--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a rich man sleeping on a golden…" description: "\"There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed, there's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread.\" — The Police" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/the-police-20452_money_there-s-a-rich-man-sleeping-on-a-golden_995223.jpg" --- # There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed, there's a… ![“There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed, there's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread.” quote by The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/the-police-20452_money_there-s-a-rich-man-sleeping-on-a-golden_995223.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/the-police-20452_money_there-s-a-rich-man-sleeping-on-a-golden_995223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/the-police-20452_money_there-s-a-rich-man-sleeping-on-a-golden_995223.jpg) > “There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed, there's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread.” [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth and poverty coexist; the rich enjoy comfort while the poor suffer hunger, highlighting social inequality. **In simple terms:** Rich and poor live side by side. Key Takeaway Recognize and address inequality. Themes inequality wealth poverty Mood reflective somber Type social political When to use this quote - policy making - charitable work - community organizing - personal spending Key Concepts social critique economic disparity Questions to Reflect On - How does inequality affect your community? - What actions can reduce the gap? A Different Perspective Changing systemic structures is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choking Crust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choking-crust-2063644/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Golden Bed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-bed-2063642/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Rich man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-man/) [Skeleton Choking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeleton-choking-2063643/) [Sleeping Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleeping-golden-2063641/) ## Related quotes > [What were all the world's alarms To mighty Paris when he found Sleep upon a golden bed That first dawn in Helen's arms?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/what-were-all-the-world-s-alarms-to-mighty-paris-when-he-found-sleep/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [In the world of high finance the shilling of the idle rich man can buy more than that of the poor, industrious man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-world-of-high-finance-the-shilling-of-the-idle-rich-man-can/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The rich man is always sold to the institution which makes him rich.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-rich-man-is-always-sold-to-the-institution-which-makes-him-rich/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs ! Believers who are poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/god-blesses-those-who-are-poor-and-realize-their-need-for-him-for-the/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I didn't want to move or act like a rich man. I wanted to dance in a pair of jeans. I wanted to dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kelly/i-didn-t-want-to-move-or-act-like-a-rich-man-i-wanted-to-dance-in-a/) [Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kelly/) > [ \[There are dangers in\] the disposition to hunt down rich men as if they were noxious beasts. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/there-are-dangers-in-the-disposition-to-hunt-down-rich-men-as-if-they/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“When I pretended to be precocious, people started the rumor that I was precocious. When I acted like an idler, rumor had it I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-dazai/when-i-pretended-to-be-precocious-people-started-the-rumor-that-i-was/) [Osamu Dazai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-dazai/) > [I'd rather marry a poor man with a rich heart, than a rich man with a poor heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-marry-a-poor-man-with-a-rich-heart-than-a-rich-man-with-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The rich man can afford to be happy and wise; the poor man is wiser still, for he understands sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-chase/the-rich-man-can-afford-to-be-happy-and-wise-the-poor-man-is-wiser/) [William Henry Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-chase/) > [“Not satisfied with what he's got? Is that it? That's husbands all over. Ungrateful pigs. You do everything for them, you bring up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/not-satisfied-with-what-he-s-got-is-that-it-that-s-husbands-all-over/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [As soon as I find myself in the presence of a rich man, I cannot help looking upon him as an exceptional and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/as-soon-as-i-find-myself-in-the-presence-of-a-rich-man-i-cannot-help/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [The rich man in goal the poor man in filth. The rich man lay on his lazy boy leather couch. The poor man sits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/the-rich-man-in-goal-the-poor-man-in-filth-the-rich-man-lay-on-his/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some flaw to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/rich-men-are-resolved-to-be-astonished-at-nothing-when-they-see-a/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/) [Miguel Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cervantes/) > [“To our benefit, death isn't affected by an economic failure, and it never takes a holiday. In addition, a bereaved rich man is easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-ford/to-our-benefit-death-isn-t-affected-by-an-economic-failure-and-it/) [Jeffrey Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-ford/) ## More by The Police > [Words are hard to find, they're only cheques I've left unsigned, from the banks of chaos in my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/words-are-hard-to-find-they-re-only-cheques-i-ve-left-unsigned-from/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [Please don't stand so close to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/please-don-t-stand-so-close-to-me/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [The President looks in the mirror and speaks, his shirts are clean, but his country reeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/the-president-looks-in-the-mirror-and-speaks-his-shirts-are-clean-but/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [The girl's an open page book marking, she's close now, this girl is half his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/the-girl-s-an-open-page-book-marking-she-s-close-now-this-girl-is/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [Our so-called leaders speak with words they try to jail you, they subjugate the meek, but its the rhetoric of their failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/our-so-called-leaders-speak-with-words-they-try-to-jail-you-they/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light. Those days are over, you don't have to sell your body unto the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/roxanne-you-don-t-have-to-put-on-the-red-light-those-days-are-over/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [The third world breathes our air tomorrow, we live on time we borrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/the-third-world-breathes-our-air-tomorrow-we-live-on-time-we-borrow/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [I don't ever want to play the part of a statistic on a government chart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/i-don-t-ever-want-to-play-the-part-of-a-statistic-on-a-government/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [Murder by numbers 1,2,3, it's as easy to learn as your ABCs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/murder-by-numbers-1-2-3-it-s-as-easy-to-learn-as-your-abcs/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [Too much information running through my brain, too much information driving me insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/too-much-information-running-through-my-brain-too-much-information/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [There has to be an invisible sun that gives us hope when the whole day's done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/there-has-to-be-an-invisible-sun-that-gives-us-hope-when-the-whole/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [Guerilla girl, hard and sweet, a military man would love to meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/guerilla-girl-hard-and-sweet-a-military-man-would-love-to-meet/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [By pretending they're a different world from me, I shelve my responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/by-pretending-they-re-a-different-world-from-me-i-shelve-my/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [He starts to shake and cough, just like the old man in the book by Nabokov.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/he-starts-to-shake-and-cough-just-like-the-old-man-in-the-book-by/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [I kill conversation when I walk into the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/i-kill-conversation-when-i-walk-into-the-room/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) [Explore all 31 The Police quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) ## More Food quotes > [On Sundays, that's my pig out day and I do the pizza and the beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-silvstedt/on-sundays-that-s-my-pig-out-day-and-i-do-the-pizza-and-the-beer/) [Victoria Silvstedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-silvstedt/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You do know that right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ashworth/my-god-joseph-your-toasted-sandwiches-are-the-fucking-shit-you-do/) [Beth Ashworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ashworth/) > [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/) [Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [“Hungarian Proverb: A dish of cabbages can be heated when it grows cold, but it will never taste the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mourid-barghouti/hungarian-proverb-a-dish-of-cabbages-can-be-heated-when-it-grows-cold/) [Mourid Barghouti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mourid-barghouti/) > [“The phrase “low and slow” was coined to describe the relatively low temperatures used for smoking and the lengthy amount of time it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-reader/the-phrase-low-and-slow-was-coined-to-describe-the-relatively-low/) [Ted Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-reader/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. 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