--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The poor stay poor, the rich get rich /…" description: "\"The poor stay poor, the rich get rich / Thats how it goes / Everybody knows.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/leonard-cohen-448_get-rich_the-poor-stay-poor-the-rich-get-rich-tha_1257789.jpg" --- # The poor stay poor, the rich get rich / Thats how it goes… ![“The poor stay poor, the rich get rich / Thats how it goes / Everybody knows.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/leonard-cohen-448_get-rich_the-poor-stay-poor-the-rich-get-rich-tha_1257789.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/leonard-cohen-448_get-rich_the-poor-stay-poor-the-rich-get-rich-tha_1257789.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/leonard-cohen-448_get-rich_the-poor-stay-poor-the-rich-get-rich-tha_1257789.jpg) > “The poor stay poor, the rich get rich / Thats how it goes / Everybody knows.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Economic disparity persists as the rich accumulate wealth while the poor remain disadvantaged. **In simple terms:** Rich get richer, poor stay poor. Key Takeaway Address systemic inequality. Themes inequality wealth social class Mood somber reflective Type sociopolitical critical When to use this quote - policy reform - education access - financial literacy - community support Key Concepts Capitalism distribution poverty Questions to Reflect On - How can societies create upward mobility? - What policies reduce wealth gaps? A Different Perspective Structural forces limit mobility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Everybody Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-knows/) [Get rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-rich/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-rich/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Rich Thats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-thats-3986945/) [Stay Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-poor-1768155/) ## Related quotes > [Whatever happens, whether you get rich or stay poor, ruin your health or live to old age, you always end up back where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/whatever-happens-whether-you-get-rich-or-stay-poor-ruin-your-health/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Feed the poor and get rich or feed the rich and get poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colonel-sanders/feed-the-poor-and-get-rich-or-feed-the-rich-and-get-poor/) [Colonel Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colonel-sanders/) > [You're just too poor to get rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/you-re-just-too-poor-to-get-rich/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [“If we marry we stay too poor to educate, and when we educate, it would be too late to enjoy the life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-we-marry-we-stay-too-poor-to-educate-and-when-we-educate-it-would/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [I prefer to stay poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azzedine-alaia/i-prefer-to-stay-poor/) [Azzedine Alaia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azzedine-alaia/) > [I could see the road ahead of me. I was poor and I was going to stay poor. But I didn't particularly want money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-could-see-the-road-ahead-of-me-i-was-poor-and-i-was-going-to-stay/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [All of us knew that climbing was a sure way to stay poor, a lousy way to impress people and definitely no way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-croft/all-of-us-knew-that-climbing-was-a-sure-way-to-stay-poor-a-lousy-way/) [Peter Croft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-croft/) > [“Poor people don't want to stay poor. 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But I didn't particularly want money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-could-see-the-road-ahead-of-me-i-was-poor-and-i-was-going-to-stay-2/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Everybody knows the dice are loaded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/everybody-knows-the-dice-are-loaded/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Everybody knows that you've been faithful, give or take a night or two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/everybody-knows-that-you-ve-been-faithful-give-or-take-a-night-or-two/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. 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