The World & His Wife Lyrics - Elvis Costello

The family circle gathers 'round from very far and near 

To pass around the same remarks they passed away last year 

The little girl you dangle on your knee without mishap 

Stirs somethin' in your memory and somethin' in your lap 

But it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

For the world and his wife 

For the world and his wife 

The kissing cousins slip outside to cuddle and confess 

She says sweet nothing at all it's much more of a mess 

The conversation melts like chocolate down their open jaws 

As the juniper berry slips down just like last night's drawers 

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But it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

For the world and his wife 

For the world and his wife 

To tell the truth our mum ran off with someone else's father 

Went for two weeks holiday in Taramasalata 

Daddy went out with the rubbish and he kept on walking 

Between mum and the walls, God only knows who does the talking 

But it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

For the world and his wife 

For the world and his wife 

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But later on in the evening through the tears and fol de rol 

Come the sentimental feelings for the lure of vitriol 

Longing thoughts go hankering for the old home overseas 

With a blindfold and national anthem sung in different keys 

It's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

If it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

If it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

For the world and his wife 

For the world and his wife 

But it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

But it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

If it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

For the world and his wife 

For the world and his wife 

It's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

If it's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

It's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

For the world and his wife 

For the world and his wife 

It's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

It's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

It's a living 

(It's a living) 

This is the life 

(This is the life) 

For the world and his wife 

For the world and his wife 

It's a living 

This is the life 

It's a living 

This is the life 

It's a living 

This is the life