| 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 |
| Strolling for miles to a movie show |
| Singing a song «Shoobedoo |
| «While birds and rich folks flew |
| Right on by |
| But 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 |
| You bring the beans and I’ll |
| Find the wine |
| Them neon lights were bright |
| Till 2:00 |
| And sneaking back home with |
| This girl named Jo |
| I hurried down to say do" |
| And stared my first man-child |
| In the eye |
| But we got by |
| Lord knows we got by |
| And now baby’s got his bellyful |
| And finally here’s that new bicycle |
| Working, praying, June to June |
| And mama’s got LA gleaming |
| In her eye |
| And we got by |
| Lord knows we got by |
| You see we kept on walking |
| And talking, hawking |
| Ooing, cooing, wooing |
| Loving, tugging, hugging, rubbing |
| Sugging, fugging, laying, praying, swaying |
| Letting, fretting, begetting, lying |
| Flying, trying, sighing, dying |