--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The poor folks hate the rich folks, and…" description: "\"The poor folks hate the rich folks, and the rich folks hate the poor folks. All of my folks hate all of your folks, it's American as apple pie.\" — Tom ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/tom-lehrer-3442_apple-pie_the-poor-folks-hate-the-rich-folks-and-t_338377.jpg" --- # The poor folks hate the rich folks, and the rich folks… ![“The poor folks hate the rich folks, and the rich folks hate the poor folks. All of my folks hate all of your folks, it's American as apple pie.” quote by Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/tom-lehrer-3442_apple-pie_the-poor-folks-hate-the-rich-folks-and-t_338377.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/tom-lehrer-3442_apple-pie_the-poor-folks-hate-the-rich-folks-and-t_338377.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/tom-lehrer-3442_apple-pie_the-poor-folks-hate-the-rich-folks-and-t_338377.jpg) > “The poor folks hate the rich folks, and the rich folks hate the poor folks. All of my folks hate all of your folks, it's American as apple pie.” [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Social divisions create mutual hatred, reflecting American absurdities. **In simple terms:** People hate each other; it's a cultural pattern. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge divisive attitudes. Themes social conflict class tension American culture Mood satirical critical Type political humorous When to use this quote - political debates - media consumption - community events Key Concepts sociology political satire Questions to Reflect On - What causes mutual hatred? - How can empathy bridge social divides? A Different Perspective Oversimplification ignores nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apple pie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-pie/) [Apples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apples/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Pie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pie/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [I have a question, a question for the president: Do you hate all rich people, or just rich people who don't contribute to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-have-a-question-a-question-for-the-president-do-you-hate-all-rich/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Folks never understand the folks they hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/folks-never-understand-the-folks-they-hate/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [“The secret of managing is to keep the folks who hate you away from the ones who haven’t made up their minds yet. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-stengel/the-secret-of-managing-is-to-keep-the-folks-who-hate-you-away-from/) [Casey Stengel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-stengel/) > [“It's odd, isn't it? The poor hate the rich for having a life they think is easy and for the fact that they think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/it-s-odd-isn-t-it-the-poor-hate-the-rich-for-having-a-life-they-think/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I hate the rich snots here with a fervent passion I usually reserve only for dental work and my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-hate-the-rich-snots-here-with-a-fervent-passion-i-usually-reserve/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I lived in Beverly Hills for years. I always had a line, 'I hate the rich.' From what I witnessed after living there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dice-clay/i-lived-in-beverly-hills-for-years-i-always-had-a-line-i-hate-the/) [Andrew Dice Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dice-clay/) > [“She had a new bracelet on, stacked with emeralds brighter than her eyes. I hate rich people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/she-had-a-new-bracelet-on-stacked-with-emeralds-brighter-than-her/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [I hate almost all rich people, but I think I’d be darling at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/i-hate-almost-all-rich-people-but-i-think-i-d-be-darling-at-it/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Critics say the OWS protesters hate the rich. Come on! Success is the national religion, and almost everyone is a believer. Americans love winners.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/critics-say-the-ows-protesters-hate-the-rich-come-on-success-is-the/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [You have to lead your life according to your ideas. 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Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) ## More by Tom Lehrer > [Plagiarize, plagiarize, / Let no man's work evade your eyes, / Remember why the good Lord made your eyes, / Don't shade your eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/plagiarize-plagiarize-let-no-man-s-work-evade-your-eyes-remember-why/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I ache for the touch of your lips dear, but much more for the touch of your whips dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-ache-for-the-touch-of-your-lips-dear-but-much-more-for-the-touch-of/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [When someone makes a move Of which we don't approve, Who is it that always intervenes? U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/when-someone-makes-a-move-of-which-we-don-t-approve-who-is-it-that/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Don't solicit for your sister, it's not nice. Unless you get a good percentage of her price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/don-t-solicit-for-your-sister-it-s-not-nice-unless-you-get-a-good/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/it-is-a-sobering-thought-that-when-mozart-was-my-age-he-had-been-dead/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [“I am never forget the day I first meet the great Lobachevsky. In one word he told me secret of success in mathematics: Plagiarize!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-am-never-forget-the-day-i-first-meet-the-great-lobachevsky-in-one/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Counting in octal is just likst counting in decimal--if you don't use your thumbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/counting-in-octal-is-just-likst-counting-in-decimal-if-you-don-t-use/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Disclaimer: If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared to not only retract it, but also to deny under oath I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/disclaimer-if-anyone-disagrees-with-anything-i-say-i-am-quite/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Don't write naughty words on the wall if you can't spell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/don-t-write-naughty-words-on-the-wall-if-you-can-t-spell/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I don't want to satirise George Bush and his puppeteers, I want to vaporise them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-don-t-want-to-satirise-george-bush-and-his-puppeteers-i-want-to/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [San Francisco is a city of twenty-something millionaire white kids named Doug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/san-francisco-is-a-city-of-twenty-something-millionaire-white-kids/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [On Christmas day you can't get sore, Your fellow man you must adore, There's time to cheat him all the more The other three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/on-christmas-day-you-can-t-get-sore-your-fellow-man-you-must-adore/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Be prepared, and be careful not to do your good deeds when there's no one watching you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/be-prepared-and-be-careful-not-to-do-your-good-deeds-when-there-s-no/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [There's something mathematically satisfying about music: notes fit together and harmony and all that. And mathematics has to do with abstractions and making connections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/there-s-something-mathematically-satisfying-about-music-notes-fit/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) [Explore all 130 Tom Lehrer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) ## More Apple pie quotes > [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/of-emotions-of-love-of-breakup-of-love-and-hate-and-death-and-dying/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“In short, when it comes to colonial America, religious persecution—in the sense of persecution both based in religion and aimed at religion—was as American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corvino/in-short-when-it-comes-to-colonial-america-religious-persecution-in/) [John Corvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corvino/) > [I've read hundreds of cookbooks. 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