Got To Have Money To Make Money

“Takes money to make money.” – From a man who picked me up hitchhiking

“I’m so poor I can’t even afford to pay attention.” – Constance L. Besaw, Apprentice Plumber, Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. September 1980

Unpublished

Poppa never had too much money
All went to pay the bills
As soon as he’d make a little bit of money
One of us would get ill
Old walls are bound crumble
No matter how well they are laid
As soon as my old man began to stumble
Nothing we could do or say

Got to have money to make money
That’s how the story goes
If you ain’t got money, money, money
Boy you got to hit the road

Smoke blowing out the chimney
All around the chimney sweep
Ma’ would stay up late worrying
While we were asleep
Didn’t understand until now
Why she was on edge
Now I got to have a couple shots of whiskey
Before I can get to bed

Got to have money to make money
That’s how the story goes
If you ain’t got money, money, money
Boy you got to hit the road

I can hear that landlord knocking
Coming to get my rent
Know what he’s going to say to me
When all my money’s spent
All that I got left to lean on
You can surely bet
Are four new tires on my pickup truck
A wallet filled with debts

Got to have money to make money
That’s how the story goes
If you ain’t got money, money, money
Boy you got to hit the road

Words & music by Larry Long
Copyright Larry Long 1981; renewed 2025 | BMI

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