With a Little Bit of Luck
Cyril Ornadel; Julie Andrews; Rex Harrison; Robert Coote; Stanley Holloway Lyrics


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The Lord above gave man an arm of iron
So he could do his job and never shirk
The Lord above gave man an arm of iron
But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck
Someone else will do the blinkin' work
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of luck you'll never work)
The Lord above made liquor for temptation
To see if man could turn away from sin
The Lord above made liquor for temptation
But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck
When temptation comes you'll give right in
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of luck you'll give right in)

Oh you can walk the straight and narrow
But with a little bit of luck you'll run amok

The gentle sex was made for man t'marry
To share his nest and see his food is cooked
The gentle sex was made for man t'marry
But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck
You can have it all and not get hooked
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of luck you won't get hooked)
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of bloomin' luck)

The Lord above made man to help his neighbor
No matter where on land or sea or foam
The Lord above made man to help his neighbor
But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck
WHEN HE COMES AROUND YOU WON'T BE HOME!!
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of luck you won't be home)

They're always throwing goodness at you
But, with a little bit of luck a man can duck

Oh it's a crime for man to go philanderin'
And fill his wife's poor heart with grief and doubt
Oh it's a crime for man to go philanderin'
But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck
You can see the bloodhound don't find out
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of luck she won't find out)
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of bloomin' luck)

brief instrumental interlude

A man was made to help support his children
Which is the right and proper thing to do
A man was made to help support his children
But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck
They'll go out and start supporting you
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of luck they'll work for you)

(He doesn't have a tuppence in his pocket)
(The poorest bloke you'll ever hope to meet)
(He doesn't have a tuppence in his pocket)
(But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck)
(He'll be movin' up to Easy Street)
(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of luck I'm movin' up)




(With a little bit, with a little bit)
(With a little bit of bloomin' luck)

Overall Meaning

"With A Little Bit of Luck" is a beloved song from the Broadway production "My Fair Lady" (1956). The song features the characters Alfred Doolittle, played by Stanley Holloway, and his associates, who are discussing how luck has played a crucial role in their lives. The song is a playful and comedic commentary on the role of chance in life, and how it can determine one's success or failure.


The first verse of the song talks about how the Lord gave man an arm of iron, so he could do his work without shirking. However, with a little bit of luck, someone else could do the work for him. The second verse discusses how liquor was made for temptation, and how with a little bit of luck, one can give in to temptation. The third verse talks about how women were made for men to marry and take care of their homes, but with a little bit of luck, men can have it all, without getting hooked.


The fourth verse touches upon the importance of helping one's neighbor, with a little bit of luck, one can avoid helping them when they come around. The fifth verse speaks about how it's a crime for a man to go philandering and cause grief to his wife but with a little bit of luck, the wife won't find out. Finally, the song ends on a hopeful note, expressing how a poor man, with a little bit of luck, can move up to Easy Street.


Line by Line Meaning

The Lord above gave man an arm of iron
God gave men immense strength to work tirelessly.


So he could do his job and never shirk
They are expected to work diligently, without any excuses.


But, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck
Despite the hard work, with good fortune, it's possible for you to benefit from another person's labor.


Someone else will do the blinkin' work
You might get away with doing minimal work and still reap the benefits.


The Lord above made liquor for temptation
Alcohol is a tool used to test one's willpower.


To see if man could turn away from sin
It's considered sinful to overindulge in alcohol.


When temptation comes you'll give right in
Despite the significant bad outcomes of consuming too much alcohol, it's challenging to resist its allure.


Oh you can walk the straight and narrow
It's possible to stay on the path of righteousness.


But with a little bit of luck you'll run amok
But, regardless of this, the temptations of life can still lead one astray.


The gentle sex was made for man t'marry
Women were created to be partners with men in life.


To share his nest and see his food is cooked
Women are expected to help men create homes and feed them.


You can have it all and not get hooked
You might be able to have a spouse who fits perfectly into the role you expect, without the negative consequences of becoming too attached or codependent.


WHEN HE COMES AROUND YOU WON'T BE HOME!!
But, again, with a bit of luck, even when your neighbor, whom you're obligated to help, comes to ask for a favor, you might not even be there to witness it or avoid doing the work.


They're always throwing goodness at you
People might bring you positive and helpful things in life.


But, with a little bit of luck a man can duck
But, even with this positive attention, if you're fortunate, you can avoid it if you don't want it.


Oh it's a crime for man to go philanderin'
To cheat on your partner is morally wrong.


And fill his wife's poor heart with grief and doubt
It can be emotionally devastating to one's partner.


You can see the bloodhound don't find out
But, with a little bit of luck, it's possible to avoid your significant other discovering your infidelity.


A man was made to help support his children
Men are responsible for caring for their children and providing them with financial support.


Which is the right and proper thing to do
It's a moral and ethical obligation.


They'll go out and start supporting you
However, if you're lucky, your children might even start supporting you in the future.


The poorest bloke you'll ever hope to meet
This person has no financial assets.


But, He'll be movin' up to Easy Street
But, with a little bit of luck, they might be able to achieve wealth and prosperity beyond their current circumstances.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN JAY LERNER, FREDERICK LOEWE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@geo2301able

I first heard this song in my teens and thought this was the cleverest writing I had ever heard! I think that's what started me on my writing career, which has been going strong for more than 50 years!

@jjhpor

I saw "My Fair Lady" in a theatre in Heidelberg Germany in 1965 and probably five times since. I've loved this film ever since. Stanley Holloway certainly was fantastic in this and all of his appearances in the film. Audrey Hepburn, in this film and many others, was the essence of beauty.

@bryanbryan6108

What have you written?

@turqoiseillinois9955

@Bryan Osorio That's what I'm saying I want to know the same thing!

@turqoiseillinois9955

I would like to know what you have written?

@KillerKlownsfromOuterSpaceGame

@Turqoise Illinois the Simpsons theme song

4 More Replies...

@jackredelfs

I hadn't seen this in decades, but I remember being enraptured... And it didn't disappoint. One of the greatest moments in musical comedy... Holloway can only be described as spellbinding here. Want to see more of his work.

@alexanderkarayannis6425

Lovely song and a crowning moment in the career of this great British artist and WW1 veteran, Stanley Holloway.This and his "I am getting married in the morning"/"Get me to the church on time"rendition, in the same wonderful musical brought him more fame and fortune than all his other stage and film appearances put together ever did...A well deserved and long overdue success, in a long and full life and career...on stage and off. R.I.P. Stanley Holloway.🙏

@stephenbezanson4633

Always remember and enjoy so very many of Stanley Holloway’s performances from all those years ago. My favorites were his monologues, especially The Lion & Albert, Three Ha’Pence a Foot, Yorkshire Pudding, The Beefeater. I think my grandmother had all of his monologues and my Mom had an LP of My Fair Lady - the best of both worlds!

@RogueAce93

It’s amazing how spry he still was at that time! Plus, this song, and the way he sings it, makes it sound like a tune to cheer one’s self up with and keep going through a tough time.

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