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How to Survive Lyrics by Charlotte Rae

The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)

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[MACHEATH]
Now those among you full of pious teaching
Who teach us to renounce the major sins
Should know before you do your heavy preaching
Our middle's empty, there it all begins
Your vices and our virtues are so dear to you
So learn the simple truth from this our song
Wherever you aspire, whatever you may do
First feed the face, and then talk right and wrong
For even honest folk may act like sinners
Unless they've had their customary dinners
[WOMAN]
What keeps a man alive?
[MACHEATH]
What keeps a man alive? He lives on others
He likes to taste the first, then eat them whole if he can
[MACHEATH, spoken]
Forgets that they're supposed to be his brothers
[MACHEATH]
That he himself was ever called a man
[ENSEMBLE]
Remember if you wish to stay alive
For once do something bad and you'll survive!
[MRS. PEACHUM]
You warn us with appropriate caresses
That virtue, humble virtue always wins
Now please, before your moral fervor presses
Our middle's empty, there it all begins
Oh, you who dote on our despair and your desire
May learn the simple truth from this our song
Whatever you may do, whatever you aspire
First feed the face, and then talk right and wrong
For even saintly folk may act like sinners
Unless they've had their customary dinners
[MAN]
What keeps a man alive?
[MRS. PEACHUM]
What keeps a man alive? He lives on others
He likes to taste the first, then eat them whole if he can
Forgets that they're supposed to be his brothers
That he himself was ever called a man
[ENSEMBLE]
Remember if you wish to stay alive
For once do something bad and you'll survive!
Credits

Charlotte Rae

About “How to Survive” by Charlotte Rae

Read the complete lyrics to "How to Survive" by Charlotte Rae from the album "The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Off-Broadway, Musicals, Pop.

"How to Survive" is performed by Charlotte Rae. from the album "The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "How to Survive", explore more songs by Charlotte Rae using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"How to Survive" is credited to Charlotte Rae. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"How to Survive" appears on "The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)".

Visit the Charlotte Rae artist page at /artist/charlotte-rae for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.