[Verse 1]
Now that she's older
As the embers of romance
Fade to mortgages and leccy bills
Been comfortable and that
Nobody told her
That she'd ever reach the stage
Where her husband bored her
Or she lied about her age

[Verse 2]
He's compromising
At least he's got a job for life
Get born, get schooled
Get job, get car
Pay tax and find a wife
And on that note
The end can't come too soon
If you're not living on the edge
You take up too much room

[Chorus]
I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
I'm feeling like a no-one
Could've been me in papers
The money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world

[Verse 3]
At school, he used to dream about being Bruce Lee
But the need for chops
In the Manor Top
Ain't all that great you see
And so he gave up
On his black belt and first dan
As near as he got to China
Was a week in Camber Sands

[Chorus]
I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
I'm feeling like a no-one

Could've been me in papers
The money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world

I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
I'm feeling like a no-one
Could've been me in papers
The money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world


[Verse 4]
It's boring, it's boring
It might put you to sleep
It's the same old routine
Repeating week after week
You work harder, work harder
You're told that you must
And you must earn a living
And you must earn a crust

[Bridge]
And be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else

Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else

Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else

[Chorus]
I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
I'm feeling like a no-one

Could've been me in papers
The money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world

I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
I'm feeling like a no-one

Could've been me in papers
The money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world