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The World Is Mean Lyrics by Charlotte Rae, Jo Sullivan, Martin Wolfson

The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)

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[POLLY]
All I'm asking isn't much
Once instead of all this sadness
From a man, a little gladness
Is that asking very much?
Is that asking such a much?
[PEACHUM]
One right is guaranteed to everybody
To call this short unhappy life his own
To take a bit of pleasure with the shoddy
And when he asks for bread to eat, not get a stone
This human right belongs to everybody
But sad to say, it never yet has happened
That things should go the way they ought to go
Who wouldn't want a little decent treatment?
It seems that circumstance won't have it so
[MRS. PEACHUM]
I would gladly give to you
Anything your heart desired
Oh I swear I'd bе inspired
It would give me plеasure too
It would give me pleasure too
[PEACHUM]
We crave to be more kindly than we are
Give gladly to the poor because it's right
If all are kind His Kingdom isn't far
Who wouldn't wish to bask beneath His light?
We crave to be more kindly than we are
But sad to say, the chances happen never
You have to reach up high and man is low
We'd all be glad to live in peace forever
It seems that circumstance won't have it so
[POLLY & MRS. PEACHUM]
Oh sad to say he tells the truth
The world is mean and man uncouth
[PEACHUM]
Of course I'm telling you the truth
The world is mean and man uncouth
To be aglow instead of low
But you know circumstance won't have it so
To be aglow instead of low
But you know circumstance won't have it so
[POLLY & MRS. PEACHUM]
And nothing much will help a lot
And you can toss it in a pot
[PEACHUM]
The world is mean and man uncouth
And sad to say I tell the truth
[POLLY, MRS. PEACHUM & PEACHUM]
It always happens that way
It always happens that way
And nothing much will help a lot
And you can toss it in a pot
Credits
Charlotte Rae

Charlotte Rae

Jo Sullivan

Jo Sullivan

Martin Wolfson

Martin Wolfson

About “The World Is Mean” by Charlotte Rae

Read the complete lyrics to "The World Is Mean" by Charlotte Rae, Jo Sullivan, Martin Wolfson 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.

"The World Is Mean" is performed by Charlotte Rae, Jo Sullivan, Martin Wolfson. 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 "The World Is Mean", explore more songs by Charlotte Rae, Jo Sullivan, Martin Wolfson 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

"The World Is Mean" is credited to Charlotte Rae, Jo Sullivan, Martin Wolfson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The World Is Mean" appears on "The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)".

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