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 Ï 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.