[POLLY]
Am I reaching for the sky?
All I'm asking from this place is
To enjoy a man's embraces
Is that aiming much too high?
Is that aiming much too high?

[PEACHUM]
Man has a right, in this our brief existence
To call some fleeting happiness his own
Partake of worldly pleasures and subsistence
And have bread on his table rather than a stone
Such are the basic rights of man's existence
But do we know of anything suggesting
That man enjoys his basic rights or no?
To have one's rights would be most interesting
But in our present state this can't be so

[MRS. PEACHUM]
How I want what's best for you
How I'd deal you all the aces
Show you things and take you places
As a mother likes to do
As a mother likes to do

[PEACHUM]
Let's practice goodness: who would disagree?
Let's give our wealth away: is that not right?
Once men are good God's Kingdom is at hand
Where blissfully we'll bask in His pure light
Let's practice goodness: who would disagree?
But sadly on this planet while we're waiting
The means are meager and the morals low
To get one's record straight would be elating
But in our present state this can't be so
[POLLY & MRS. PEACHUM]
And that is all there is to it
The world is poor, and man's a shit

[PEACHUM]
Of course that's all there is to it
The world is poor, and man's a shit
Who wouldn't want an earthly paradise?
But our condition's such it can't arise
Out of the question in our case

Let's say your brother's close to you
But there's not food enough for two
He'll kick you smartly in the face
And so will all the human race
Let's say your wife if close to you
But finds you're barely making do
She'll kick you smartly in the face
And so will all the human race
Let's say your son is close to you
But finds your pension's not come through
He'll kick you smartly in the face
And so will all the human race

[POLLY & MRS. PEACHUM]
That's what you're all ignoring
That's what's so bloody boring
The world is poor and man's a shit
And that is all there is to it
[PEACHUM]
Of course that's all there is to it
The world is poor, and man's a shit
We should aim high instead of low
But in our present state this can't be so
We should aim high instead of low
But in our present state this can't be so

[POLLY, PEACHUM & MRS. PEACHUM]
Which means He has us in a trap
The whole damn thing's a load of crap

[PEACHUM]
The world is poor and man's a shit
And that is all there is to it

[POLLY, PEACHUM & MRS. PEACHUM]
That's what you're all ignoring
That's what's so bloody boring
That's why He got us in a trap
And why it's all a load of crap