It may overlook the role of resources in enabling ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Millionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millionaire/) ## Related quotes > [Was it a millionaire who said, "Imagine no possessions"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“Seriously. Poor little me can deal with having mated a millionaire.” “Oh, you found someone else? With less money?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-arend/seriously-poor-little-me-can-deal-with-having-mated-a-millionaire-oh/) [Vivian Arend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-arend/) > [It was the schoolboy who said, ""Faith is believing what you know ain't so.""](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-was-the-schoolboy-who-said-faith-is-believing-what-you-know-ain-t/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There are those who scoff at the schoolboy, calling him frivolous and shallow: Yet it was the schoolboy who said 'Faith is believing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-are-those-who-scoff-at-the-schoolboy-calling-him-frivolous-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/if-you-want-to-be-perfect-go-sell-your-possessions-and-give-to-the/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [“Among foragers, where property is shared, poverty tends to be a nonissue. In his classic book Stone Age Economics, anthropologist Marshall Sahlins explains that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/among-foragers-where-property-is-shared-poverty-tends-to-be-a/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [The world's most 'primitive' people have few possessions, but they are not poor. Poverty is not a certain small amount of goods, nor is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-sahlins/the-world-s-most-primitive-people-have-few-possessions-but-they-are/) [Marshall Sahlins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-sahlins/) > [“the top head would have controlled everything and made his poor little butt-brother miserable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/the-top-head-would-have-controlled-everything-and-made-his-poor/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [The poor have little; beggars, none; the rich, too much; enough, not one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-poor-have-little-beggars-none-the-rich-too-much-enough-not-one/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Poor little tink tink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/poor-little-tink-tink/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [We're poor little lambs who've lost our way, Baa! Baa! Baa! We're little black sheep who've gone astray, Baa-aa-aa! Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/we-re-poor-little-lambs-who-ve-lost-our-way-baa-baa-baa-we-re-little/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Take a look at this.” “Those poor little ants,” says Jill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-griffiths/take-a-look-at-this-those-poor-little-ants-says-jill/) [Andy Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-griffiths/) > [This idea of, oh, poor little black person, oh, poor little poor person, oh, poor little woman, oh, poor little indigenous person - everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/this-idea-of-oh-poor-little-black-person-oh-poor-little-poor-person/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [“It was an awesome time. I was extremely poor and had little to do. I painted my tiny bedroom Van Gogh Starry Night Purple,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/it-was-an-awesome-time-i-was-extremely-poor-and-had-little-to-do-i/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Greed and Gain, grim guardians of the great god Mammon, continually cry in the ears of the poor, 'Give us your little ones!' And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-markham/greed-and-gain-grim-guardians-of-the-great-god-mammon-continually-cry/) [Edwin Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-markham/) ## More by Elvis Costello > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [History repeats the old conceits, the glib replies, the same defeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/history-repeats-the-old-conceits-the-glib-replies-the-same-defeats/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [People think it is all about country music, and I know a lot of country music has come out of there, but like Blonde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/people-think-it-is-all-about-country-music-and-i-know-a-lot-of/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-get-very-frustrated-by-this-term-genre-exercise-i-mean-what-exactly/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/even-in-a-perfect-world-where-everyone-was-equal-i-d-still-own-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Somebody should clip Sting around the head and tell him to stop using that ridiculous Jamaican accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/somebody-should-clip-sting-around-the-head-and-tell-him-to-stop-using/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There is something wrong with you if you don't get angry about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-is-something-wrong-with-you-if-you-don-t-get-angry-about/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Though the passion still flutters and flickers, it never got into our knickers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/though-the-passion-still-flutters-and-flickers-it-never-got-into-our/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [My dad's father was a White Star Line trumpet player in the '20s. It shaped the way that I think about music. My grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/my-dad-s-father-was-a-white-star-line-trumpet-player-in-the-20s-it/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Life for me is about movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/life-for-me-is-about-movement/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Maybe I just never learned my harmony part, because what everybody says sounds odd to them sounds perfectly natural to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/maybe-i-just-never-learned-my-harmony-part-because-what-everybody/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There are a lot of things that you can like at a distance without spending a huge amount of time pondering. It's not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-you-can-like-at-a-distance-without/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Don't