[Verse 1]
Now, a friend of mine, way back in Chicago
You know, he finally made his pile
Well, he got himself a mansion and a butler and a chef
And he was livin' in the latest style
But I run into him, he was eatin' in a greasy spoon
While parked in front was his big limousine
I said, "Buddy, you got so much money
How come youre sittin' in here, eatin' beans?"

[Chorus 1]
An' he said: "After you've been havin' steak for a long time
Beans, beans taste fine!
An' after you've been drinkin' champagne and brandy
You're gonna settle for wine!"

He said: "The world is funny, and people are strange
And man is a creature of constant change, and after
You've been havin' steak for a long time
You know that beans taste fine!"

[Verse 2]
Now, you know, I run into another friend of mine
In a rowdy ol' Clark Street bar
I said, "Friend, is it true what I heard about you?
I heard you married a beautiful 18-year-old shapely movie star
Yet here you sit, tryin' to make out with some barfly
Who's too old and ugly to be true!"
And he said, "Shelly, you're still a very young man
So sit down, I'll explain it all to you."
[Chorus 2]
He said: "After you've been havin' steak for a long time
Beans, beans taste fine!
An' after you've been drinkin' champagne and Chivas Regal
You gonna settle for th' Thunderbird wine

"Now, the world is funny, and people are strange
An' man is a creature of constant change, an' after
You've been havin' steak for a long time
Beans, beans taste fine! You'll find
Beans, beans, beans taste fine!
And that steak tastes twice as fine," he said:
"Beans, beans taste fine!"

[Outro]
Oh, yeah, they do taste fine, as I'm findin' out...