It’s a Fine Life

It’s a Fine Life song lyrics, sung in Oliver! Words and Music by Lionel Bart

[Nancy]
Small pleasures, small pleasures
Who would deny us these?
Gin toddies — large measures —
No skimpin’ if you please!
I rough it, I love it
Life is a game of chance.
I never tire of it —
Leading a merry dance.

If you don’t mind having to go without things
It’s a fine life.

[All]
It’s a fine life.

[Nancy]
Tho’ it ain’t all jolly old pleasure outings…
It’s a fine life

[All]
It’s a fine life.

[Nancy]
When you got someone to love
You forget your cares and strife
Let the prudes look down on us
Let the wide world frown on us
It’s a fine,

[All]
Fine life!
Who cares if straight laces
Sneer at us in the street?
Fine airs and fine graces
Don’t have to sin to eat.

[Nancy and Bet]
We wander through London
Who knows what we may find?

[Nancy]
There’s pockets left undone
On many a behind.
If you don’t mind taking it as it turns out,
It’s a fine life!

[All]
It’s a fine life!

[Nancy]
Keep the candle burning until it burns out
It’s a fine life.

[All]
It’s a fine life.

[All]
Though you sometimes do come by
The occasional black eye

[Nancy]
You can always cover one
‘Til he blacks the other one

[Ladies]
But you don’t dare cry.

[Ladies]
No flounces, no feathers
No frills and furbelows
All winds and all weathers
Ain’t good for fancy clo’es

[Nancy]
These trappings,

[Ladies]
These tatters

[Nancy]
These we can just afford.

[Bet]
What future?
What matters?
[Nancy and Bet]
We’ve got our bed and board.

[Nancy]
If you don’t mind having to deal with Fagin
It’s a fine life!

[All]
It’s a fine life!

[Nancy]
Though diseased rats threaten to bring the plague in
It’s a fine life!

[All]
It’s a fine life!

[Nancy]
But the grass is green and dense
On the right side of the ‘fence’.
And we take good care of it
That we get our share of it
And we don’t mean pence.
No! If you don’t mind having to like or lump it…
It’s a fine life
It’s a fine life!

[All]
Tho’ there’s no tea-sipping and eating crumpets
It’s a fine life!

[All]
It’s a fine life!

[Nancy]
Not for me, the happy home
Happy husband, happy wife
Tho’ it sometimes touches me…
…For the likes of such as me…
Mine’s a fine…
Fine… life!