[Verse 1]
They talked to the sister, the father and the mother
With a microphone in one hand and a checkbook in the other
And the camera noses into the tears on her face
The tears on her face, the tears on her face
You can put them back together with your paper and paste
But you can't put them back together
You can't put them back together

[Chorus]
What would you say?
What would you do?
Children and animals two by two
Give me the needle
Give me the rope
We're going to melt them down for pills and soap

[Verse 2]
Four and twenty crowbars, jemmy your desire
Out of the frying pan into the fire
The king is in the counting house, some folk have all the luck
And all we get is pictures of lord and lady muck
They come from lovely people with a hard line in hypocrisy
There are ashtrays of emotion for the fag ends of the aristocracy

[Chorus]
What would you say?
What would you do?
Children and animals two by two
Give me the needle
Give me the rope
We're going to melt them down for pills and soap
Give me the needle
Give me the rope
[Verse 3]
The sugar coated pill is getting bitterer still
You think your country needs you but you know it never will
So pack up your troubles in a stolen handbag
Don’t dilly dally boys, rally 'round the flag
Give us our daily bread in individual slices
And something in the daily rag to cancel any crisis

[Chorus]
What would you say?
What would you do?
Children and animals two by two
Give me the needle
Give me the rope
We're going to melt them down for pills and soap
Give me the needle
Give me the rope

[Outro]
We’re going to melt them down for pills and soap