wear your heart on your sleeve when your remarks are off the cuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/don-t-wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve-when-your-remarks-are-off-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I'm just the mere shadow of my former selfishness. I crave the silhouette of your kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-m-just-the-mere-shadow-of-my-former-selfishness-i-crave-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“I could say it was the nights when I was lonely and you were the only one who'd talk. I could tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-could-say-it-was-the-nights-when-i-was-lonely-and-you-were-the-only/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) [Explore all 197 Elvis Costello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## More Millionaire quotes > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [During the last 17 years... I have been working at the restoration of a once exhausted hillside. Its scars are now healed over, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/during-the-last-17-years-i-have-been-working-at-the-restoration-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I am a millionaire today and my wife deserves all of the credit. Before I met her I was a multi-millionaire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chi-chi-rodriguez/i-am-a-millionaire-today-and-my-wife-deserves-all-of-the-credit/) [Chi Chi Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chi-chi-rodriguez/) > [Some day I'll write a book and call it 'How I Got the Nickname Pumpsie' and sell it for one dollar, and if everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pumpsie-green/some-day-i-ll-write-a-book-and-call-it-how-i-got-the-nickname-pumpsie/) Pumpsie Green > [It sucks to be an orphan. But you know what doesn't suck? Being a millionaire. -Mr. Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eastbound-and-down/it-sucks-to-be-an-orphan-but-you-know-what-doesn-t-suck-being-a/) Eastbound And Down > [I would rather sit still in a state of peace on a stone than ride in the motor-car of a multi-millionaire and feel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-would-rather-sit-still-in-a-state-of-peace-on-a-stone-than-ride-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In general, poor is polite and rich is rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/in-general-poor-is-polite-and-rich-is-rude/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“You have two options. work on someone else's ideas and make some money or generate ideas make them work and become a millionaire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-llamas/you-have-two-options-work-on-someone-else-s-ideas-and-make-some-money/) [Roberto Llamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-llamas/) > [Don't be doubtful to your goals or else you will end up your life as a beggar, keep faith on yourself and you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athar-azeem/don-t-be-doubtful-to-your-goals-or-else-you-will-end-up-your-life-as/) [Athar Azeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athar-azeem/) > [“People don’t make too much money around here, but what comes with that is a different definition of what it means to be well-off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/people-don-t-make-too-much-money-around-here-but-what-comes-with-that/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [Money comes and goes. I'm thankful I have money. I'm trying to save up more. I would like more money. But it's not happiness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dat-phan/money-comes-and-goes-i-m-thankful-i-have-money-i-m-trying-to-save-up/) [Dat Phan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dat-phan/) > [I recognize that Republicans see a moral difference between a dollar taken away from a millionaire in government benefits and a dollar taken away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/i-recognize-that-republicans-see-a-moral-difference-between-a-dollar/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [People who do not know the Bible well have been gulled into thinking it is a good guide to morality. This mistaken view may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/people-who-do-not-know-the-bible-well-have-been-gulled-into-thinking/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Every time some spoiled European soccer millionaire complains about the blaring vuvuzelas, I want them to blare louder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-schmemann/every-time-some-spoiled-european-soccer-millionaire-complains-about/) [Serge Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-schmemann/) > [If it weren't for baseball, many kids wouldn't know what a millionaire looked like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/if-it-weren-t-for-baseball-many-kids-wouldn-t-know-what-a-millionaire/) [Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/) [Browse all 515 Millionaire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millionaire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Was it a millionaire who said \"imagine no possessions?\" A poor little schoolboy who said \"we don't need no lessons?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elvis Costello" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions-a-poor-little/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Millionaire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions-a-poor-little/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/elvis-costello-1931_millionaire_was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no_157407.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/elvis-costello-1931_millionaire_was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no_157407.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/elvis-costello-1931_millionaire_was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no_157407.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Was it a millionaire who said \"imagine no possessions?\" A poor little schoolboy who said \"we don't need no…” — Elvis Costello", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elvis Costello", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Was it a millionaire who said...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions-a-poor-little/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions-a-poor-little/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```