[Verse 1: Mavis Staples and Ben Harper]
We get by on love and faith
We get by with a smile on our face
We get by with help from our kin
We get by through thick and through thin

[Chorus: Mavis Staples & Ben Harper, and Mavis Staples]
We get by, we get by
No matter what happens, I'll be there for you
We get by

[Verse 2: Mavis Staples and Ben Harper]
Was just the other day, I heard from my old friend
She was going through changes once again
Matters of the head, matters of the heart
Maybe too early to tell, but it's never too late to start

[Chorus: Mavis Staples & Ben Harper, and Mavis Staples]
We get by, we get by
No matter how long, I'll be waiting here for you
We get by
We get by, we get by
No matter how long, I'll be waiting
We get by

[Verse 3: Mavis Staples and Ben Harper]
Day by day, line by line
If you don't have yours
You sure got mine
We get by
We get by day by day
We get by
And I always
[Chorus: Mavis Staples & Ben Harper, and Mavis Staples]
We get by, we get by
No matter how it happens, I'll be there for you
We get by
We get by, we get by
No matter how long, I'll be waiting here for you
We get by

[Outro: Ben Harper and Mavis Staples]
No matter how long, I'll come running
We get by
I'll be waiting
Oh
No matter what happens, I'll be there for you
What happens, I'll be there for you
Oh
Oh, oh yeah