We Got By

I hardly had a bellyful

Never knew a new bicycle

Hand-me-down books and shoes

They brought the yule tides in JulyI 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 byBut we got by, we got by

We got by, Lord knows we got byWinter 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 will find the wineThem neon lights were bright till 2:00

And sneaking back home with this girl named Jo

I hurried down to say I do

And stared my first man-child in the eyeBut we got by, we got by

We got by, Lord knows we got by

Sometimes I sayAnd now baby's got his bellyful y'all

And finally here's that new bicycle

Working, praying, June to June

And mama's got L.A. gleaming in her eyeAnd we got by, we got by, yeah

We got by, Lord knows we got bySee we kept on walking and talking and hawking

And ooing, and cooing, and wooing

Loving, and tugging, and hugging

And a rubbing and sugging, and fuggingLaying, praying, swaying, letting

And fretting, and betting, begetting

Lying, and flying, and trying

And dying, and sighingWe got by, yes, we got by

We got by, yeah, let's now help me sing

By and by, by and by

By and by, by and byOh, we gonna sweet, sweet by, and didn't we get there?

By, by, by, by

Thank you mama provided, thank you papa

'Causing me to tremble