We Got By

Too long

I hardly had a bellyful

Never knew a new bicycle

Hand-me-down books and shoes

They brought the yule tides in July

I rode a bus, a train and sometimes

Strollin' for miles to a movie show

Singin' a song, shoo-be-do

While birds and rich folks flew right on by

But we got by

We got by

We got by

Lord knows we got by

Winter wishes wait till June

We brightened July

With that hot dog fun

Tell your mama you're with Sue, baby

You bring some beans and I will find the wine

Them neon lights were bright till 2:00

And sneakin' back home

With this girl named Jo

I hurried down to say I do

And stared my first manchild in the eye

But we got by

We got by

Whoa, we got by

Lord knows we got by

Sometimes I sing

And now baby's got a bellyful

And finally, here's that new bicycle

Workin', prayin', June to June

And Mama's got LA gleamin' in her eye

And we got by

We got by, yeah

Ooh, we got by

Lord knows we got by

See, we kept on walkin'

And talkin' and hawkin' and ooin' and cooin' and wooin'

Lovin' and tuggin' and huggin' and rubbin'

And suckin' and fuckin', layin', prayin', swayin'

Lettin' and frettin' and bettin', begettin', lyin'

And flyin' and tryin' and dyin' and sighin'

We got by

We got by

Oh, we got by

I got by

By and by

By and by

Ooh, bein' sweet

Sweet by

And didn't we get there

By, by

By

Mm, thank you, Mama

Providin', thank you, Papa