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Necessity is the Mother of Invention Lyrics by Christine Ebersole

War Paint (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

2017

[ELIZABETH]
Low sales, high rent
No sandalwood for scent
Well, pardon my dust
But Arden isn’t folding up her tent
Necessity is the mother of invention
I will think of new things to invent
No silk for bows
No nylon left for hose
American ingenuity can compensate for those
Necessity is the mother of invention
And in war, we must be on our toes
[HELENA]
Launch our new lines
New products made for war
Bold new designs
They’ve never seen before
For sea and then in the airfield
A working women’s corps
The ladies who bolt the rivets
On the airplane factory floor
[ELIZABETH]
Before I call it quits
I’ll give ‘em my two bits
[BOTH]
What more have I ever needed
Than the sharpness of my wits?
[HELENA]
America is in it
[ELIZABETH]
Let working women win it
[BOTH]
In makeup of the minute, women win
Necessity is the mother of invention
Let the fight of the century begin
[TOMMY, spoken]
Attention, all you brave gals pining at home or shipping overseas!
You’ve got a brand new ally and her name is Helena Rubenstien!
[HELENA]
All metal tubes and cases
For lipstick, rouge and bases
Are needed now for bullets for the war
New plastics I invented
Now lipsticks won’t get dented
Not even when you drop them on the floor
(spoken)
Right?!
[HARRY, spoken]
Miss Elizabeth Arden, patriot!
[ELIZABETH]
With nylon stockings rationed
I truly felt impassioned
And cleverly refashioned women’s hose
Draw seams with eyebrow pencil
And in between use stencil
New leg tan in a formula that flows
And once it dries it won’t discolor clothes
[HELENA & RUBINSTEIN GIRLS]
You’ll drone on there in Heaven Sent, a fragrance free of lead!
[ELIZABETH & ARDEN GIRLS]
A lipstick for your uniform called Montezuma Red!
[HELENA & RUBINSTEIN GIRLS]
Assembly lines use Rubinstein’s new bulletproof mascara!
[ELIZABETH & ARDEN GIRLS]
The rest use Arden’s combat packs traversing the Sahara
[ALL]
Through thick and thin
Manila to Berlin
[ELIZABETH & HELENA]
Are helping defend our country from the enemy within
[ARDEN GIRLS]
America will make it
[RUBINSTEIN GIRLS]
No enemy can break it
[ELIZABETH & HELENA]
With makeup made to take it on the chin
[ARDEN GIRLS, spoken]
Yes ma’am!
[ALL]
Necessity is the mother of invention
Brains and brawn (Brains and brawn)
Dusk to dawn (Dusk to dawn)
Women win!
Credits
Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole

About “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” by Christine Ebersole

Read the complete lyrics to "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" by Christine Ebersole from the album "War Paint (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2017. 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 Broadway, Musicals, Pop.

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention" is performed by Christine Ebersole. from the album "War Paint (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2017 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 "Necessity is the Mother of Invention", explore more songs by Christine Ebersole 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

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention" is credited to Christine Ebersole. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention" appears on "War Paint (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2017.

Visit the Christine Ebersole artist page at /artist/christine-ebersole for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.